“Look, I'll tell you all about it in a moment – just trust me. Where are they?” the commander asked hurriedly.
“This way.” Oriel walked on, heading towards a large barn a few meters away. He turned to look at Lephas over his shoulder. “Why am I getting a bad feeling about this 'long story' of yours?”
“It's complicated,” the commander sighed.
“To be fair, the faeries said the pair of you would be coming. I didn't believe them but–” Oriel heaved his weight into one of the large wooden barn doors and it creaked open loudly.
The princesses sat huddled together in a pile of musty straw and looked up at the intrusion, their eyes wide and fearful. They were each bound, with their arms stretched behind their back and a gag in their mouth. Raxx supposed the prince’s reaction was understandable, but that did little to ease the guilt he felt as Faye glared at him with eyes full of betrayal.
“Shh, here,” Lephas got down on his knees and untied Lori’s gag.
Raxx took a step forward to help but Faye scrambled away from him, towards Lephas, who turned to remove her gag as well.
“I've never been so glad to see a demon,” she laughed shakily.
“May I untie them?” Lephas asked Oriel.
“I guess. If you're vouching for them.” The prince crossed his arms across his chest.
“I am.” Lephas admitted, turning his attention back to Lori. He tugged his gloves off and began picking at the bindings around the princess’s wrists.
“The faeries mean no harm, Oriel,” Raxx agreed. “I too can confirm that. They are returning with us willingly to Banesteppe, to meet with your brother.”
Lori’s bindings came loose and Lephas untied Faye as well.
Raxx stood frozen beside Oriel, silently imploring Faye to meet his gaze, but the faerie kept her eyes downcast.
“Raxx – take the princesses into the farmhouse. Tell Magna I will be there in a minute,” Oriel barked.
Lephas raised his brows. “Magna? This is her farm? I had no idea we had travelled so far east.”
Raxx stepped forwards and helped each of the faeries up from their knees. They followed behind him, Lori turning to gaze hopelessly back at Lephas as she was led out into the blizzard.
Chapter Ten
Faye woke with a start. Her eyes slowly gazed around the unfamiliar room, heavy from sleep. Where was she?
She sat up in the bed, smoothing her hands over the thick, warm sheets. A dim fire, on the verge of extinguishing, flickered in a far corner. It took a moment longer before her memory caught up with her consciousness.
With Raxx’s help, she and Lori had tracked down Lephas. Faye wasn’t sure what she expected from the commander, but he and Raxx were worlds apart.
Lephas was not only heavier set and taller than the shadow demon, but he was also far more friendlier and had a kindly face. It was no mystery as to why Lori had fallen so hard and fast for him.
Raxx, on the other hand, had been as undecipherable as ever. Faye wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or concerned to discover that the shadow demon was just as stoic and emotionless with his friend as he was with her.
The group had set out with the intention of heading back to Banesteppe, but a mysterious majick force had scuppered their plans. Faye still recalled the fear she had felt as Gaia had bolted through the forest. She had never lost control of her mare like that before; it had been terrifying. Faye and Lori had hurtled through the woods atop Gaia, leaping over a huge stone wall to land in a farmyard orchard.
It turned out that Magna – the kind, old demon lady that had taken them in – had an adopted majborne faerie daughter, Indi. Indi could communicate with animals and had unwittingly lured Gaia here by singing to herself as she went about her daily chores.
In an even more bizarre twist of events, the demon prince, Oriel, was also visiting Magna. The old demon woman was his and Zelrus’s nanny from when they were boys.
Prince Oriel had captured them and had reluctantly accepted that she and her sister meant no harm when Lephas and Raxx turned up to vouch for them. As Lori had predicted, Lephas’s relief to find them both safe and unharmed had been evident. After explaining the situation to Oriel, the commander had returned to the farm house and had showered Lori with affection in such a way that it had even made Faye swoon.
She was taken aback by the intensity and apparent loyalty both Lephas and Lori had for one another. It was as plain as day her sister was head over heels for the demon and there was no doubt in Faye’s mind Lephas returned that affection tenfold. An alarming spike of envy flared and Faye pushed it back down to the depths of her subconscious. For as long as she could remember, she had dreamt of finding the thing Lori had stumbled across unknowingly.
Their differing opinions on that infamous romance novel were a perfect example of the sister’s feelings towards love. Whilst her sister preferred the naughtier chapters, Faye had poured over the gentler, more romantic scenes. Unlike Lori, the sex meant nothing to Faye without the emotion that was built as a foundation beneath it. Lori had brief encounters – one-time sexual relationships. Faye had Yorrin… Orusedto.
Faye was under no illusion that she and Yorrin had been a fairy-tale couple, but she felt a small emptiness knowing she would never return to Awrelwood. She would never see the blacksmith again and he would never know what happened to her. Would he mourn their relationship?
