“Your grandfather wants you returned home, post haste.” Ena glanced at Iverson. “She’s the king’s granddaughter. If you didn’t know. And that means? He’s highly pissed off at you with the power to back it up.”
“And he sent you? One young girl?” Iverson asked, scoffing at her arrogance.
“Cassie missed you yesterday at lunchtime. She told me,” Ena said, ignoring the man and pointed a long black fingernail at Brett. “His fault, I know. Your grandfather wanted me to bring these two to see him.” She waved her fingernails at each of the guys.
“Two others were in on this with him, at the very least,” Alicia warned. Though she wondered because Brett had said her kind had taken them away. So who had if this girl hadn’t?
“Oh, Deveron’s taken them home with him.”
“Deveron,” Alicia whispered. She’d been so annoyed with him because he wouldn’t resolve the matter of Micala and his interest in Cassie. But Deveron had come for her. Although if the roles had been reversed and she’d learned he was in trouble, she would have been there to rescue him.
“Queen Irenis will have a wonderful time with them,” Ena said.
Mr. Iverson growled. “What’s one fae girl going to do against two of us?”
That’s when Alicia saw another set of iron manacles hanging off his belt around his back. He seized hold of them, then said to Brett, “Grab her.”
If they got the manacles on her, even on a wrist or one ankle, Ena couldn’t fae travel.
Ena tilted her head to the side and took the final step onto the concrete floor. Alicia was sweating like crazy. How could the girl be so calm? So collected? Alicia wanted to scream at her to do something. Leave. Get help!
“I don’t think so.” The Goth girl stretched her arms out to her sides, closed her eyes and looked toward the ceiling as if calling on some tremendous power.
When she looked at Alicia again, Alicia expected Ena’s eyes to be ringed with gold, but her pale green eyes had changed to shimmering emerald beacons.
The man shouted, “Now!” He was terrified, shaking, his heart pounding. He knew she was going to do something really bad.
Alicia’s heart was drumming, the blood rushing in her ears, afraid for the girl and afraid for the guys.
Brett and the man bolted for Ena. The Goth girl’s black clothes shifted into shimmering olive green scales, and her outstretched arms were suddenly draped in giant leathery wings. Her impish face grew long and bony. Her whole appearance? One pissed-off dragon.
Dragon fae. Ohmigod, she was a dragon shifter. Alicia had read about them in some of the ancient journals—that all her people had been actual dragon shifters at one time. She’d seen the sketches of them flying high against a cloudy sky, and she’d thought how much she’d wished she could have shifted like that.
Seeing Ena as one was terrifying, even though Alicia kept telling herself the girl was a dragon fae like her. That she had come to rescue her. That she hadn’t planned to…fire! She said her name meant fire. That was the message.
Sucking in a breath, Alicia was certain this was going to get really bad, really fast.
Letting out a strangled cry, Iverson stopped dead in his tracks, no longer able to clamp a manacle on the girl’s arm because it was now a wing fully stretched out. He glanced at her leg, leathery, bony, still the right size for the manacle.
Brett had come to a halt and backed away. Ena was standing directly in front of the stairs. No way for either of the guys to escape.
The old man wasn’t giving up. He dove for her leg. She let out a breath of red hot flame and incinerated him, melting the manacles into gray goo and the man into gray ash that crumbled onto the gray concrete floor. Her flames scorched the wall behind him, and Alicia was glad she hadn’t been in the path of the fire though the intense heat warmed her as if the temperature had risen to south Texas summer hot in seconds. Ena whipped around to face the teen.
He was shaking so hard, twisting his head back and forth, unable to say the word, “No.” Then incapable of standing any longer, he fell to his knees, his face as white as new fallen snow, his pupils dilated so they were now all black.
Ena flapped her wings, settled them close to her body, and studied the teen.
Alicia quickly said, “He might be one of us.” She thought he might be salvageable, and she believed he hadn’t wanted to kill her so she wanted to offer him a reprieve.
The dragon looked at her, and for an instant, Alicia worried Ena’s human…or fae part of her brain…might disappear when the dragon took over and leave her with a purely beast mentality. Ena gave her a toothy grin, sharp little teeth, and vampire-to-die-for wicked canines both on the upper half of her mouth and the lower jaw.
Alicia tried not to swallow hard or shudder or act anything more than I’m-a-dragon-fae-princess-so-you-have-to-obey-me look.
Then Ena shifted back into the Goth girl. “I was to bring back whoever took you hostage. But good point.” She turned to the teen who managed to throw up his lunch all over the floor.
“Are you sure you want me to keep that promise?” Ena asked Alicia, wrinkling her nose at Brett, looking more than annoyed.
Alicia was surprised that Ena would take Alicia’s orders over her grandfather’s. If the king said the boy was to be turned over to him, it was Ena’s duty to do so. Which made Alicia appreciate the gesture.
“Your call.” Ena held her arms outstretched as if she was getting ready to shift into a dragon again and use her fire to wipe out Brett this time.
“She said I might be one of you,” Brett managed to croak, his voice hoarse.
Ena smiled, but it was not a friendly look.
“We’ll take him back with us. But we’ve got to let Deveron know I’m all right and not to come here looking for me,” Alicia said.
“Fine.” Ena said to Brett. “You’ve got a pardon. For the moment. Think well on what you’ve done to our kind, human.”
He rose, scowling at her. But Alicia was glad he held his tongue. She wasn’t all that certain that Ena would take much lip from the guy. And if he made a move toward them, or tried to escape, Alicia was sure Ena wouldn’t hesitate to turn him into a pile of ashes also.
“Unlock her,” Ena ordered. “You’re going to see our fae world. Though you might not like it much where you’ll be.”
He shakily stumbled over to Alicia, unlocked her shackles, trying not to cause her any more pain than she was already feeling. His blue eyes looked into hers, beseeching her to protect him…or something.
“Do you really think I might be one of you?” he asked softly, as if he was afraid the dragon shifter might incinerate him for even asking.
“Maybe,” Alicia said.
Or maybe not. What did she know? From what she’d read about fae seers was that they had some fae roots, but they couldn’t be fae because they weren’t pure fae. Sometimes the fae took humans into their world and gifted them with their powers, if they favored the human. But sometimes it didn’t work out, and they’d have to take their powers away and return them to the human world. Then they were like lost souls, knowing of a world beyond their own that they’d been part of but could never return to.
“Shall we?” Ena said, then grabbed his arm with a rough-you-are-the-prisoner touch and encircled Alicia’s arm gently, then transported them to the dark fae castle of the Denkar, Donao. They ended up in the great hall where the place was virtually devoid of people. Where was everyone?
Ena released Alicia’s arm. She frowned when Alicia was unable to stand because of the dizzying nausea the fae transport had caused and sank to her butt. “Are you all right?” Ena asked.
The dragon shifter almost looked embarrassed for her. The human stood there, Ena’s hand still gripping his arm as if she thought he might try to run away, looking shocked to see the castle, but he didn’t seem to be affected by the fae travel in the least.
“Fae travel,” Alicia said, annoyed with herself. She tried to stand, but grew so dizzy, she gave
up on it. She hated to admit that that she couldn’t travel great distances without the fae way of traveling making her sick.
A maid, coming in through the servants’ quarters from several hundred feet away, spied them. For a moment, she just stared at them, trying to figure out who they were.
Ena called out to the maid, “I’ve brought Princess Alicia here. I must return her at once to Crislis Castle. But we had to let Prince Deveron know…”
“Oh my goddess,” the lady shrieked, hands flying to her cheeks, brown eyes huge in her small face. “Guards!” she screamed. “Guards!”
Alicia hoped she was calling the guards to take the prisoner in hand for the moment, and not with the thought that she and Ena were also dangerous to the dark fae.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ena asked Alicia.
Alicia was surprised to hear the genuine concern in Ena’s voice. “Yeah. Fine. Thanks.” Not. She knew she wasn’t the only fae who got sick with the travel, but it didn’t make her feel any better about it.
The maid ran to close the distance between them and knelt quickly beside the princess. “”My lady, can I help you?”
“I’ll be all right.” She was going to ask the maid if she could locate Prince Deveron and tell him she was okay, but a dozen guards rushed into the great hall like a stampede of ravenous hounds and Alicia instantly began issuing orders. “Inform Queen Irenis and Prince Deveron at once that Princess Alicia is here and safe. And…” She looked at Ena. “The Dragon Slayer, Ena, has captured a fae seer.”
The maid’s eyes grew huge.
Ena smiled down at Alicia, apparently liking the nickname she had chosen for her.
One of the men quickly took off.
When three of the guards took Brett in hand, Ena said, “Be gentle with him. He is my prize for King Tibero.”
“What about my friends?” Brett finally had the nerve to ask.
“You would do well to distance yourself from them. They are no longer your concern but Queen Irenis’s. Though it is too late to give advice, let me tell you this, never take a royal fae prisoner. It’s just a very bad thing to do,” Ena said.
Alicia instructed the fae guard, “She will be taking the prisoner with her.” She might not like some of the stuff that went along with being a fae princess, but she did love being able to give orders and that people actually snapped to and carried them out.
“What about you?” Brett asked Alicia, his eyes wide. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
She didn’t have a chance to answer as she heard a man shouting as he rushed down the stairs to the dungeon, “My queen! My prince! Princess Alicia is here!”
Alicia smiled.
The tromping of boots on the stairs echoed across the great hall, indicated a lot more than just Deveron was on his way to see to her welfare.
She really hated that she couldn’t get off the floor. He looked so shook up, she didn’t think she’d ever seen her prince look so upset and angry at the same time. She smiled at him, although she imagined her smile wasn’t as cheerful as she wished to offer him, trying to assure him she really was okay. Her stomach was still so queasy and her head spinning, that she couldn’t do much more than that.
His dark eyes were nearly black as he stormed across the great hall, his gaze shifting to the assembled guards, the prisoner, the maid, Ena, and then Alicia again, sitting on the floor.
“Alicia,” he said, his voice barely a whisper and he sounded like he was choked up. He reached down and lifted her into his arms and held her tight.
She felt his warmth, his hardness, heard his heart beating as if he’d been running a marathon, his ragged breath, breathed in the smell of him—of woods and spices and him. She wasn’t sure she’d ever see him again, and close to him like this…she was in fae heaven.
“Ahem,” Ena said, “I’m supposed to take her back to her grandfather.”
“Later,” Deveron said, sounding as though he was attempting not to roar as he gave the dragon shifter an irritated don’t-question-my-authority-in-this look.
“She saved my life, Deveron,” Alicia said, warning him to be nice.
“She has no say in where you’re going.” He frowned down at Alicia. “Unless you wished to see your grandfather first.”
She shook her head. This is where she wanted to be. In Deveron’s arms. She knew Ena would get word to her grandfather that she was all right. She knew further that he would be furious that she didn’t return with the dragon shifter. But this was where she needed and wanted to be more than anything else in the world.
“Good, because you weren’t going.” Deveron stalked out of the great hall and outside to the gardens.
She laughed, amused that he’d say so.
Chapter 4
Ena belatedly curtseyed to Queen Irenis who was eyeing her curiously. Ena had heard the queen of the Denkar could be a terror on the best of days and a fae or human’s worst nightmare. Ena wore black because she knew it could stir panic in the hearts of mankind. Black gave the impression of power and authority. Could anyone imagine how Ena could strike terror in the hearts of any person if she was wearing…pink, for instance? Or sunshiny yellow?
Somehow she couldn’t see scaring anyone if she wore those colors.
Well, the queen wore red. Everyone who knew anything about her knew she was in a fit of terror when she wore red. It was her you’d-better-not-aggravate-me look, or you’re history.
She wore the color well, Ena thought. The red was a blue-red like blood, not one of those pretty orange-red fall colors. Or purple-red that said I like to show off my plumage in a bright and vibrant way.
Niall and Micala stood beside her, her nephews, looking they were her personal bodyguards.
“Thank you for bringing her back to us,” the queen said.
Ena swore the queen’s eyes shimmered with tears. Queen Irenis cast a dark look at Brett, and he had the good sense to quickly look down at the floor and not challenge her with his human’s gaze. Who knew what the queen might have resorted to doing, and Ena really wanted to bring back at least one hostage. Especially since she lost Alicia to Prince Deveron. She really liked the princess, surprised she would stick up for her in front of Deveron.
“My pleasure, Queen Irenis. If you ever have need of my services, anything, you have but to ask.”
It never hurt to be on the good side of a monarch ruling another kingdom. Particularly when the two kingdoms had been sworn enemies in the past, and Ena never knew when she might be out of favor with the current ruling monarch. One minute, she was the king—or queen’s—most worthy courtier, and the next? Dragon fodder.
“If you ever need anything from me…,” the queen said graciously.
“Thank you. I was supposed to take Alicia back with me to see her grandfather.”
The queen frowned.
Okay, that was going too far.
“Anything but that.” The queen gave her a wicked smile.
Ena sighed. She figured after seeing Deveron scoop up Alicia in his arms and carry her away, she wasn’t going to convince either of them she had to return the princess to King Tibero’s court anytime soon.
“I must take this prisoner with me then.”
“He is yours. We will keep the other two.”
Hoping not to make an instant enemy of the queen when she’d just earned a tentative working relationship with her, Ena had to say, “As long as King Tibero is agreeable.” She couldn’t speak for the king himself. She guessed he was going to be angry enough that she didn’t bring Alicia back this trip. “I must go.”
The queen nodded. She didn’t offer for Ena to stay for the celebratory feast that Ena knew they’d have in Alicia’s honor, but that was most likely because the queen knew Ena had other pressing obligations. King Tibero would not appreciate waiting to hear the good news concerning his granddaughter.
“Come on, you,” Ena said, seizing Brett’s arm.
The dark fae guards quickly released him.
“Now y
ou get to meet the king of the dragon fae who will decide your fate.”
And they were off.
***
Deveron had not put Alicia down yet as he carried her into the gardens, hiding them away behind a locked gate and high stone walls that only could barely be seen towering over fifteen-foot tall green yew hedges. The sky shown above, milky white clouds scattered across the sea of light blue, birds twittering about, though she couldn’t see any.
She hated to speak to him about the problem with Cassie and Micala, but she knew that she had to. This issue between them had to be resolved one way or another.
Deveron sat down with Alicia on his lap on a curved wooden bench held up by two wrought iron ferocious-looking lions, mouths bared, showing off their wicked teeth.
“You went to see Cassie instead of me,” he said, his dark gaze fixed on her eyes, his expression somber. He sounded disappointed, more than angry with her.
“I was going to break up Cassie’s relationship with Micala once and for all.”
“You were going to destroy your friendship with her.” Deveron sounded surprised.
Alicia couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes at the thought. She’d been friends with Cassie since pre-school. Finger-painting, playing dress up—she considered her velvet gown and realized she was back to playing dress up—and then later, sharing secrets about boys. She didn’t want to hurt Cassie. She didn’t want to end their friendship. Not ever.
She hadn’t ever had a friend as loving or a friendship that had lasted as long as the closeness she’d shared with Cassie. She hated having to destroy it, but if it meant saving her from Micala and what would happen to Cassie because he didn’t wish to give her up, Alicia would do nearly anything.
“She’ll be all right, Alicia.” Deveron brushed the top of her head with a kiss.
She stiffened. “Micala—”
“I will kill Micala if this means I will lose you,” Deveron said fiercely.
Alicia stared up at Deveron, not believing his words, yet his hard expression said he would be willing to do anything to keep her safe. “Your cousin.” The words came out on a whispered breath. “You can’t. He’s your cousin.”