Intertwining Destinies

Chapter 26

Prince Nuada's lair

Somewhere under the New York City streets

The only light within Prince Nuada's dark lair flickered from the makeshift kitchen. Low flames sputtered in the fireplace, reflecting off the assortment of copper pots and pans mounted along the rough stone walls. Hanging bunches of dried herbs threw spectral shadows across the low ceiling. Wink sat alone in the gloom, drinking from a mug of dark ale. He had come home to an empty cavern and was now left to wonder about his prince, and the fate of his captive human. It had taken Wink longer than expected to find all the materials necessary for the restoration of his damaged mechanical hand, but trade with the New Orleans trolls was a tedious business. It was harder to satisfy their fancy and thus, make them agree to a bargain. He had already surveyed the entire cavern to look for signs of torture and blood, but hadn't found a clue to where they could be.

A loud noise from somewhere near his ankles roused him from his contemplations. He found below, one of the wartcaps that often visited the cavern to look for scraps of food. Most trolls considered them to be pests and shooed them away upon discovery, but Nuada always welcomed them.

"Want some bread and honey, little one?" Wink asked.

The twin heads shook in response.

"Prince Nuada has asked us to get his medicine box from his kitchen," they said in their rapid, screechy voices.

"Why? Where is the prince now? Is His Highness hurt?" Wink toppled both his chair and the table in his anxious haste. The wartcap jumped out of the way. Wink grabbed it and brought it close to his face.

"Where is he?" he firmly repeated.

"At Master Romeran's shop," it answered, squirming to escape the troll's massive hand. Wink promptly dropped it to the floor and hurried to secure the box of potions that Nuada had specified.

"I will take it there myself. You go on ahead and tell His Highness that I'm coming. Tell him Wink's coming!"

The wartcap nodded its understanding and pattered away. Wink collected several rolls of what looked like dried sea weeds to add to the potion box, and set off.

At past midnight, the Troll Market was teeming with a plethora of fae creatures. In fear of what might have befallen his prince, Wink bulldozed his way through the crowd. When he reached Romeran's quarters, he wrenched the ornate doorknob so hard that it broke away. In his haste to find Nuada, he almost trampled Blinky the brownie who had come to check on the new arrival at her master's door. As he reached the inner chamber, he saw Nuada kneeling in front of a long sofa.

Wink dropped his load and cried out, "Prince Nuada!" which would have sounded as loud as a roar to human ears.

Nuada whirled around to face him while the woody figure of the court mage hurried over to shush him.

"Mr. Wink, I see you have returned," greeted Nuada sombrely.

Wink was instantly gratified to see his master well and alive. "My Prince, why did you send for your potions?"

"It's her, Mr. Wink," said Nuada, and he stepped aside to let Wink see the figure lying on the sofa. She was the prince's human. He moved closer to take in her mangled shoulder, and her face screwed up in pain. While her eyes remained closed, her breathing sounded ragged and slow.

"How did this happen to her?" Wink wondered aloud. He felt sure it was not the prince's doing, but a mauling by some beast.

"Welsh demonic hounds," Romeran put in gravely, while Prince Nuada rummaged through the potions.