Page 3 of Fae's Mate
“Take my brother to his room, and the young Lord to a guest room. As for the humans, put them all in one place until I can decide what to do with them. I want guards at all three doors.”
“Yessir.”
First, I drop my horse off at the stable and ensure he gets an apple, then make my way back through the warm stone walls of the palace to my study. It’s no surprise to find my sister sitting in the window seat, awaiting my return.
“That didn’t take long,” she remarks.
My sister—well, half-sister—lounges on the plump velvet cushions, illuminated by the ebbing sunlight that filters through the colourful window. The light sparkles over her warm, light brown skin and her long, dark, wavy hair. Her mother was a lady of the Summer Court, or so our father told us just before his magic faded.
“We found eleven humans in the woods. Our brother and the young Lord from Summer Court were with them, both unconscious.” I say, troubled.
“But… The only way for humans to get here now is through a magic portal.”
“Iknow.”
“Fates,” she breathes, “I didn’t think our brother had it in him to cleave one open.”
“I don’t think he acted alone. The Summer Lord has illusion magic. They must have worked together.”
She raises her brow at me, questioning without asking, and I shake my head. My brother hasn’t had a vision in months, as far as I know. Fates only know what possessed him to open a portal. It makes sense that he would ask the Summer Lord for help. They’ve been spending a lot of time together, and illusion magic is predisposed for portal cleaving, butfates, they both could’ve died wielding that much magic.
Andwhyuse whatcouldhave been their last kernel of magic to drag eleven humans through the veil?
“Once our brother is conscious again, I’ll speak with him. Then we must decide what we are going to do with eleven humans.” I say, exasperated.
I don’t mention to my sister that I have found my mate.
Chapter 3
Seki
The fae guards escort us through the enormous palace, which oddly seems almost bereft of people. We finally come to a large room at the end of a corridor. When I enter, I realise it’s not just a room, but more of a suite. The space we step into is a type of living room, with couches and bookshelves and an enormous stone fireplace, and there is a bathroom and two bedrooms branching off to one side. Once we are all inside, the large oak doors slam shut behind us and the lock clicks. Our group stands close together, no one daring to step away. Strength in numbers, I guess.
“Are yousurethey’re fae?” The only male in our group asks.
“As sure as I can be.” The woman with glasses replies.
A flurry of questions ensues, and the poor woman looks overwhelmed.
“Hey, hey!” I bark. “Leave her be. We’ll learn who they are and what they want with us soon enough!”
She wanders over to me, arms wrapped around herself. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” I shrug, “I’m Seki.”
“Alana.”
“This is pretty mad.” I point out.
“You’re telling me. I thought Fae were just in folktales and fantasy stories. I never imagined them to bereal.”
“This has to be some sort of group trip,” the blue-haired woman adds as she glides over to us, her bangles jangling.
“I don’t take drugs,” Alana insists.
“Not knowingly. Maybe there was something in the air or water. I know I had a joint just before it happened, but that doesn’t normally set me off this bad. I’m Willow, by the way.”
I just smile and introduce myself. Could there have been something in the air? The blonde customer and I both seemed to notice the air shift in my shop. Maybe Willow is right, and we all have been drugged somehow. That makes more sense than Fae, anyway.
