King Ula snickered. “I’d have to agree with Minnie on this. I think Mamue came out of the womb with conceit stamped on her head.” His golden eyes twinkled in the low lighting with long-lost memories of bygone times. “Perhaps, she’s earned it by now, but it wasn’t always as such.”
“Do you know where the bedchambers are?” I cocked my head. “If this was a favorite spot of your fathers, he may have talked about it even if you didn’t visit much?”
“They’re in the tallest section of the Ancient Archive. The lower sections of the building are reserved for attending guests.”
“Well, now.” My lips slowly curled into a devious smile. “It appears we need to find the stairs. I do hope Mamue is there to greet us. She left me with such a sweet parting gift that I am obligated to leave her one as well.”
The King of Gorgons snorted and hissed drolly, “Yes, indeed. Your drool’s probably still on the tiles at High Pointe.”
I chuckled softly and stole one more piece of dried jerky. “Where are the stairs that lead to their private quarters, King Ula?”
He stood slowly and arched his back, stretching his muscles. “I can show you.”
Heading to the door, I pointed the dried jerky at him and stated seriously, “Stay right behind me unless you want me dragging you around again.”
Utterly unimpressed, he drawled, “You are fortunate you have a wraith, King Traevon.”
I peered down my nose at him. “As I said before, I prefer the term Fae killer.” With my hand on the doorknob, I eyed the tired group. “Are we all rejuvenated for this? Have you eaten enough?”
When nods came from everyone, I opened the door and peeked out. No one was close, so I slipped outside the door and waited for everyone to exit. With the dragon king directing me, I led us to the stairs and stopped, staring up over the railing—and immediately knew it would be a problem. It was seven stories high and woodland sprites were lingering on the upper levels, resting against the railings.
I pulled back and clenched my jaws. “There are many Fae up there.” This was about to get tricky. “I don’t believe we’re going to be able to leave here without—” I cut off my own words and stared at the swarm of pixies that flew down from the level above, hovering right in front of us, ranging in all the colors of the rainbow. My attention was snared by one certain aqua-blue pixie I recognized. I flashed my fangs and growled, “You are fairly bothersome, pixie.”
At the same time as they all started talking, a tinkling of bells chimed in my ears that I couldn’t decipher, a rainbow of sparkling dust arced through the air directly into our faces.
We didn’t stand a chance. Not even the heir to the Unseelie Kingdom remained on his feet, not with that much pixie dust. We stumbled into each other and then fell together in a pile of uncoordinated limbs—fucking pixies. Our shouts of death promises echoed loud around us…
Sleep claimed us not a moment later.
Fury of a father:
Thunder may be mighty…
But so is my love.
Let it rain. Let it rain. Let it rain.
Igroaned in pain and bright light already hurt my head before I even opened my eyes, piercing brightness shining behind my closed eyelids. Trying to cover them with my hands, my wrists unexpectedly caught on icy metal that held them hostage together.
Instantly, I went still, not moving.
I wasshackled.
Someone had Fae fucking shackled me!
Keeping from instinctively reacting was not easy, but I did so, allowing my mind to clear before I opened my eyes, playing the part of a sleeping captive. My mind slowly caught up, my memories returning in an agonized trickle with the aches jarring my muscles and my mind—not unlike my experience in the atrocious Blood Forest. But my Fae-spark was still warm inside my chest, which calmed me somewhat, even if it was harder than normal to feel my soul mate. She was sleeping from what I could discern.
Two different snores surrounded me.
Nothing moved nearby.
Succulent peaches filled my nostrils.
A soft—but thin—mattress cushioned my body, with the warmth of others on my left and right. My ankles were not bound, a terrible misstep for whomever had restrained me. Sweat covered my dirty body, the combination of grime and pixie dust making me uncomfortable and my skin itch.
Most importantly, I was not horribly hungry.
I didn’t believe it had been overlong since we were attacked by the pixies. But I was unclear on how their magic worked. If they were keeping my daughter asleep for months, then their magic was great indeed to keep her well without eating and drinking.
