Unexpected Ultimatum (Unplanned Princess Book 6) Read online

  Helga groaned. The world was dark. Her fingers and toes hurt. She blinked her eyes, then opened them, and found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Her hands and feet were wrapped in gauze. A concerned-looking man with an impressively ugly sweater and a normal-enough stethoscope stood over her.

  She tried to sit up, but she couldn’t. She was on a cot in a room with several other small cots.

  The doctor instructed, “Don’t try to move too much. Between the frostbite and the hypothermia, you shouldn’t strain yourself.”

  “Frostbite?” Helga repeated. “Am I going to lose anything?”

  He shook his head, then smiled. “You’re not going to lose a toe or a finger. It’s surprising. Given the condition you were found in, I would have expected worse, including gangrene, but you’re tougher than you look. Everything should still be there once you have time to rest, including the scar on your hand. I’m assuming that’s old? It looks old.”

  Helga managed a weak nod. “It’s from when I was a child, but I don’t remember how I got it.” Her hand hurt too much to lift to look at it, and it was wrapped anyway. “It’s been there for years.”

  “I thought so. I’m just glad you’re alive. I wasn’t certain when they brought you in. A boy saw your body near the edge of the village and went and got his mother. She got me.”

  The petal had been far more than a source of sleep. The Huldufólk female had done far more than save her life.

  “Do you remember anything?” the doctor asked. “You are with the team from the university, aren’t you? I heard about you, but I didn’t have an opportunity to meet you.”

  “Yes, and there was an accident,” Helga lied. “I was with two others. We were setting up equipment, but…” Her voice choked. “The storm came on too quickly. We all crashed our snowmobiles. The others died.”

  The doctor sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll let you rest, and I’ll pass along what happened so they know not to waste time searching. If the storm is this bad in the village, it must have been terrible on the glacier.” He furrowed his brow. “You said you crashed. Did you walk to the village?”

  Helga swallowed. “I don’t remember much after the accident.”

  The doctor chuckled. “A Huldufólk probably carried you.”

  Helga’s eyes widened. “What?”

  He waved a hand. “I’m sorry. That was in poor taste. I shouldn’t be making jokes when your friends died. You were mumbling about Huldufólk while you were unconscious. I suspect you were delirious and wandered here. I’m sure you hallucinated many strange things along the way.”

  “They deserve respect,” Helga noted.

  “Of course. I’m deeply sorry for your friends.”

  “No,” Helga replied. “The Huldufólk, but it doesn’t matter now.” She closed her eyes. “I’m so tired.”

  “It’s all right to rest.” The doctor gave her a concerned look. “You’re safe. The nightmare is over.”

  Helga wanted to believe that, but it was hard to accept that she’d run into a creature straight out of folklore and nothing more would come of that.

  Something else bothered her. When the researchers saw the Huldufólk, the four had been fighting. That had to mean something. She’d not heard many legends about the hidden ones preying on each other.

  Aron had said they’d walked into a war, but she saw three attacking one. There had to be an explanation for the battle. What little the woman had told her hadn’t revealed much.

  Helga came up with an absurd idea. Was there such a thing as a Huldufólk criminal, and had she just pledged an oath of silence to protect one?

  Chapter Seven

  Standing invisible next to a tree in a park, Zaena waited patiently for the arrival of Josh Bloom. Since she wasn’t moving, she could maintain a secondary invisibility spell that kept her armored form concealed without much strain.

  When she’d first arrived in San Francisco, she had not anticipated how inconvenient not being able to use her natural camouflage would be with her armor. In her mind, she’d always assumed quick summoning would be enough. She’d lacked foresight and was far too used to thinking about being around other elves by default rather than considering how long she might have to hide her true nature.

  It was almost a miracle more people didn’t already know about elves. Talking to Josh Bloom was helping with that over the long term.

  Her standard practice after being involved in any public incident was to call him on a burner phone and arrange a meeting. When she’d noticed other reporters staking out his apartment after a mid-January meeting, she decided to vary where they talked.

  She’d been surprised the government agents hadn’t put pressure on him or her to stop their talks. It was obvious where she was going with it, but they’d barely mentioned it other than noting their superiors thought it was wise to not be too aggressive in what information she chose to share.

  Zaena had no complaints about Josh’s reporting. He’d been remarkably restrained, relaying what she said without twists or misrepresentations. He’d also expanded into talking to witnesses and had done a good job of debunking an increase in false sightings.

  Josh wandered up a path with his hands in his jacket pockets. Despite his casual stroll, the tension in his face betrayed his nervousness.

  Zaena canceled her camouflage. Josh froze and stared at her.

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” he offered. He pulled out his phone and took a picture before starting recording. “It’s so cool. It’s almost like it’s magic.”

  “Yes, almost,” Zaena replied in a wry tone.

  “Did you know the fire chief wants to give you an award?” Josh asked.

  Zaena shook her head. “I didn’t save that man to get awards, and I don’t think they’d appreciate me showing up in my armor.”

  “You could always show up as yourself,” Josh suggested. “Everyone wants to know the woman under the armor. A lot of people have their theories, but that isn’t the same as having them confirmed.”

  “I have my reasons for maintaining my secrecy. It won’t be tossed away lightly, and certainly not for public awards.” Zaena did her best to keep the pique out of her voice.

  “Hey.” Josh waved his phone in front of him. “I’m not saying you should. I just wanted to pass that along.” He smiled. “The longer you’re secret, the more exclusive articles I can write. I’ve got big-name media orgs showing up and commissioning articles. I was on CNN and Fox last week to talk about you.”

  Zaena chuckled. “I’m nothing but a source of money and fame to you? How disappointing.”

  “No, you’re a badass superhero chick. I’m liking my fame and career boost, but I’m not screwing you over in any way. I’ve been honest. I’ve never quoted you out of context or anything like that.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Zaena replied. “Which is why these discussions and interviews have continued. I appreciate you not attempting to take advantage of me.”

  Josh laughed. “I think the last woman I’d want to piss off is the one who can fly and shrug off bullets.”

  “There is a certain wisdom to what you say,” she replied.

  Josh nodded at a bench in the distance. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Go ahead.” Zaena walked toward the bench, trailing behind the reporter. She stood in front while he took a seat.

  “The firefighter rescue wasn’t your first pure save,” Josh noted. “But that sort of thing is far less common for you. Is there a reason for that? If you never took down anyone, there’d be fewer charges of you being a vigilante. No one’s ever going to call anybody who only saves people from a fire a vigilante.”

  “Disasters and accidents are dangerous,” Zaena replied, “but they aren’t malevolent in and of themselves.” She took a deep breath.

  “What is it?” Josh leaned forward, his eyes alight with interest.

  While the whole point of speaking with the reporter was to help smooth her path to the eventual revelation of her elven nature to the general public, that wasn’t supposed to happen anytime soon. She’d gotten used to speaking to him and had forgotten that he was a pleasant and honest man but not a member of Team Princess.

  “The conventional authorities can generally handle such problems,” Zaena clarified. “They also have the best coordination to ensure maximum safety. That’s a different situation than me taking down a handful of armed criminals.”

  Josh squinted at her. “A handful of criminals? We’ll circle back to that. I want to go back to what you just said about coordination. Are you saying you don’t work with anyone else?”

  Zaena didn’t respond right away. She’d been very cagey about anyone else. It fit the lone superhero image, but there was a disingenuousness to continuing to propagate that idea.

  “It’s difficult to accomplish anything in this world without assistance,” Zaena replied. “There are those who help me in a variety of ways. For their safety, I can’t provide even a small hint about their identities.”

  “Sure, sure.” Josh agreed. “It’s not like Batman goes around telling people about Alfred when he’s in costume. Or Superman telling people he’s dating Lois Lane.”

  “My parents are alive,” Zaena insisted, “and I’m not dating any reporters.”

  Josh blinked. “Okay.”

  “I want that clear,” Zaena continued. “My involvement in fighting wickedness isn’t the result of childhood trauma. I was raised to use my strength to help others. As for dating, I don’t have time.”

  “I’m not going to try to press you on dating, but it’s kind of weird to sit here thinking about someone being told to help others and ending up a superhero.” Josh furrowed his brow. “Then again, most people don’t have super suits. When I think ab
out it that way, it’s not that crazy.”

  “Indeed.” Zaena didn’t want to clarify how powerful she was even without the Armor of Tarilan.

  “From what I can tell, you’ve been in the city since last summer,” Josh commented. “Or at least, that’s when you became active as the Crimson Wind in a public manner.”

  “That’s accurate.”

  Josh stared at her for a moment, a searching look in his eyes. “Are you willing to go on the record to say you’re not a government agent?”

  Zaena stated, “I’m not a government agent. Don’t you believe the government would spend more time touting their assets if I were a product of their training and technology?”

  “Maybe. Using a city as a testbed without admitting it would also keep people and other nations on their toes but maintain plausible deniability.” Josh motioned toward the skyscrapers in the distance. “How much does the government know about you?”

  Zaena was glad she’d spent so much time discussing talking to the media with Grace and Karl over the last couple of months. Josh had approached this same question in different ways in the past. It was obvious he thought there was a conspiracy of silence by the government.

  That was true, but the DIA had made it clear, if not in so many words, that they tolerated her interviews because she’d downplayed the involvement of the US government.

  One thing that remained unclear was how well the overall government understood who she was and what was going on. Her research, along with information from her human friends, confirmed that governments were often guilty of, as humans said, the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing.

  She didn’t believe that was a huge problem. If it were true, she would have expected agents from other government agencies to show up to bother her. There was no way the DIA agents’ boss had complete control over the US government.

  It was all too complicated. The elven tribes lacked the numbers that led to such complicated and overlapping bureaucracy. Studying human government could only do so much to help her understand and internalize its bizarre depths.

  “I don’t know how much the American government knows about me,” Zaena answered. It was true enough. They might know far more than she believed.

  “That’s an interesting choice of words,” Josh noted. “You said you don’t know what the American government knows about you. It’s hard not to notice you have an accent. Are you implying another government knows about you?”

  Zaena laughed. “America is filled with immigrants who want to make their country a better place. An accent doesn’t prove anything.”

  “That’s what you are?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Zaena replied.

  “You’re denying any contact with governments other than the American government?” Josh pushed.

  Zaena considered her answer. She didn’t want to lie to him and have it used against her in the future as proof of elven treachery and duplicity.

  “I believe the American government understands I’m an ally of justice.” She backed away. “I also believe this is a good time to end the conversation for today.”

  “Really?” Josh frowned. “We’ve barely started. Don’t think I didn’t notice you dodged my question.”

  Leaving him wanting more was also part of her PR strategy, per Grace’s guidance. Open questions wouldn’t hurt.

  It had been a busy few days. Her growing responsibilities involved meetings with a variety of people. Josh Bloom might serve her PR purposes, but the first of March was coming, along with a scheduled discussion far more important to her true mission. Getting bogged down in interviews and human affairs could never be allowed to interfere with her other work.

  “You have enough for an article.” Zaena floated upward. “Be well, Mr. Bloom. Always support justice.”

  Chapter Eight

  Zaena emerged from a murky pool. The air bubble around her and Vokasin had kept them dry. The spell taxed her, compared to her typical swimming spells, but it was the most efficient way to get them through the tunnels and into the bowels of Alcatraz.

  Lae’yul waited outside the pool, kneeling at the edge. As usual, she wore nothing but her artifact necklace of shells. She offered a curt nod to Zaena and Vokasin.

  Zaena hadn’t thought about it much before, but it didn’t bother her to talk to a naked Sea Elf, whereas it would have been uncomfortable to carry on such a discussion with a naked Royal Elf or a human. Even though Lae’yul was the first of her kind Zaena had met, it felt natural. Maybe it was the blue skin.

  It was a strange alliance composed of three elves of different tribes. They’d all previously had minimum contact with any tribe other than their own.

  Zaena smiled. Her strange alliance offered hope for the future of peaceful pan-Elven coexistence.

  Vokasin kicked a pebble out of the way. “I’m assuming you haven’t run into any other elves, Lae’yul?”

  “Other than my people, no. None have come here, and I’ve not encountered any in my travels to and from my enclave.”

  “It’d be surprising if you accidentally ran into another land elf in the ocean,” Zaena commented with a chuckle. “Though I would not turn away a Mountain or Ice Elf who enjoyed a good swim.”

  Lae’yul stood. Her shells rattled. “Your public displays of power haven’t attracted others?”

  “They attracted you and Vokasin,” Zaena noted.

  Vokasin denied it. “They attracted my kinsman, Fourth Born. I followed him.”

  “The result was the same.” Zaena pointed out. “It’s been months since I met both of you, and there’s been nothing. That’s less promising than I would have liked.”

  “Be patient like the tides, Princess,” Lae’yul counseled. “You have eliminated all the hostile elves near this area.”

  “True.” Vokasin wandered over to examine a cracked rock. “It’s interesting that you’ve encountered dangerous Mountain Elves on two occasions.”

  “You think that means they’ll be hostile no matter what?”

  “It’s something to consider.”

  Zaena stepped farther away from the ripples at the edge of the pool. “Mark Wong made it clear he was operating based on his values and not those of his tribe, and that creature Kalain killed his kind.”

  Vokasin grinned. “So have I.”

  “You didn’t do it to take their lives and souls,” Zaena replied.

  His amused expression vanished. “That’s true. I’m glad you destroyed Kalain.”

  “I don’t care much about a long-dead elf.” Lae’yul looked annoyed. “If there are no new allies to introduce, there’s nothing to discuss. We should not waste too much time in pointless discussions.”

  “That’s not true,” Zaena replied. “There is something I need your aid with.” She looked at Lae’yul and Vokasin. “Both of you. It concerns the nexus.”

  “I thought we already discussed this.” Vokasin looked disappointed. “We don’t have enough elves to attune you to the nexus. You might be willing to risk your life out of a lack of patience, but I have the freedom not to aid you in pointless suicide.”

  Zaena shook her head. “It’s not like that. I understand we’ll need to wait, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth clearing a path to the nexus.” She held up her hand. “I understand the difficulties involved in the combination of magical elements present when clearing out a massive cave-in. I’m using human workers with moderately powerful machines to perform the preliminary digging, but I don’t want them present when we break through to the main nexus chamber.”

  “Why?” Lae’yul asked. “The humans won’t be able to perceive it. The chance of another human with elven blood around you other than Karl Smith is low.”

  “You don’t think fate drove him to Zaena?” Vokasin asked.

  “I stand by what I said,” the Sea Elf replied, her voice tight.

  Zaena couldn’t tell from his tone whether he was mocking the idea. She decided to let it go.

  “I don’t want to have to answer too many questions, just in case.” Zaena shrugged. “I’ve had them proceeding at a deliberate pace rather than rushing, making it easy to explain why I’d have them stop early. I believe our combined magic could help us blow through into the main chamber even without earth magic. It’s unclear how much of the collapse was focused on the tunnel. The nexus might remain mostly exposed.”