Page 94 of This Prince Is Not Charming

I stepped toward the door, and Lila’s body sagged in defeat.

“But if you leave, everyone will be asking where we are.” She stepped aside, shoulders slumped.

“I’ll tell them I never saw you,” I said. “It’ll be our little secret. You can enjoy your retreat a little longer. Though you do have people worried about you, so maybe not too long.”

I reached out to grab the handle and turn it, tugging open the door. Sunlight streamed in through tall, thick trees, and the air shimmered.

“We’re at the border of Fairwitch Isle,” I said, reaching out a finger to touch the barrier, but I stopped when I saw a flash of maroon.

I squinted as a few figures came into view, boots crunching the leaves, all of them with maroon capes and hoods.

Oh no. There was only one group I could think of who wore those outfits. The Brotherhood of Magic was here, and before I could slam the door shut, one of them looked me straight in the eye and smiled.

CHAPTER 41

Ceri

“What do you mean you saw something?” Siobhan asked as I paced in front of the door.

I pointed. “The brotherhood are out there. Right at our border.”

The border that had been weakening for years, making us vulnerable.

“Are you sure they saw you?” Liadan was biting her thumbnail.

I nodded. “One of them look me right in the eye.”

“I told you not to open that door.”

I whirled to face Lila. “If I hadn’t opened that door, we wouldn’t even know they were here, stalking our border, trying to find us.” I looked at the group. “We have to find a way out of here and warn everyone. The brotherhood could attack. They could raze our entire city to the ground. Conquer us while we’re in here, hiding away.”

Siobhan stepped forward, violet eyes flashing. “I’d like to see them bloody try.”

Clio smiled a truly terrifying smile as fire flared brighter over her head.

“How are we going to warn everyone?” I asked, panic rising. I gestured out the door. “I can’t just waltz out there when our shield is weakening and they can see through it.”

“Do we know they can see through it?” Lila was biting her thumbnail.

Liadan sighed. “The royal guards have confirmed there are weak spots that show our city.”

We all stood there, lost in our own thoughts, no one sure what to say, what the solution was.

After a few moments, Lila looked longingly at the couch, the grapes still hovering in the air. “Maybe we can just ignore them?”

Everyone shot her a look, and she held up her hands. “It was just a suggestion.”

Rustling sounded outside, and a bang shook the door. We all jumped, and a chill skittered down my spine. “They found us,” I whispered.

“We don’t know that,” Lila said.

Clio’s entire body began shifting to fire, and I stared in awe. I’d never seen the nature faerie shift before. “Let them come.”

But the brotherhood had their own magic. Powerful, dangerous magic. And I wasn’t sure that even the Fair Folk would be a match against them.

Another bang hit the door, and we all backed away.

“Are there any weapons down here?” I asked, glancing back at the cavern with all its knickknacks.