I didn't know how exactly I was going to accomplish that task.
The human grabbed her wet dress and trampled toward the pond.
The area outside the castle walls had changed over the years. Wild fae magic seemed to enhance the land, giving it its own personality, and this part of the castle grounds did not take kindly to visitors.
I followed Deirdre. Things had not gone exactly as I had planned. Though I had known the human was with a companion, I underestimated the strength of that bond. My contact at the temple neglected to tell me of their intimate relationship, one they must have hidden from everyone.
I should have pressed the dryad that found Deirdre for more details about the human’s everyday life other than her current location.
A mistake I’d now have to deal with.
Walking slowly, I kept my eye on the nearby foliage, wondering the best way to get the human inside and then where to house her. I could place her in the spire bedroom, which was far away from any type of plant. Her power would be rendereduseless. I did not want to shackle the human, but if she did not behave, I would have no choice.
“Stay in the castle,” I said to the guards over my shoulder. “I will handle this human by myself.”
Acaden bowed. “As you command, Your Majesty.” He nodded at the guards to follow him back inside.
“This is not worth the trouble,” I grumbled, following the stone path into the thick woods.
“But it is entertaining,” Olivia said, her tiny hands tapping across my shoulder. “I told you getting her would be fun.”
“It has been interesting to say the least. No one has attacked me in… I can't even remember the last time someone had the courage to do so.”
Olivia smiled, revealing her pointy teeth.
“But what are we going to do with her?” Though I would love to be rid of the human trampling about my lands, the Magi Council had made it very clear that the child of prophecy was under their protection, and I did not want to spend the rest of my days in one of their infernal dimensional prisons.
But that was not why I brought her here. Not even my pixies understood my true intentions, and I would keep it that way.
They understood my hatred towards humans, but it was fear that made me find the child of prophecy after she disappeared from the temple. I couldn’t have a human tied to me, out of my reach.
And the problem with prophecies was that they always fed an agenda. For all I knew, marrying this human wouldn't bring balance, but death and destruction.
How could a fae and human union do anything different?
Unfortunately, I had seen how corrupt and defiling a human could be.
If only I had been older back then, my father and sisters wouldn't have paid the price.
“We can’t kill her,” I said, but if I did not subdue this female quickly, my entire court would whisper behind my back.
No one defied the Deathless One.
“Who said anything about killing?” Olivia touched her chest, playing with the little flimsy fabric. “If I remember the order correctly, the child of prophecy is not to be maimed—so no cutting limbs—and she can't be killed. There is nothing in there that says anything about pranking or torturing or…”
She trailed off, smiling, her mischievous gaze staring at the woods. “Better we have her than the humans. If anything, we can bargain her for something.”
In that, I agreed. I did not like the idea of fanatical humans having anything related to me, even if it was a silly prophecy.
“How could you say such horrible things?” Anna flew over, frowning at her sister. “She is going to be the future queen.”
“I never said I was going to marry her.”
Anna gawked at me as if we hadn’t spoken of this for centuries.
We casually strolled through the woods. Deirdre could run all she wanted. She was never getting off this mountain, and I wasn't about to chase after her like a little bunny rabbit.
“Kane,” Anna said.
