Drake of Tanith (Chosen Soul) by Heather Killough-Walden Read Free Book Online Page B

lifted. “Really?” she asked, clearly more intrigued than curious. There was a subtle difference between the two.
    Raven wisely remained silent.
    “Be that as it may,” Zeta slowly continued. She looked down at her hands and began fiddling with one of the rings on her fingers. “I know you wish to leave Eidolon.”
    Again, Raven said nothing. They both knew it was true.
    “And I wish to help you.”
    Now Raven did speak. “What?”
    Zeta looked back up. Her expression was ultimately serious, her eyes piercing. “I can get you out of the castle Raven, but in exchange, I would ask a favor.”
    “You can do that?”
    “Of course,” Zeta replied easily. She now looked a little offended. “The men in this family are certainly not the only ones with power.” At this, she turned and waved a hand at the opposite wall of her vast chamber. The wall began to waver and buckle, obviously opening up into some kind of portal. It was similar to the one that had opened up on the field during the battle with Cruor. The one that had sucked Drake into the Witherlands.
    “Where does it go?” Raven asked as the portal began to settle down and a forest appeared on the other side.
    “To the Phaen Forest. I know you’re familiar with it. It’s far enough away from Trimontium that it will give you some time to regroup and come up with a plan. In the meantime…”
    Raven turned back to Zeta. “You wanted a favor.”
    “Yes,” Zeta replied. She seemed almost breathless suddenly, as if she couldn’t ask for this favor fast enough. She glanced at her chamber doors, enormous gold-gilded constructs of stone, metal and wood. They were shut tight and no sound came from beyond.
    She turned back to Raven and took a deep breath. “When you become a queen of Abaddon, remember me, Raven. I want you to ally yourself and your world with mine – but only if I am allowed to claim the Fae throne.”
    Raven stared at Zeta, digesting the request. The very idea of Raven being queen of anything was so ridiculous to her, she was ready to shrug it off and move on, but the clarity of Zeta’s meaning gave her pause. “You want me to threaten the Fae world with war unless you’re made queen.”
    Zeta’s smile turned impish. “You’re even smarter than I thought.”
    Raven let that one go. “Zeta, if you can open a portal anywhere, then can you send me to the Witherlands?” She held her breath, afraid of the answer.
    “I can – but I won’t,” replied Zeta.
    Raven’s breath leaked out in disappointment.
    “If you grant me this promise and I release you, Raven, then I will have too much invested in you to sacrifice you to the almost certain death you would face in the Witherlands.” She paused, considered Raven a moment, and then said, “I’m sorry. I am guessing you’d planned on going after Tanith.”
    Raven was silent for a moment more. And then she straightened and looked Zeta in the eyes. “If you help me escape this castle, I promise to ally myself with the Fae realm so long as you rein. However, I also promise that I will go after Drake of Tanith. Whether you like it or not.” She waited a beat, just as Zeta had done. “Take it or leave it.”
    Zeta sat up a little on the edge of the bed and looked down at Raven over the straight line of her nose. She inhaled slowly, and nodded to herself. “Very well.” She stood up and moved to a tall ornate mirror against one of the marbled walls of her vast chamber. She waved her hand before her own gorgeous reflection and the mirror glass shimmered, warped, and then disappeared altogether, revealing behind it a small alcove.
    “But I want you to have this,” she said to Raven over her shoulder. “Just in case.” She reached in and pulled out what looked like a bundle of clothing tied with shimmering silken rope. On top of the bundle rested a silver circlet.
    As Zeta brought the bundle and circlet around and Raven got a closer look, she could see that the silver band was too clear to