The air fae had always been far more concerned with absolute power than the magic of their own kind.
Which was why she did not feel surprised to find herself camped out in front of the Selkirk family’s castle. All this time, Reyna had been too concerned about the other realms to realize that the air fae had begun a civil war.
And Reyna was stuck right in the middle of it.
She had no idea how she was going to get inside of the castle to save her sister. Just as the name suggested, Feurach Fortress had been built like one, designed especially for the training and housing of troops. Sat upon a cliff, it looked down on the grasslands that stretched far and wide. A wide moat stretched just below the high, outer wall that could be filled with poisonous melted iron during an assault.
There would be hundreds of fully-trained warriors inside those gates, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. As she squinted, she spotted archers dotted along the battlements. Even with no enemy in sight, they were ready to defend.
With a frown, Reyna dropped back down and huddled behind the rock. She turned to Wingallock who fed on some grains she had found along the way. She had left Enbarr in a small wooded area down the road while she scouted ahead, unwilling to tip off the castle fae before she was ready.
“What do you reckon, Wingallock?” she asked.
He lifted his head, blinked at her, and then turned back to his food.
“You’re right. I have no idea either,” she replied. “That castle has been built specifically for keeping intruders out. I could try scaling the wall, but they would see me before I even reached the top. I suppose I could round the castle and approach from the cliffside, but I doubt I’d be able to make that climb. It’s a shame I don’t have wings.”
He hooted in response.
Indeed, there was only one way she could get inside that castle.
With a sigh, she glanced at her familiar. “All right, Wingallock. I need you to return to Enbarr’s side. Wait for me there in the trees. If anyone discovers you, then I need you both to run.”
Wingallock cocked his head and hooted in distress. With a sad smile, she reached out and ruffled his neck, his smooth feathers soft against her touch. Her soul ached at leaving him behind, but she would not do anything to put his life in danger.
“I need you to trust me, all right?” she whispered.
After another moment, he gave another hoot and then pushed off the ground. She watched him spread his white wings, returning to Enbarr’s side. Her stomach twisted into knots. Would he leave the castle behind, if he must? Reyna could not be certain. As much as she felt a pull toward him, she knew he felt the same. She just had to hope he would not put himself in danger if things went wrong.
And they were very likely to go wrong.
Steeling her nerves, Reyna pushed up from the ground and stepped out of the shadow of the rock. She joined the Crown’s Road and strode toward the castle gates. When she drew closer, she heard a shout echo through the battlements and felt the shudder of arrows all around her being nocked.
She slowed to a stop and called out. “I’m here to see my sister, Princess Eislyn Darragh of the Ice Court.”
Several long moments stretched by. Reyna held her breath, waiting for the first arrow to punch the ground or her gut. None came. Moments stretched into hours, the distant sun peeking over the horizon. Finally, at long last, the wooden gate groaned as the fae inside pushed it open. Warriors decked in gold-dyed armor streamed out of the castle, surrounding her in an instant.
* * *
The dungeon floor was cold and hard, but there was no wind to sink into her bones. Reyna sat on a small wooden stool, staring at the iron bars that held her. They reminded her of not so long ago when she had been stuck in a cage with Lorcan, holding out hope that Thane would come to find them.
Lorcan, the shadow fae. Lorcan, the warrior who had crept his way into her heart.
Sighing, she stood and strode over to the small barred window that looked out on the crashing waves of the Mag Mell Sea. She did not know why they’d kept her alive instead of killing her on the spot. They had refused her an audience with anyone. None of the warriors had answered her many questions about Eislyn. Reyna had called out for her, hoping to hear her voice ringing through the dank musty cells. But, if she was down here, she was in some other part of the twisting tunnels.
In the distance, a door creaked open, and several guards appeared outside of her cell. They opened the door and motioned her to join them in the tunnel. For a moment, she considered giving them a fight, but her dagger had been taken from her. She wouldn’t win. She would only succeed in tiring herself out. The best option at this point was to preserve as much energy as possible, just in case she ever got the chance to use it.
The guards led her up a winding set of stone stairs, through another corridor, and up through a tower. When they reached the top of the stairwell, they shoved her through an open door.
Before her was a study of some sort. The grey stone walls curved in close with two windows overlooking the yellow green grasslands outside of the castle. There were a few small shelves packed with books and scrolls on one side of the room while an elaborately-carved wooden desk sat on the other. A single lantern illuminated the musty space, highlighting the motes of dust swirling through the air.
Lord Bowen sat before her, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. Reyna could not help but gape. How could he be involved in all of this? He had done nothing but show care for Thane. He’d been by his side all this time, encouraging him, providing him with advice...
But he had not been at the coronation.
Reyna’s stomach twisted.
“You have created quite the dilemma, Princess Reyna,” he said in a soft, kindly voice that should have put her at ease. It did nothing of the sort.
