Two hours later,I was bundled up in one of Caelan’s coats and a pair of sturdy boots Simone had loaned me. Joy Springs was experiencing a colder than normal winter, but we still had no snow on the ground. We had walked most of the property,Caelan waiting beside me as I tended to his land, lending bits and pieces of my power to the earth. A dark, purplish form high in the sky beelined for me, letting out a loud quark. Behind it came an orange and purple flash.
Fee and Poe. I held up my arms for both birds, waiting until they alighted on my forearms before I kissed both their feathery heads.
“Poe miss Evie,” the raven said.
Fee hopped onto my shoulder and nuzzled my cheek.
“I missed both of you.”
“Happy land,” Poe said.
“Almost,” I agreed. “There are a few more spots I need to check out.”
I stroked Fee with the backs of my fingers. “How’s Fee doing?”
The phoenix warbled happily in my ear.
“Happy, happy,” Poe said. “Fly high. Magic good.”
I blinked. “She’s accessing her magic?”
Poe dipped his head. “Heal claw.” He held up his small foot and waved it at me.
Caelan’s eyes widened.
“Fee! That’s awesome! You healed Poe?”
She bobbed her head up and down and warbled again.
“Good girl,” I said, but worry filled me. Fee was a phoenix, a legendary bird capable of great magic. Her strongest power was healing, but until now, she’d been unable to use any magic.
“Poe, it’s important that Fee stays within the boundaries of the Keep.” I glanced at Caelan.
“If the Lord has any injured wolves, maybe he will allow Fee to practice.”
Caelan nodded. “Of course. I will call for you if needed, Fee.”
Poe croaked. “Fee practice. Fee powerful.”
Exactly what I was afraid of. “Want to finish walking with me?”
Poe and Fee both bobbed their heads. “Alright then. Let’s go.”
We didn’t take much longer, and by the time we finished, Caelan’s land hummed, content in the back of my mind. I said my goodbyes to the raven and phoenix, watching in delight as they swooped across the skies.
“My mom still doesn’t know I have Fee,” I remarked on the way back to the house.
“I don’t think you should tell her. Not yet anyway. Things are still new, and with all this stuff with your father, maybe you should put both of them on an information diet.”
I glanced at him. “Information diet,” I repeated, having never heard the term before. “I like that.”
His idea was a good one. I’d been far too open with my father because he made me trust him. And I let him. I’d never known my father before recently, and he dazzled me with stories and his power. I saw similarities between us, and I let my guard down too soon.
This didn’t discount all the times he’d helped me out, nor did it alter the fact that I was still heir to the fae throne.
Or maybe not with Thalia in the mix. Huh. Interesting.
“Caelan?”
