Page 2 of Fae's Mate
“Like, don’t step in the mushroom ring, has elemental magic fae?” The blonde from my shop asks.
“I think so.” The bespeckled woman replies, somewhat composed now.
A giggle comes from the other side of the two ‘fae’ men, the blue-haired woman. “I should really stop leaving the house high.”
“We need to find something to bind them with and gag them.” The woman who discovered their ears declares.
“What?” I ask, in disbelief.
“Well, if they are anything like the fae I have read about, they can’t lie, but they can trick you with riddles, so we should just gag them to stop them from talking. Does anyone have anything made of iron?”
“Iron?” the woman with headphones asks.
“Yes, fae are allergic to iron.”
I roll my eyes. This is ridiculous.
The ground shakes, a trembling rumble that has everyone frantically looking around for the source. We cluster together instinctually as the thundering gets louder.
“More are coming!” Someone shouts.
“Whatever you do, don’t apologise to them, don’t offend them, anddon’tagree to any deals!” The dark-skinned woman with glasses commands us all as a dozen horses emerge from the trees, bearing weapon wielding fae riders.
Chapter 2
High Lord
The ripple of magic that shook the palace still vibrates in the air. Luckily, I was already in the stable, making my rounds when it happened, and I was able to assemble a dozen men quickly to follow me into the woods to discover the cause. At first, I had assumed it was Winter Court causing trouble again. It has been a while since their last attack, and another one is due.
But, as we gallop into the clearing, we find a group of strangers. All gathered around my unconscious brother and the youngest Lord from Summer Court. Without having to say a word, my men surround the strangers, spears aimed at them, in a perfect circle. I immediately count ten of them. They’re a peculiar lot. One has hair the colour of the ocean, another wears circles of glass in front of her eyes, and they don’tsmellright. Not a single one of them shows any sign of magic, not that it is common for lesser fae…
I study closer; one with orange hair like my brother has her locks cut short, revealing small, curved ears. Another has her black hair pulled back from her face and bound in a long tail. Her ears are the same. It cannot be…
“You are… human,” I remark, my voice more choked than I intend.
“Of course we are.” The orange-haired woman scoffs, as if I have stated something stupid. I glare at her, and she casts her eyes back to the ground.
“Tell me how you got here.” I demand.
“We don’t know,” replies a woman with hair the colour of honey. “There was a bright light, then we all just… woke up in the woods.”
Fates. Someone cleaved open a portal.
I didn’t think there was enough magic left in the realm for that. I search around for any sign of the magic still in the air, but it seems to have dispersed. Leaves rustle to my right and my ears prick up. I turn to where the sound came from and spot another female stepping out from the trees, but upon sighting us, she turns and runs.
With a flick of my head, one of my guards gallops after her. She doesn’t get far before he drags her back. She shouts and cries in his firm grip, but her words are strange. When she is pushed into the circle with the others, she makes quick gestures with her hands, looking around. The orange haired female grabs her by the shoulders, then makes hand gestures herself. Are they communicating?
I watch the exchange for a moment, then they both shrug and sigh, turning back to face me. They are all dressed strangely, in clothing that does not belong to any of the four courts. As I survey them more closely, I find a dark-haired female standing to the left of the group. Her black hair is cut short across her brow, then falls in slick straight lines down to her shoulders. She is wearing a white apron, covered in stains—she must be some kind of maid—but when her dark brown eyes meet mine, the world tilts. It takes all my strength not to fall from my horse as gravity shifts beneath me, re-centring around the human woman before me.
Shit
“Bring them back to the palace and pick up my brother and the young Lord.”
The group of humans murmurs amongst themselves as we travel back through the forest. It’s slow going as they are on foot, and a couple of them are crying. I try to ignore the sound. I don’t trust them, I can’t, not yet, not until I know where they’re from and what they’re doing here. As the sun sets, we reach the edge of the woods. The palace comes into view, looming above the trees in all its grandeur.
Oh, how I long to see it full of life and magic again.
Behind me a few of the humans gasp, taking in the sight. Perhaps none of them have seen a palace before. Itismagnificent; built of dark brown stone from the quarry in the north, topped with deep red wood. Spires twist towards the sky with coloured glass in all the windows, and a wide moat of shimmering azure water surrounds it.
