I waved a sharp hand and barked furiously, “Get the Fairy out of my study, Caspian.Now.Before I throw your ass into my dungeon.”
Briskly, Caspian bowed low and turned to leave.
Silently, I fumed and glowered at the back of his head.
My best assassin…was no longer mine.
And my heir was trying to protectme.
Fairy, did she not listen to anything I’d taught her?
Either way, this Fae shit stopped now.
But Caspian came to a dead stop three feet from the door.
A vibration started humming in the air, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up, curiously, the feeling almost tangible. It flittered across my skin like a lover’s touch, examining and probing, caressing my skin.
His head turned in my direction, and his dark blue eyes widened slowly. He sucked in a harsh breath and choked, “Do you feel that?”
I stood swiftly from my chair and turned slowly to the window, staring out into the setting sun. “What the Fae fuck is that?”
Suddenly, the soft touch speared through my Fae-spark, knocking me back against my desk. It wasn’t harmful.No.It was invading and warm…all-encompassing.
Except Caspian bellowed in agony behind me.
I turned and pulled my blades into my hands, watching as the best elf assassin slumped to the ground in a dead faint.Screamsechoed through the castle as I rushed to his side. I put one blade away and shook his shoulder brutally, barking, “Caspian!”
His eyes didn’t open.
But he was still breathing.
“What the Fairy is happening!” I shouted and threw open my study door.
I stared in horror as I stalked through the hallways, elves littering the ground everywhere, out cold to the realm. Only a few were still awake and coherent, with their eyes wide in fear as they checked on the other servants.
I opened my mouth and bellowed at the top of my lungs, “Minnie! Where are you?”
My soul mate’s head popped up over the banister in the main hall, her tumble of seafoam green hair flying through the air with the flip of her head. Her bright, golden eyes held mine in fury as she picked up one of the servant’s unconscious children from the ground. “King Traevon, now is not the time to fret over me. I am perfectly well.” She held the child closer to her chest protectively. “But, it appears you have some work to do.”
The royal firepower in my eyes flared at the sleeping child she held. “It does seem so. What did it feel like to you?”
“Truthfully?” She lifted one green brow. “It felt like your touch.”
I nodded and spun around, marching straight for the front door. “As it felt like yours.” I flung a look back at my soul mate before opening the door, spitting wrathfully, “And it smells like our Fae fucking daughter and enemy.”
Minnie sniffed at the air delicately. “I…don’t smell anything.”
I grunted hard. “My love, it may not have an actual stench, but this entire event reeks of their current subterfuge. I’ll be back once I find our willful daughter.”
As I stormed out of my castle, the rounded front door slammed behind me.
* * *
Sneakingthrough my enemy’s castle should have been difficult. I knew this, as I had done it before many times. This time? This time it was no more than child’s play…since most of the servants and guards were lying unconscious throughout the shifter royal grounds.
None were dead. They merely slept peacefully, not rousing even when another shifter would pick them up and carry them into a different room. I kept my hood low as I curved around a banister and quickly raced up the stone stairs.
With my heir nowhere on my own royal estate, there had only been one logical conclusion of where to look. In the end, Penelope munching on grass at King Athon’s front door had also been a dead giveaway. My heir hadn’t even tried to hide the fact that she was here.
