Disclaimer: I don't own The Dark Artifices, Cassandra Clare does.
Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone who has read the story so far. Special thanks to the people who are following the story, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review and let me know what you think.
Chapter 1: A New Arrival
Mark Blackthorn winced in pain as he rode his horse towards the dark cavern which was situated close to the entrance of the Unseelie court. The others had whipped him again yesterday and the wounds still stung and burned, like the stings of oversized wasps.
Mark sighed as he caught up with the other hunters outside the cavern entrance. They were getting a new hunter today, Gwyn had told them but Mark was far from thrilled at the news.
Mark had been taken by the Fair Folk some time ago, during what was now called The Dark War. He had joined the Wild Hunt because he'd been told that his entire family had died. Then, not long after he'd been taken, he learned that the faerie Meliorn had lied to him but he could not return to his family without the permission of Gwyn, the fierce leader of the Wild Hunt, who he knew would not grant it.
Now, standing here at the entrance to the cavern, he wondered what this new hunter would be like. Most likely he would be just like the rest—keen to make Mark's life miserable.
The Hunters ahead of Mark started to move into the cavern, and he followed them. Gwyn always liked to turn new recruits in this place he'd realised, so it was always clear when they were going to have a newcomer amongst them.
Mark looked around the cavern, searching for the newest recruit. After a moment, his eyes fell on a dark shape hunched near one of the cavern's moss-covered walls.
"Prince Kieran," Gwyn said in his low rough voice. The dark shape moved and Mark realised that it was a slender boy with thick dark hair. He couldn't see the boy's face clearly in the dim light but when Gwyn tried to give him his blood—mixed with water in a cup—which would make him one of the Hunt, the boy turned his face away. Gwyn forced the boy to drink the water anyway and when he did, the chains, which had been binding his wrists and ankles fell away. The boy rose, and now Mark could see him clearly, and moved towards the others.
Mark studied the boy as he moved towards them. He was obviously a prince of Faerie, that was clear in the arrogant set to his chin and the white gauntlets that he wore. His hair was very dark blue, so dark that it could have easily been mistaken for black and his eyes were two different colours: one was black and the other was a bright silver. He glanced away, not wanting the prince to see him staring.
Gwyn went outside the cavern and returned, holding the reins of a black, skeletal horse.
"Here is a steed for you," Gwyn said, handing the reins to Kieran. "I assume you know how to ride, Kieran?"
"Indeed," The prince answered, getting onto his horse. Mark noticed that the prince had not really looked at Gwyn when he spoke. Interesting, Mark thought, maybe there was something different after Kieran after all.
As the Hunters moved out of the cavern, Mark fell into his normal place at the back of the group. To his surprise he was, for the first time, not alone. Kieran had also moved to the back of the group and was riding a few feet behind Mark. Mark frowned. He had thought that Kieran would be near the front with the others but he seemed to be doing his level best to ignore them.
Mark glanced back at Kieran. He wondered why the prince had been sent to join the Hunt. What could a prince have done to get himself so cruelly exiled? Mark briefly considered trying to talk to Kieran but he quickly dismissed the idea. Kieran most likely would join the others soon in their hatred of him. With a sigh, Mark glanced away and continued to ride on in silence.