by Rachel Angel
Kingsley had just enough time to pull out his dagger and kill the dark fae in front of him, before the other girl jumped him, sending him falling back.
Surprisingly strong for a girl, Kingsley fought hard to get her off him and bring his dagger to her heart. Oak had made easy work of the two girls that were after him and all that remained were the two guys who were barreling in.
“I think we need to teach these princes a lesson,” one of the guys growled to the other.
“With pleasure,” the other said as they stomped their way up to Kingsley and Oak.
Kingsley immediately saw that despite their impressive size and menacing glares, they were novice dark faes and their impulsiveness would cost them greatly.
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Disruption (Fallen Fae Academy #5) The moment they reached Oak and Kingsley, they pulled out their switchblades, but they didn’t even get a chance to take a swipe at the princes.
In an instant, Oak grabbed the fist of his assailant, broke his arm, then destroyed the young dark fae while Kingsley threw his dagger directly into the heart of the dark fae coming his way.
When all was done, they looked at each other and after a moment of silence, they burst out laughing.
“Damn,” Oak said as he patted Kingsley on the shoulder. “It is good being on your side again, my dear prince. It feels like old times.”
“Just like being a part of the Fallen Fae Boys again. Only now we have a growing army of dark faes to contend with.” Kingsley looked solemnly at Oak. “So, what do you say? Are you in?”
Oak scratched his head as he looked around.
“This wasn’t really a part of my plans. I still have a lot to deal with back home.”
“As do I,” Kingsley said. “But if this is allowed to get out of hand, we may not be able to fight them later. And if they ultimately win…”
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“I know,” Oak agreed. “We don’t want that.
Damn. I’m torn.”
“That kid in the field with his sheep said things were quiet on the front,” Kingsley said.
“Perhaps we could call for an official standstill.
Hold off any more fighting until we get back to our respective kingdoms.”
“You really think your kingdom, the Kingdom of Sea, will accept that?”
“Once they realize what’s at risk, I’m certain that they will.”
Oak took a good look around. “Things sure have changed. It makes it feel like we’ve been away for years, and yet…”
“Things change fast. We’ve been caught up in this war for longer than I care to acknowledge.”
Oak nodded. “Where’s Harley?”
“She’s still rooming with April,” Kingsley said. “But she’s probably in class by now.”
“I would have liked to see her, but…”
“Now that you’re convinced, let’s calm our armies, get things settled and come back here ready to do anything to protect the human realm.”
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Disruption (Fallen Fae Academy #5) In solemn silence, they returned to the Faery Realm. At the juncture to their kingdoms, they stopped.
“In order to avoid any confusion and to make our position clear, we could bring our armies together and make the announcement to all.”
“Sounds good,” Oak said.
They broke apart to find their respective armies. It didn’t take long for Kingsley to reach his army of tired soldiers.
“Prince Kingsley,” a soldier said as he rose and saluted him.
Kingsley nodded.
“Does this mean the fighting has resumed?”
another one said with concern.
More soldiers gathered around him. None of them seemed eager to return to battle.
“The fighting has not resumed,” Kingsley said loudly as more and more soldiers surrounded him. “Lend me your ears, my brave and valiant soldiers. The hostilities are being officially set aside. I beg of all of you to follow me as we go to the front to meet with the army of Woods.”
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A few of the soldiers grumbled their doubts and uncertainty.
“You’ve trusted me throughout these wars,”
Kingsley said. “Please trust me now.”
Still grumbling, they nodded and followed Kingsley as he took the lead.
When they met up with the army of Woods half an hour later, the soldiers from both camps looked menacingly at each other as the grumblings grew louder.
Only when Oak and Kingsley stood side by side to face both armies did everyone calm down and fall silent.
“Thank you all for coming here to the border of Sea and Woods,” Kingsley called out. He reached for Oak’s hand and raised it high into the air. “Truce!”
The armies broke out into cheers and laughter.
“We hereby officially announce a truce between the Kingdoms of Sea and Woods,” Oak added.
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“Not only a truce,” Kingsley went on. “We are proud to announce that we will once again be allied. We will once again work together for the better of all.”
His words were met with more cheers as soldiers from both camps shook hands, patted each other on the back and even hugged.
Many of them were friends in peacetime. A few were even family members who’d married into the families of the opposing kingdom.
Kingsley turned to officially shake Oak’s hand then faced the crowd again, raising his hands into the air to quiet them.
“Unfortunately, for the time being, Oak and I must absent ourselves from the Faery Realm. It is our hope to reach an understanding and a truce with Spring and Fall. In the meantime, we ask that you, nonetheless remain vigilante.” He turned to invite Oak to speak to his men.
“In my absence, I name Lieutenant Argur to take command.”
His men nodded their understanding.
“And I name Captain Dumont.”
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Chapter 11
Kingsley
“Now that that is settled,” Kinglsey told Oak as they left their armies and headed toward Fall, “we need to convince Red and Zed to join us.”
“The Fallen Fae Boys wouldn’t be the same without them,” Oak said with a grin.
As they climbed the ridge that bordered the Kingdom of Fall, they stopped to look down on the quiet land. They carefully made their way down, but stopped on a ledge when they heard the loud bellowing voice of an angry man.
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“Did I raise you to be such imbeciles?” the voice raged. “Did I raise such weaklings?”
Kingsley and Oak ducked down behind a row of bushes and listened. The threesome’s footsteps were coming closer. Peering through the leaves of the bushes, Kingsley finally spotted the twins and their father below in a clearing.
“Father, our disapproval of this war is not…”
“Did I give you permission to speak?”
Kingsley looked to Oak and mouthed, “Red and Zed.”
Oak nodded and mouthed, “And General of Fall.”
“Your mother has certainly done a number on you two. I should have known better than to allow her to take you on this foolish journey with that damned Academy of hers. It was absurd right from the beginning.”
“You underestimate her, Sir,” Zed said calmly. “Mother has done wonderful work with the Academy. As dean, she implemented…”
“Shut up!” the general shouted. “Both of you, just shut up. You are here to fight, and yet you 157
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snivel and cry like infants hungry for their mother’s dried up old milk. Damn you. Damn you both!”
“We’ve fought,” Red said after a long moment of silence. “We fought hard.”
“Not hard enough,” the general said as he turned to face his sons. “You’ve entered battles halfheartedly. Do you not think
that I see with my own eyes what is going on with you two? Do you not think that I know of your affections for some Spring wench who is so undeserving? What right do you think either of you have to carry on with the Princess of Spring?”
The angry general glared at his sons, daring them to answer. In a rage, he turned his back to them and looked up at the mountains that protected his great kingdom.
“To think that I was once proud of you. To think that I celebrated the day I learned that I had not one, but two sons. I made a grand announcement, telling my entire kingdom my exploit. From my groin…” He grabbed his crotch as he turned to them. “I had created life… men…
my own little army… straight from my groin. The 158
Disruption (Fallen Fae Academy #5) proudest day of my life. Ha!” he bitterly let out.
“Had I known that I’d have boys with no balls at all… Well…” He turned away from them once again. “I wouldn’t have told a soul about your birth.
I would not have let anyone know how the strength of my seed had been so greatly diminished by the warmth and comfort of my woman’s womb.”
Kingsley cocked a brow at the general’s harsh words.
“With all due respect, Father,” Red said, bravely stepping forward to confront his father.
“Mother is doing the right thing. We need to protect the Faery Realms from the Dark Fae. Building the Academy was her way of stopping the Dark Fae from entering the Faery Realms.”
“It seems inconceivable to me, sir,” Zed chimed in, “that you have not sent out a search party to find her. Surely, even you must suspect that the Dark Fae has taken her. Why do you refuse to do all that we can to get her back?”
The general turned to them and took a step closer. “Your mother has made her choice. She is the one who decided to try to fend off the Dark Fae 159
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without so much as consulting me. She has made her bed. Now let her burn in it, for I will not sacrifice all that I have built, all that this kingdom holds to save her pitiful little soul.”
“Father,” Red said in disbelief. “You can’t mean that.”
“What are you saying, father?” Zed said.
“Are you taking sides with the Dark Fae or are you with us?”
The general grinned. “With you? Two whiny little brats? Never! I’ll take my chances with the Dark Fae over you two any day.”
The general stormed off, leaving Red and Zed standing there, stunned.
Kingsley was equally stunned. If the General of Fall was prepared to pair up with the Dark Fae, things could easily take a turn for the worse.
“We can’t let this happen,” Kingsley whispered to Oak. “Damn it. The Dark Fae Wizard is infiltrating every part of life, in the Faery Realm as well as the Human Realm. We have to fight them back before they take over the entire Realm.”
Oak nodded. “But how?”
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“We must stand united; all the kingdoms. We must find a way of convincing Fall and Spring to join us in fighting the Dark Fae Wizard.”
“You forget that the Kingdom of Fall is already with the Dark Fae. I doubt Red or Zed will be able to do anything to change that.”
While he knew he had to stay and destroy this alliance between Fall and the Dark Fae, Kingsley was worried about leaving Harley on her own for too long. He looked to Oak who seemed just as concerned.
“I’m torn,” Kingsley admitted.
Oak looked at Red and Zed who simply stood there watching their father walk away from them.
“I know we need to team up with them if we want to fight this, but the last time I saw those guys was when we had that great fight before the Soccer Cup. We haven’t really spoken since, and I don’t know how they’re going to accept talking to me now.”
“That was a lifetime ago,” Kingsley said.
“We’ve grown since. We’ve matured. Back then we were all young and horny men with a love and 161
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lust for Harley and little self-control. That’s changed. This war has changed us. It’s put things into perspective. No matter what, we must put our differences behind us and fight this common enemy.”
Oak nodded then glanced at the twins. “Can you convince them of that?”
Kingsley stood and showed himself to Red and Zed. “Let us try.”
The twins looked up to see Oak and Kingsley and immediately pulled out their swords.
Kingsley calmly walked down towards them.
“Lay down your swords, Fallen Fae Boys. We come in peace and wish to invite you to join us in the fight against the Dark Fae Wizard.”
Relieved, Red and Zed returned their swords to their sheaths and grinned.
“Good,” Red said. “I don’t think I have it in me to fight anymore, least of all with you two.”
“I’ve had it with this war,” Zed added.
“Father has gone insane and Mother has gone missing.”
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“And Harley needs us to work together,”
Kingsley added. “Are we all in this together?” He held his fist out in the center of them all.
Oak set his hand over Kingsley’s. “All in.”
Red and Zed set their hands over Oak’s. “All in!”
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Chapter 12
Kingsley
As Kingsley led Zed, Red and Oak back toward the human realm, something tugged at him deep inside. He felt that he was missing something; an important piece of information, but he couldn’t figure out what. He was so caught up with the fierce emotions he felt for Harley, that he’d made the rash decision to forge ahead to the Academy.
But now…
When he reached the threshold to the human realm, he stopped, causing Zed to bump into his backside.
“Hey,” Zed complained. “Why are you stopping now? We’re almost there. Go! Harley is just on the other side, waiting for us.”
“I don’t know,” Kingsley said.
“Well, I do,” Zed said, pushing past him. “I need to get to her.”
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Disruption (Fallen Fae Academy #5) Kingsley grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Wait,” he said.
“Wait for what, Kingsley?” Zed said, clearly aggravated.
“Yeah,” Red chimed in. “Wait for what? We walked all the way here. Now you’re not sure?”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Kingsley said. “Don’t you guys feel it? Don’t you feel that there’s something we’re not paying attention to?”
Red and Zed shook their heads, but Oak remained silent as he nodded.
“I don’t feel anything,” Red argued as he looked at Oak. “Seriously? You think we’re missing something? The only thing we’re missing is Harley. Now get out of my way.”
Kingsley and Oak both put a hand to his chest to stop him.
“Okay, smartass,” Oak said. “Then what?”
“What do you mean, then what?” Red said.
“Then we protect Harley.”
Kingsley shook his head. “Seriously, Red.
Once we get to the Academy, what are we going to do?”
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Red shrugged. “Damn it, Kingsley. We’re going to save Harley.”
Zed stared blankly in front of him. “Yeah.
Isn’t that what we’re all here for?”
“Save her how?” Kingsley said, pushing him to see for himself the problem with crossing over to the human realm. “We know the Dark Fae Wizard is there somewhere, building an army as we speak.
We know that he has Cici and Ashley on his side, helping him and probably glamouring everything to their benefit.”
Red and Zed looked at him with blank expressions.
“Damn it, guys,” Kingsley said. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“We’re walking in there blind,” Oak finally
said.
“Essentially, yes,” Kingsley said as he shot Oak an appreciative glance.
Zed took a step back, drew in a long tired breath and looked at Kingsley and Oak. “Okay,” he said. “I see what you mean.”
“Finally,” Kingsley said with a snicker.
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Disruption (Fallen Fae Academy #5) Red looked at all of them. “Well, I don’t see.
Could someone please enlighten me?”
They all looked at him.
“What?” Red said with an annoyed shrug.
“I’ve never been good with enigmas. For crying out loud, just tell me already.”
“We don’t know enough about the situation to form a winning strategy,” Zed said.
“I have a winning strategy,” Red argued.
“We rush in there, grab Harley, bring her back to safety and we’re done.”
“Really?” Oak said. “Bring her back to where? Where is safety? In Fall? In Sea? In Woods? Do you really believe she’d be safe in Spring? Think, Red,” Oak said, pointing to his temple. “The wars of the Faery Realm may have quieted down for now, but things still aren’t settled, and with you own father teaming up with the Dark Fae Wizard, we don’t even know what they…”
“That’s it!” Kingsley cut in.
Oak, Red and Zed looked quizzically at Kingsley.
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“We need to find out what is really going on with the Dark Fae Wizard and the King of Fall. We need to know what they’re up to. What their plans are.” He looked at the twins. “Do either of you really know what your father is up to? Do either of you know how deeply invested your father really is in all this?”
Red and Zed shrugged.
“Not really,” Zed said after a moment’s thought. “He’s gone insane. Nothing he says ever makes sense these days. That’s all I can say about him.”