“Honestly? Because he’s a prick.” Lori scowled and Faye raised her brows in surprise.
“Not that you’ve got any strong feelings about it either way, or anything,” she joked. “Oriel seems a bit sure of himself, yes, but he’s been reasonably pleasant to us… Excluding tying us up in the barn.”
“Would you like to know how he described his relationship with Indi, when Lephas enquired about it this morning?” Lori replied, haughtily. “He described it as a ‘port for every storm’.”
Faye didn’t have to speak, her expression turned grim.
“So, whilst I am grateful for the prince’s hospitality on this occasion, forgive me if I’m not fawning over him.”
Lori shoved a few of her belongings back into her satchel with more force than was strictly necessary.
As both Faye and Lori busied themselves with gathering their possessions and straightening up Indi’s bedroom, a comfortable silence enveloped them. Faye’s thoughts drifted to Raxx.
Now she had woken up fully and had had time to think, Faye was bursting with questions. Why had he been in the room at all last night? Where did he get that fascinating gemstone and why had he been so troubled by its reaction to her? What did it all mean?
“Have you seen Raxx this morning?” she asked as nonchalantly as possible.
“Actually, now you mention it, no I haven’t,” Lori replied. “I wonder where he’s got to.”
“Typical,” Faye muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, muffled raised voices could be heard. Lori and Faye stilled as a door slammed somewhere in the cottage.
“Indi! Get back here at once!” Magna shouted from the kitchen.
The princesses sighed heavily in unison.
“Do you get the impression this whole situation seems to be getting more and more out of hand?” Lori asked with a short laugh.
“Took the words right out of my mouth.”
Chapter Eleven
Though the morning sun had long since risen, the forests surrounding the farmhouse were still and quiet. The snowstorm had passed, but the clouds above were dark – still heavy with snow. Raxx stalked silently around the farm buildings, deep in thought.
After the puzzling business with the fortune crystal and Faye the evening before, he had thought fresh air might help him clear his head. If anything, he just felt more confused.
Raxx’s suspicions had been well and truly confirmed. He could still see that shining gem turning as black as night the moment it touched Faye’s skin. That couldn’t be coincidence. He, Faye and the fortune crystal were indeed interlinked, though he had yet to decipher the meaning behind any of it. He wondered, if the gem were in Faye’s possession, would it also guide her back to him?
If the princess made the connection between herself and the mysterious crystal last night, she hadn’t let on. That dark, purple nothingness that had swallowed the shining light as it touched the faerie was another matter. Raxx knew his own majick aura when he saw it.
It troubled him. Not wanting to alarm the princess, Raxx had made himself scarce to gather his thoughts and had been wandering around, going over and over the information ever since.
A door slammed loudly across the frozen, snowy farmyard and Raxx’s head jerked up in surprise. Indi flicked the hood of her cloak up over her head as she stormed towards the stables. Raxx stalked closer to get a better look and the farmhouse door flew open a second time.
“Indi! Get back here at once!” Magna shouted across to her.
The faerie ignored her and continued to stomp through the snow.
Lephas appeared in the doorway beside the old woman and rested his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. He muttered a few words and Magna’s face fell sorrowful as she closed the door.
With his curiosity piqued, Raxx followed Indi into the barn. He appeared just outside before deliberately opening the creaky door, alerting the volatile woman of his presence.
Indi’s head shot up, but her angry scowl faded as soon as she saw him approaching.
“Oh, Raxx. It’s you.”
“Overheard a disagreement back there. What was that about?” he probed, walking slowly towards the faerie.
