Page 13 of Fae Unleashed
Tal wrapped another glamour around us so that we could walk past the last tourists of the season undisturbed. We let ourselves into the defunct castle. In the grand lobby, with its peeling wallpaper and unfinished stairs, fae magic washed up against my skin. The magic investigated me like a curious animal sniffing a new visitor.
The magic swelled with joy. It recognized me, or at least the part of me that was still Seelie nobility. The magic unlocked a portal that yawned open like a sleepy flower blooming in the morning.
I inhaled and glanced over at Rhoan for support. He didn’t look at me. Instead, his gaze was on the portal ahead. When we heard the distant chatter of mortal tourists, Rhoan tugged me ahead.
Look at me, I wanted to scream.
Somehow, I kept my mouth shut and my expression empty of my bubbling frustration.
Thoughts of how badly I wanted the fae man in my hands filled my mind until we set foot in a new realm. The brilliance of the garden around us stole my breath away. I squeezed Rhoan’s hand as the sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed my senses. His touch kept me grounded and reminded me to breathe in the face of it all.
Gold-flecked vines covered the interior walls of the fae castle. The shape of the room mirrored the castle standing on the other side of the portal, but this one had been completed with florals and silks, creating a lush oasis.
The glamour hiding our fae garb fell away, sending my skirts tumbling to the ground in a wave of green. A pointed-eared fae perked up at the sight of us. Her mouth turned into a perfect circle before she suddenly hitched up the skirts of her dress, turned, and darted inside.
My heart stuttered, thinking that we were about to be assaulted by guards. Hardly a breath later, the girl returned. She performed a low curtsey and welcomed us into Lady Ostara’s domain.
Tal and I shared a look. His expression was guarded. The little butterflies of hope and anticipation started to drop dead, falling into the pit of my stomach. I bit my lip and faced forward to follow the fae girl inside.
The stone halls reminded me of the Seelie castle, trapped in Beryl’s hands. Instead of fae caught under a sleeping curse, this castle was filled with happy fae. People danced past us. Their laughter echoed down the halls and spilled out into the rooms like drunk lovers relishing each other’s affections.
Feri made a small sound of disapproval, but I was too busy marveling at the life in this castle. My people were happy here. They were thriving despite Beryl’s presence on the local throne.
If I could bring all the fae left in Lakesedge to Ostara’s domain, then maybe I wouldn’t have to fight Beryl at all. We could avoid danger and start a new court here—but there were still people trapped in the Seelie castle. They couldn’t escape until someone lifted Beryl’s sleeping curse.
The weight of duty made my footsteps heavy.
Was I ready for this? There was no escaping now.
Fate had me in a chokehold.
Rhoan
Memories of hometried to assault my senses. Longing took up space inside me, but I paid it no attention. With Cerri at my side in the divine gown and cape of flowers, I had more important matters at hand.
Tal had braided her hair into a golden crown atop her head. Stray curls escaped and hung around her perfect face. She kept stealing glances in my direction. Every time those green eyes moved my way, I nearly fell into them. The pools of green seemed endless. I would have happily drowned in them if we weren’t in the heart of a traitor’s territory.
I didn’t tell Cerri how I felt about Tal’s choices for potential allies. One was his ex-boyfriend, which should have been warning enough. Cerri had seemed excited to meet Lady Ostara, so I’d kept my mouth shut.
The woman had taken Cerri, locked away her childhood memories, and dumped her with a shifter family before absconding to safety on her own. All this time, I’d assumed that Cerri’s fae parents had chosen to leave Cerri with the shifter Pack.
When Tal brought up Lady Ostara, I’d decided to do a bit of digging. With Del’s help, we learned that Lady Ostara was tasked with keeping Cerri and raising her in secret. Cerri never should have been a changeling child. This anger that Cerri had towards her parents should have been aimed at Lady Ostara, but I couldn’t bring that up because it could risk the alliance that we needed right now.
Someday, after this war was won and all was over, I would tell Cerri. She would lose all trust in me, but I knew what we needed right here and now. This sacrifice…it would hurt later, but it would be worth it now.
We stepped into Lady Ostara’s main court. It was decorated in shades of white, pastel pink, and gold. I felt like I was standing in the middle of someone’s wedding. It was a bit off-putting for someone used to grungy bars outside of the city.
Cerri, on the other hand, seemed stunned. She gaped at the setting while Lady Ostara lounged on a mass of pillows and watched us carefully. The fae woman reminded me of a cat. When her gaze flicked to me, a pair of cat ears unfurled from the top of her head as she flashed me a demure smile.
I cringed. How could she have read my mind like that? I knew the ears, and now the tail lightly tapping the pillows behind her, were nothing more than a glamoured illusion. What I didn’t like was how easily she’d read my face. That told me I would have to school my expression very carefully here.
“Princess Cerridwen of thefallenLakesedge Seelie Court,” Lady Ostara said with a soft voice. “I would welcome you to my thriving court on the river, but I am not sure if you are fit to stay here.”
My beast surged forward with the desire to rip the woman to pieces. Only Cerri’s gentle squeeze of my hand kept the beast back.
6
CERRI
