Everyone stared at her. It was like sending them to Hades for their seelie kind. But tearing open the fabric that separated their worlds could have meant disaster for all their kind.
“A dozen of the creatures came at me, ready to rip me to shreds. It was either them or me. They were attempting to kill me. I was only twelve at the time, and I had no one to guide me. What was I supposed to do?”
“Whatever you do, don’t get on her bad side,” Connelly said. “I wonder if they’re still alive.”
Everyone looked at him like he had to be kidding.
“How in the world did you manage to open a portal between our planes of existence?” Owen asked, incredulously. He’d never heard of anyone who could do such a thing.
“It’s just something that I’ve always been able to do. My grandmother warned me never to open a hole into the fabric of our two worlds after I did it the one time. It was just an accident. I didn’t know I could do such a thing. When the griffin warriors were flying toward me, screeching a battle cry, I couldn’t think of anything else to do but open the planes of existence, though I thought I was opening it to the human world. It was the fastest way to protect myself.”
Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, then Brett cleared his throat. “I’ve heard of Sinbad. He’s good at what he does.”
“He reflected my magic back onto me, and though I should be immune to my own spells, somehow it affected me, taking away my abilities,” Owen warned.
“He got inside your head,” Sigrid said. “He made you think you’d lost your abilities. You hadn’t. Once I convinced you that touching me would allow you to unleash your power, you were able to do it.” She smiled at him.
He pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. “I should have known you were tricky.”
“I tried to get you to do it on your own, but you so believed you couldn’t, that you couldn’t. But here’s the problem,” Sigrid said as they went inside the castle and sat on sleeping rolls on the floor in one big circle, before anyone began to speak of what they’d learned. “First, why would a griffin fae come to work for a falcon fae after one defeated their forces? And if they’d had a magic user in the kingdom back then, why didn’t he face me in battle?”
“Maybe he wasn’t living in the kingdom then,” Halloran said.
“Or he wasn’t as powerful as you back then,” Ena said.
“What if he learns I’m the one who fought their people? What if he knows me by name already?”
“It’s possible,” Owen said.
“What if he came to work for Malcolm because he wanted to find the fae who defeated them in battle, using her magic skills?” Sigrid said.
“But the one who did that to their warriors worked for the golden fae queen,” Tanya reminded her. “So he wouldn’t have gone to work for Malcolm looking for you, if he was out for revenge. He’d go to see the golden fae.”
“Except the golden fae would probably be wary of any griffin fae in their territory after the great battle between the two kingdoms,” Sigrid said.
“True. He thought Owen had built the castle,” Tanya said.
“Okay, then if Sinbad and the rest of their people don’t know me by name, he might not know I’m a magic user. Not all mages or our kind can ‘see’ that a person or object has magical powers. So, if he sees me, he still might not know I have any abilities. But if he’s with the griffin fae kingdom, he most likely knows that a falcon fae helped the golden fae to win the war against his people.”
“You think he’ll want revenge, if he knows you were the one who did it?” Ena asked.
“It’s in our nature to want it, yes. Particularly if anyone that I sent to the unseelie world was someone he cared about,” Brett said.
“If he knows you’re the person who sent his warriors away, maybe he’ll be afraid of you,” Ena said, hopefully.
“Or he’ll want to prove he’s more powerful than Sigrid,” Tanya said.
“We don’t have a lot of choice,” Sigrid said. “We’ll meet with them and see what we can learn about their intentions, possibly about an alliance. Maybe we can work out a deal with Malcolm, but I may have to still fight Sinbad.”
“And we’ll help,” Owen said.
“King Malcolm is your cousin,” Tanya said, but she was watching Owen’s reaction, knowing Sigrid would be surprised. But would Owen be?
His jaw dropped. And so did his cousins’. They both looked at Owen as if this changed everything. Tanya felt a little relieved they hadn’t known, if they weren’t just faking it. But Sigrid looked even more shocked to learn of it.
Tension filled the whole castle. Now what?
Sigrid felt as though she’d been hit with a numbing spell. She couldn’t think, or breathe, as she considered what Tanya had revealed. “You’re sure King Malcolm isn’t lying?”
“He didn’t know you existed. I told him about your grandmother and the rest, but he thought they had all died. He looked so much like you,” Tanya said. “The family resemblance is there.”
“Then maybe the mage doesn’t know about me either. You mentioned me by name?”
“Yes,” Tanya said. “He didn’t react at all. He didn’t seem surprised you were related to Malcolm though.”
“Does he want to use my abilities then to fight King Yarrow?”
“He doesn’t know about them. He thought Prince Owen built this castle,” Alton said.
“He wants all of you to stay with him,” Tanya said.
Owen snorted.
“We don’t know if he’s telling the truth, but he said you would be able to stay there as befitting your station. Unlike what your father had pulled with you. He gave assurances you would be safe, but of course, we don’t trust them completely,” Tanya said. “He could take Owen and his cousins prisoner. I did have the idea that if he knew you were married and wanted the crown, you could make peace with King Malcolm when King Yarrow won’t.”
“You told him we were married?” Sigrid asked.
“Your cousin said he would find a mate for you. I thought it was best to mention you already had one.”
Sigrid turned to Owen. “You knew your enemy was another faction of falcon fae. Did you know their king was my cousin?”
“No, but now I suspect my father knew. And that was another reason to get you on our side before you learned the truth. If you could destroy King Malcolm’s mercenary mage, then it would be easier to defeat Malcolm’s army. If Malcolm learned of you first, he could have used both you and his hired mage to wage war against my father.”
“Then your father turned you out when he learned you wanted to take his place on the throne.”
“Correct.” Owen rubbed his chin deep in thought. “He probably never assumed we’d have friends who aren’t falcon fae, who would visit King Malcolm and learn the truth.”
“What do we do? I don’t trust King Malcolm where you or your cousins are concerned.” Sigrid wanted to meet her cousin, and any other living relatives she might have. Especially if she had a chance at making an alliance with them and ending hostilities in the region. She wasn’t about to give up her claim to Yarrow’s throne, that could mean peace between the two-warring falcon fae kingdoms, and a way to make amends to her family for what they went through. She wasn’t giving up her princely husband or her new status as a princess either. Though she supposed if her cousin was king, she would be a princess in her own right now.
She didn’t feel anything differently about who she was, but even so, her circumstances had changed drastically. Could she return to live in her cottage under the golden fae queen’s rule and be satisfied now? She didn’t think so.
Owen took her hand and squeezed it, his dark eyes studying hers. “I don’t trust King Malcolm either, and I suspect Sinbad and I would have another clash.”
“If you did, remember he used some kind of mental magic on you, making you believe you’d lost your own powers. Everyone’s magic abilities will be different to an extent. We all have different capabilities, a
nd varying degrees of strength in using them. Some will come easier to some of us, while other abilities will be more difficult for one and not for another.”
“Which means we should discuss our gifts with one another and learn each other’s strengths,” Brett said. “And weaknesses.”
“Agreed,” both Owen and Sigrid said at the same time.
“I want to see my cousin, but I don’t want you to come with me, Owen. I don’t trust King Malcolm to honor his word any more than we could trust your father to honor his.”
“I will go with you,” Brett said. “I want to see what this mage is like.”
“You said you know him,” Owen said.
“Of him. Reputation only. I’ve never actually met him. He probably doesn’t know of me.”
“You were instrumental in several battles,” Ena said. “I’m sure your reputation precedes you as well.”
“So, we stay here?” Connelly sounded annoyed at the thought.
Sigrid suspected they were all ready for battle and sitting around doing nothing didn’t appeal. They had to be careful that they didn’t end up in dungeons where they couldn’t help to stop any of this though.
“I’ll go with the two of you,” Halloran said.
Sigrid was surprised he hadn’t gone on the first recon mission before this, but then again, he was the oldest dragon shifter fae that still lived, though only a couple of years older than Ena. All of their parents and grandparents had been hunted down and eliminated by one of the earlier dragon fae kings in their realm. Halloran must have felt he was needed more here to protect her and the others. But now that Sigrid was going to see Malcolm, he felt she needed his protection there.
“I’m going too,” Ena said. “Just in case Brett gets into a fight with Sinbad.”
“Brett will receive my help too.” Sigrid would do anything for her friends.
Owen took hold of Sigrid’s hands. “What if your cousin believes taking you hostage would force my hand? It would, you know. I’d have to come for you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m going with you. You’re my mate, and mine to protect.”
“What if you get into a fight with Sinbad?”
“I’ll have you and Brett to back me up.”
“We’re not staying, if you’re going,” Tarrant said.
Connelly agreed.
“Some should stay, just in case we need assistance later,” Owen said.
“We’ll stay,” Alton said.
Kayla and Amerand agreed.
“Tanya?” Sigrid asked.
“I think Sinbad is interested in her,” Alton said. “It might help if you took her along.”
Tanya’s face turned all shades of red. “He is not. He was only teasing me in a dark way.”
“That’s how it all begins,” Kayla said.
“I’m going. If everyone who has magic needs to use it against them, I can help too,” Tanya said.
“Let’s go then,” Owen said. “We’ll send someone back by dawn to let you know all is well. If no one returns, you’ll know it isn’t.”
“Take care,” Kiernan said. “Don’t trust anyone there.”
“Agreed,” Sigrid said. Then she shifted into a falcon while Halloran shifted into his dragon and gave Tanya a ride.
Owen and the other princes shifted into falcons, and they flew off for King Malcolm’s castle.
The dragons led the way.
Sigrid felt a mix of emotions about seeing her cousin. She was glad to know she had family left, even hopeful she had more than just one cousin. But she worried about the business of being married to Owen, and how that would truly go over with the king. Malcolm had better not even think of imprisoning him. He might even want to incarcerate her too!
She was also concerned how others of her kind would view her when she’d never lived among her people.
She soared across the rivers and over the tops of the trees, the dragons swooping down and around, as if they had more energy than they knew what to do with. She hoped they didn’t wear themselves out too much in case they had a fight on their hands.
When they reached her cousin’s fortifications, she was impressed, and she wondered if he’d had a magic user help to build his castle and fortifications. He had six towers on the wall walk around the top of the massive stone walls. An iron portcullis barred entry, a second one inside that, and massive double wooden doors after that. Which were good at keeping out other fae, but not fliers like the falcon and dragon shifters.
The archers were manning the wall walk, watching them warily as they approached. But one man wasn’t armed, and he waved in greeting. The king’s advisor? Or the mage?
Drawing closer, she saw from his aura he was a griffin fae, and that meant he had to be Sinbad, the mage.
Trying to settle her nerves, despite that she had magical abilities, she had never used them for battle against a mage before, she landed on the crenelated parapet flanking the wall walk and peered at the four- or five-story, solidly-built, stone castle. Men, women, and a few children in the courtyard were looking up at the dragons and falcons roosting on the parapet. They probably hadn’t seen dragons very often.
The man she thought must be Sinbad approached, smiling. “Welcome to Castle Rock. I’m Sinbad, and it appears we have a whole new cast of characters, except for Tanya.” He smiled again, this time at her. “I’m glad to see you have returned. And you are Princess Sigrid?” he asked Sigrid.
She shifted into her fae form, her wings on display.
“Beautiful. And I see the resemblance between you and King Malcolm just as Tanya did.”
“Does he have more family here?” she asked.
“A brother and a sister. But they are not here. Follow me and I’ll escort you inside.”
The dragons swooped down to the courtyard, making everyone scramble out of their path. Sigrid flew down to the courtyard, her mate and his cousins shifting into their fae forms and flying down to join them. Sinbad disappeared into blue mist and appeared in front of Sigrid.
Was he a shifter too? She still didn’t know if the griffin were like the dragon fae and only some of them shifted, while others couldn’t.
“His Majesty is eager to meet with you. Your chambers are prepared.” Sinbad glanced at Owen. “No hard feelings, Prince Owen?”
“None. Losing my abilities forced me to go in search of a falcon fae who would be my mate.” Owen took Sigrid’s hand and pulled her close.
“I don’t follow,” Sinbad said, looking from Owen to Sigrid, waiting for enlightenment.
“It’s a long story,” Owen said, smiling down at Sigrid, and kissed her cheek. But he wasn’t inclined to mention she was a magic user if Sinbad didn’t know it.
Sinbad led them into a throne room where the king was seated on a throne, an empty one next to him that she assumed was for his queen. Since neither Tanya nor Alton had mentioned Malcolm having a wife, she figured he wasn’t married yet, or he was widowed.
The king rose and looked over everyone in front of him. “I expected the other dragons to return. We have new ones? Just how many are here?”
“I am Sigrid. We share a common ancestry?” Sigrid asked, curtseying before the king, not answering him about their dragon numbers.
“Aye. You are my cousin.”
The males all bowed and Tanya and Ena curtseyed to the king.
“Which one of you is Prince Owen, the lucky man to have mated my cousin?” Malcolm asked, looking straight at Owen.
He probably knew just because of Owen’s proximity to her, if he didn’t know for certain who he was already.
“I am.” Owen inclined his head.
“If your father did not allow you entry into his castle upon your return home, how is it that you are married to my cousin?” Malcolm asked Owen.
Sigrid got the distinct impression Malcolm didn’t like that Owen had wed her, and he was trying to learn if they were truly married yet. If they hadn’t been, then what? She suspected he’d
throw Owen and his cousins in the dungeon. They’d have a fight on their hands if he tried.
“The dark fae queen married us at her castle,” Owen said.
Malcolm raised a brow and looked at Sinbad as if to say he hadn’t expected that news at all.
“She is allied with us. With Owen and me,” Sigrid clarified, just to let him know they had another powerful ally, and they didn’t even have a kingdom to their name, yet.
“And the dragon fae are also,” Ena said.
“And the golden fae,” Kayla and Tanya said.
Malcolm frowned, and again looked at his mage, as if asking him if he could help him win a battle against those odds.
“And those of the falcon fae who now follow my father once I can remove him from the throne,” Owen said.
Malcolm gave him a sinister smile. “You would do that to your own father?”
“To bring peace to the region, aye.”
“Come, we must have a celebration.” Malcolm rang a bell, and a man hurried into the throne room. He was gray-haired and spry.
“Everything is as you wished it, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Escort our guests to the great hall and we will properly celebrate your marriage to Prince Owen, and to your homecoming. I will be along shortly.”
The man motioned with a flourish. “This way, my ladies, my lords.” Then he strode toward the entryway they had come in while the king and Sinbad left through a side door.
“Where is His Majesty’s sister and brother living?” Sigrid asked. “Sinbad said they didn’t live here.”
“I couldn’t say.”
Sigrid tried again, but this time she compelled him to speak. “Tell me again where they are.”
“They are living with the griffin fae, my lady.”
“The griffin fae? Where Sinbad is from?” Sigrid felt something was wrong. Why would the falcon fae live there when they were the sister and brother to a king? Unless somehow Sinbad had arranged to imprison them in the island kingdom. And why would Malcolm do that? Unless he was so power hungry, he was afraid one of them would fight him for the throne.
Maybe they had. Maybe he was the good guy in all this, and they had been deceitful. Or maybe they were the good guys.