Chapter 21
Promise of a father:
When you can’t fight, I will fight for you.
Iswiftly moved and stepped to stand over my daughter. “What in the realm have you done, Mamue? We discussed this. You would not attack one of my own without informing me first.” I pointed down at my child. “And you picked my daughter to try this on? You know she cannot go to Fairy on her own. It was a Fae who stole your baubles.”
“We know that. And we know which Fae did it. The oracle has divined that much.” Mamue’s smile was lethal. “We want to know why that Fae stole it and gave it to them. If these two are so important, the Fae will come to us. And then we will have our thief.”
My nostrils flared in fury. “So they are to be bait?”
“Precisely.” The woodland sprite chuckled, her antlers tipping down to point at me as she lowered her chin. Peeking out from underneath her lashes, she winked. “Since you are ever so helpful, why do you believe the Fae gifted them?”
Fire flamed in my eyes. “Use your hunter to find the Fae.”
“He has tried. And failed.” Mamue straightened fully—and still looked up at me. “At least, he didn’t fail today.”
“I won’t let you take them, Mamue.” I lifted a red brow. “You must know this.”
“I know that is what you think. You love your daughter. It is what a good parent would do.” She waved her right hand into the air absently. “This is why I will never have children. Love like this reeks of desperation.”
My royal firepower kindled in my veins. “Desperation for a loved one’s plight is not a weakness. It means you care. That is powerful.”
“And I only care about the Ancient Archive.” Mamue yawned behind her fist. “Are we about done here?”
Instantly, flames burned bright on my body. “We are only beginning.”
“Oh, pretty.” Mamue clapped slowly. “I never saw that coming.”
“Go back to Fairy. Devise another plan,” I snarled. “This one will only get you killed.”
The woodland sprite’s laughter tinkled in the air. “Did you not happen to notice what type of pixie was used to render them unconscious? It was a water pixie. Your flames mean nothing to them.” She pointed her finger into the air and twirled. “Be grateful I’m only putting you to sleep for an hour, unlike your daughter. Sweet dreams.”
A tiny pixie appeared in front of my face and doused me in blue dust. “Fuck.” I shook my head hard, but I still landed on my knees—my flames slowly extinguishing. I stared up at the woodland sprite and slurred, “This was a mistake, Mamue. I will come for you.”
“I wish you the best of luck with that,” she sang merrily.
I tipped to the side and smacked my head on the ground. Sweet dreams flooded my existence.
THE ADVENTURES WILL CONTINUE…
