Before either can argue, there is a knock at the door. Scarlett skips over, red hair bouncing behind her, and swings the door open.
“Come in. You must be Coraline.” She steps back for her to enter.
Coraline flutters into the room. Her wings are just as beautiful as I remember, with their rainbow hues catching the light. Her pink, jewel-like eyes lock onto mine as she gracefully takes flight toward me. She’s no bigger than Nix, but her aura makes her feel bigger.
“Your Majesty. I’m so sorry to hear about the king. I bought some of my most popular sweets to try to lift your mood.”
I smile softly at her, remembering how fond Maxon is of her. “I appreciate it.”
Mia shrieks and jumps back as Nix comes flying into the room through the balcony window like a bullet.
“Coraline!” Nix yells, with excitement, colliding with Coraline in a burst of fairy dust. Both fairy and pixie are laughing when they pull back.
“I haven’t seen you in so long. Where have you been hiding?” Coraline asks, cupping Nix’s face like a mother would.
“Lurking in the shadows, biting unexpecting people.” She grins, flashing her teeth.
“I believe that,” I mutter.
“What brings you to the castle?” Nix asks.
“I brought Her Majesty some of my baked goods, to lift her spirit.”
Nix’s eyes light up, reminding me of the last time she had sugar, and I cover my mouth to hide my smile at her excitement.
“I love your sweets,” Nix whispers, her hands folding under her chin.
“I’ve brought plenty for everyone,” Coraline replies, smiling at us all in turn. Scarlett and Mia walk over to the wooden crates Lutin and Senka brought in and placed on the table before slipping back out into the hall.
Scarlett sniffs the air. “They smell divine.”
“Are they made with magic?” Mia lifts what looks like a slice of strawberry cake from the crate.
“Yes. I pour my love and magic into everything I bake. Sometimes potions, too, depending on what the customers want.”
“Like love potions?” Scarlett snorts, taking a bite of a chocolate croissant.
“Exactly.”
Scarlett’s green eyes widen, and she chokes, looking at me for clarity. Giving her a shrug, I turn to thank Coraline, but jump in surprise as she hovers less than a foot away from my face.
“Do you have a plan?” she questions, her voice quiet and urgent.
I frown, caught off guard. “A plan?”
Her eyes flash with a desperation that’s almost painful to see. “To get the king back. You must have a plan.”
Something pulls inside me at the vulnerability in her gaze. I force myself to nod, keeping my voice steady even as it softens. “Yes, I have a plan,” I whisper, trying to put conviction behind the words.
Her pink eyes shimmer, and with a gentle touch, she traces the mate mark on my face, her fingers lingering. Eyes return to mine, steady and full of conviction. “You two are fated mates. You’re in each other’s blood, bones, heart, and soul. You will always find each other. I believe that.”
Her words wrap around me, a balm for the gnawing doubt that has been tearing at me.
“I sure hope so,” I murmur, my voice catching.
Her fingers slip away from my face, leaving a warmth that lingers.
“Well,” she continues, her expression softening slightly, “it’s past the time of the new moon, and you’re not in a cell being driven mad with the need to feed from your mate, so I take it you found each other when you needed to.”
