Page 59 of Fae Unleashed
Lord Foxglove paced around the table. He also had his arms crossed tight over his chest. His aura fluctuated. It pulsed green and red, reminding me more of a nervous Christmas decoration than a proud Seelie lord. However, he didn’t look like he was trying to hide anything. If anything, he looked about to run.
He was afraid Beryl would return again.
Truth be told, many of us were afraid. Beryl was running out of manipulation tactics. It struck me as odd that the woman didn’t immediately go for blood. She wanted Cerri for reasons that we didn’t quite understand yet. When Beryl realized that she wouldn’t be able to turn Cerri against us, she would try to kidnap her.
For that, she would send Faust again. I was sure of it.
I could feel that man in my bones. He was itching to get under my skin and prod my beast once more. If any harm came to Cerri, Faust would get what he wanted. I wouldn’t be able to fight my emotions any longer.
Cerri broke the silence by slapping both palms flat onto the table in the center of the room. Ostara jumped, startled. Foxglove stopped dead in his tracks. Del met my gaze across the room after Feri appeared on Cerri’s shoulder.
“Which of you allowed her entrance?” Cerri asked plainly.
She reached back and snatched Feri off her shoulder. She put him on the table so she could take in all three suspects at once.
“I think it’s obvious,” Del muttered.
I watched my old friend carefully. She wouldn’t quite look at anyone, not even the person she accused of treachery.
Feri stood up stout. “I might have slipped once, but I will not be caught again.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?” I growled.
He sputtered. “I meant to say that I will not falter again. Princess Cerridwen has proven that she is willing to be a benevolent ruler. Perhaps not a good one, but a benevolent one at the very least.”
I stifled the urge to chuck him at the wall and sighed. Pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers, I wondered if we would ever have a united front. This ragtag group of allies was not working in our favor. Our court was the biggest mess that I’d ever seen.
Ostara did not want anything to do with decision making. Foxglove wanted to take all decision making away from Cerri. And my princess looked at me like I would have the answer to all her problems.
The beast in me stirred. It offered Cerri servitude and loyalty in place of what I couldn’t say.
There was a possibility, though. I’d heard Beryl’s offer.
If Cerri swore fealty to Beryl, then the Unseelie Queen would force Faust to rescind his deal. I didn’t want to lose my beast…
The thought struck me out of nowhere. I’d never felt any kind of friendliness towards the monster inside me up until now. Did it have anything to do with the beast’s love for Cerri? Or was it her love for the beast that gave me pause? My princess had taken one look at the creature inside me and smiled so sweetly.
I didn’t want Faust to take back our deal. I held no ill feelings towards what I’d become, much to my own surprise. There was no one else I’d rather be than the man that Cerridwen loved.
“Your alliances are weak,” Foxglove snapped.
Cerri snorted. “Weak? You and I don’t even have an alliance.”
Foxglove waved his hand in the air like that explained everything. Cerri cocked her head as she watched him incredulously.
“How is this to be a proper court if there is no power to be found here? We need a stronger army. Not…mercenaries.” Foxglove gave Del a sharp sidelong glance.
Del shrugged. The woman had no court to call her own. These petty squabbles were likely funny to her.
I fought the urge to run both hands down my face. Instead, I straightened my spine. “Give me several of your men and a month’s time. I will make an army to rival any other.”
Foxglove sneered. “You will convince them to take damning contracts. Not all of us are so willing to sell our hearts to the enemy just for a taste of power.”
A loud boom shook the room. Cerri looked up from where she’d slammed her hand on the table again. A wave of flowers covered the wall behind her. She glared at Fox like she wanted to leap over the table and strangle him.
“I want nothing from you. Get out,” she said between clenched teeth.
My heart swelled, but I couldn’t allow it to get in the way of our alliances.
