“Preston and James.” The first name would be expected, but not the second.
James laughed. “Oh. I’m honored. You worried your wolves won’t provide enough protection? You want a real man?”
Frost growled low. James smirked. I was starting to think the guy didn’t have any other expressions.
“That is fine.” The king nodded.
“And Lacey. I want Lacey too.”
“I’d be happy to go.” Lacey sat straight up in her chair.
“Why would you need my Lacey?” King Leon narrowed his eyes.
Of course he wouldn’t want his daughter at risk, which is why if he let her come, my chances of making it back in one piece would be much higher. It’s not that I wanted to put my friend in danger, but I had to protect my court, and that meant making sure I wasn’t being led into some sort of trap.
“Does it matter why she wants me there?” Lacey frowned. “I’m her friend, and I’m just as committed to the cause as she is.”
“Think of what you are suggesting.” King Leon stood. “Why should we risk two heirs?”
“Risk two?” I felt my voice lilt. That wasn’t the plan. I took a few deep breaths before continuing. “What? Are you implying it’s dangerous?”
Lacey took my hand. “Because if that’s the case, why let Wren go? Isn’t she worthy of as much protection as me?”
No. Not in his mind. But I did wonder if he’d actually admit that.
“Of course I want to protect Wren. But it was up to her mother whether to involve her or not. Just as it is up to me whether to involve you.” He shot me a look to let me know what he thought of my decision to try to pull his daughter in.
I tried to hide my response, but I was pretty sure I had something akin to a smug smile.
Lacey set her jaw. “If I don’t go, she can’t go. I’m not letting her face things alone.”
“She will hardly be alone. I will be happy to allow her to bring Frost, Preston, and James. That is more protection than she’d normally ever have. She can also take some of our guards.”
Lacey released my hand and stepped toward the king. “Father, I’m going with her. I’m of age. I can make my own decisions.”
“Even if they are foolish?” The king slung his chair across the room. “Is it not bad enough that I am about to lose your mother?”
Lacey gasped. “Lose her? You said there was hope.”
I put a hand on her shoulder, I couldn’t imagine the fear Lacey was facing, yet here she was volunteering to go with me. Guilt seized me, but I wouldn’t let it change my mind.
“Well, then do you really want me to lose my mother and my best friend?”
Large tears welled in King Leon’s eyes. “I cannot lose you, my girl.”
“Just like Wren’s mother can’t lose her.” Lacey walked over to stand right before her father. “You know that.”
The king avoided his daughter’s eyes. “She has another daughter.”
“And one daughter can stand in place of another?” Lacey held her ground. I was seriously impressed.
“No.” The king shook his head. “You are correct there. I care for your well being, Wren. “You must know that.”
“I’m not sure what I know anymore.” I didn’t know what to believe. I’d known King Leon my whole life, but I was from a rival court. That couldn’t be forgotten. “But that doesn’t change what must be.” I was really putting it on. Maybe I was going too extreme, but I didn’t care. I needed to make things work.
“Lacey is correct that I can’t stop her from going with you no matter how much I wish I could.”
“Father, please understand.” Lacey took a step back from her father, but her eyes didn’t leave his face. “I can’t let Wren handle this alone.”
“What have you seen, child?” The king put a hand on his daughter’s arm.
Lacey shook her head. “Now is not the time to discuss this.”
“I will send a dozen of the guards with you,” King Leon righted the chair and several pieces splintered off.
Everyone watched, but no one said anything.
I was delayed in giving my thanks. Having the guard with me wasn’t part of the plan. That would make things way more complicated.
“You may leave at first light, but tonight you rest,” the king ordered.
“Yes, your majesty.” Frost bowed his head slightly. He was so good about playing the part. About following orders. Yet I knew he’d follow me into this even if he was doing it blindly. I really hoped he was right to trust me.
Frost
She stood in front of me in just a dressing gown. I watched in wonder, ready to witness a sight I knew would be the most beautiful one I’d ever seen. For no beauty had ever or would ever rival Wren’s beauty in my eyes.
I couldn’t move. I was frozen watching. Waiting.
She untied the gown, and she slipped it off her shoulders.
“Frost, wake up.” Wren’s voice came from right next to me.
I reached out, needing to touch her. My lips connected with hers.
She gasped as I pushed my way into her mouth. Then the gasp became a moan as I rolled her over in my bed. I was naked, and I was sure she could feel the evidence of my arousal pressed against her.
“Frost,” she moaned my name.
“I love you, Wren.” I whispered as my lips slid down her throat.
“Frost, wake up.”
My eyes flew open. I was lying in the dark. “Wren?”
“So that was hot and all, but we have to get moving.”
“Get moving?” I struggled to shake off the last remnants of sleep.
Because I had been sleeping. How much of that had been a dream?
I reached over and turned on the bedside light. Wren was fully dressed. The gown part had certainly been a dream, but her bruised lips suggested the rest hadn’t. “Hot, huh?”
“Come on, you know that was hot. Although maybe you were still sleeping, who knows, but we don’t have time to figure that out right now.”
“Where are we going? It’s the middle of the night.”
“We have to go now. Before the king wakes up, and he forces us to take the guards with us.”
“Ah, I wondered how you planned to deal with that.”
“Lacey is waiting for us, readying the carriage.”
“And James?”
“We still need to get him.”
“You aren’t waking him up.” Hell no. Especially not if she planned to do it by crawling into his bed the way she did with me.
“Great. You can do it.” She kissed me hard on the mouth. “Get up and get dressed.”
“Oh. Dressed.” I looked down, suddenly remembering I was naked. I had groped Wren while naked. The sheets still covered me.
Wren laughed. “Don’t worry, I liked it.” She ran a finger over my lips. “I seem to like everything you do.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t realize. I’d been dreaming.”
“Dreaming about me?” She grinned. “And hey, I just told you I enjoyed it.”
“Yes. About you.”
“Do you dream about me a lot?”
“Yes.” I was too tired to lie.
“Good.” She turned around. “Hurry, get ready.”
I got dressed, thinking about her bruised lips and thinking about how much I wished the other part of the dream was real. I didn’t want to allow myself to fantasize, but it was impossible not to.
I got dressed quickly and retrieved my bags.
“That was quick.” Wren put a hand to her lips before pushing open my door.
Lacey was waiting in the hallway holding a lantern. She waved. I waved back. Silence was paramount.
We slowly made our way down the hall. Lacey stopped in front of the second to last room on the right and handed me a key. I assumed this had to be James’ room. I truly hoped he didn’t sleep with a weapon close. Being woken up by Wren was one thing. If he was anything like me, he wouldn’t take well to being woken up by another man. Still, that
didn’t mean I was going to ask either of the heirs to do it.
I tried the key, and it easily turned in the lock. I pushed open the door.
“Why are you going in there?” A voice asked.
I spun around to find myself face to face with an elf.
“Shh!” Wren snapped. “We aren’t here to hurt him.”
“I figured as much, but that does not mean you can skip your answer.”
“Why did you figure so much?” I had to ask. “I’d have assumed anyone trying to sneak into someone's room in the middle of the night wasn’t doing it for a harmless reason.”
“Because I know James can be annoying, but even he could not have amassed enemies so soon after arriving.”
“What the hell is going on out there?” A light switched on from within the room, and James emerged wearing nothing but a sheet lightly wrapped around his waist.
“I am trying to figure that out for you,” the elf eyed each of us.
“Thanks, Elron. But I can take it from here. You might as well all come in.” James walked back into his room.
Wren caught my eye, and I shrugged. She had to have known we’d need to take the time to explain things to him before he agreed to come. If he agreed to come. I hoped she’d thought of a contingency plan if he refused.
We filed in, and as I was the last one, I closed the door behind me.
“So either you guys were looking for an orgy, or you are trying to slip out tonight without the king knowing. My guess is on the second option, but I guess you never know.”
“Of course it’s the second one.” Lacey put a hand to her chest. “Did you really accuse two heirs of wanting an orgy with you?”
“Yes, I believe he did.” The elf, who was evidently named Elron, answered. I vaguely remembered James mentioning an elf friend.
“We need to go. We don’t have time for me to explain.” Wren eyed the closed door.
“Oh. You are going to tell me.” James tightened the sheet around him. “Or you might as well just walk out the door.”
“Fine.” Wren sighed. “We aren’t going to Autumn Court.”
“Oh, really?” James put a hand to his throat. “I’m shocked you would engage in such duplicity.”
Wren narrowed her eyes. “We are going to Energo.”
“Energo, eh?” Elron raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“We need to get to the bottom of this.” Wren rested a hand on a tall dresser near the door. “And it all started in Energo.”
“How did you plan to get there?” James' face bore an unreadable expression.
“That’s where you come in.” Wren pointed to James. “Please.”
“And why would I take you to Energo?” James asked.
“Because you know I wouldn’t ask to go unless it was important.” Wren put a hand to her chest. “You need to trust me.”
“I do not need to do anything. But I think I will trust you.” He picked up a pair of trousers and stepped into them without letting the sheet fall. “I am intrigued, and I have learned to never doubt a girl who is supposed to have special gifts.”
“Do you swear to take us right there?” I had to ask. “We are putting our faith in you.”
“You can trust him.” Elron adjusted the bow that hung over his shoulder. “James is a man of his word.”
“That’s all well and good, but why should we trust you?” I’d at least had conversations with James. This was my first time even seeing this elf.
“My father trusted him with my mother.” Lacey spoke for the first time since entering the room. “He must be trustworthy.”
“Thank you.” Elron bowed his head slightly. “But I must ask, why is the heir to Spring Court so willing to sneak away from her own court in the dead of night?”
It was a good question. A very good question.
“Because I know it is the right decision.” Lacey rolled back her shoulders. “And when you know something unequivocally you need to act on it no matter how hard it is.”
“Fair enough.” Elron nodded. “Are we all ready then? Or do we have others to collect?”
“Oh.” Lacey looked over. “Are you coming too?”
“Am I not invited?
“But my mother.” Lacey’s face fell.
“There is nothing more I can do, but my mother may be able to do more.”
“Who is your mother?”
“Adaline. She has strong gifts.”
“We need to go.” Wren put a hand on Lacey’s arm. “But we are going to find a way to help your mom. I promise.”
“Wren, you know I love you, but please don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I can keep this promise.” Wren wrapped her hand around Lacey’s wrist. “I know I can.”
“That is a nice show of friendship. Beautiful even, but that changes nothing. If you want to get to Energo before daybreak here, we should leave now.” James stuffed some clothes and loose items into a sack.
“Daybreak here?” I wondered why he’d specifically said here. Were we going to be traveling far? I’d been under the impression that the chasm was close by.
“Time runs differently in Energo.”
“Ok. Whatever you say.” I’d asked the question, but I needn't have bothered. It didn’t change anything.
“Hey, I’m in charge here.” Wren put a hand to her chest. “But I agree. We do need to go.”
I smiled. Despite everything it was fun to watch her take charge. She’d always been a natural born leader, but she tended to try hard to step to the side when possible. This time was different. She was embracing the need to lead.
“Let’s go.” Wren pushed open the door.
Wren may have been in charge, but Lacey knew the Spring Palace better than any of us, so she was the one who took the physical lead when we stepped into the dark hallway.
No one spoke a word as we tried to silently maneuver our way over the wood floors to collect Preston.
Wordlessly, I made my way into his room after using Lacey’s master key.
“What the—” Preston sat up when I roused him. “What are you doing in here? I didn’t oversleep, did I?”
“We have to go.” I tried to keep my voice low, but I also needed to convey the urgency.
“Go where?”
“I’ll explain later. Everyone is waiting.”
“Everyone who?”
“Everyone. But we don’t have time. Get dressed.”
“Just because you are my older brother doesn’t mean I’m going to blindly follow you.”
“Oh? You’d rather I leave you here instead of taking you with us?”
“No. I don’t want to be left.” He got out of bed and started dressing. “I’ll come, but this better be good.”
“I suppose whether you view it as good or not depends on your perspective, but it’s going to be a new experience for sure.”
“I’ll wait in the hall. Pack your stuff.” I stepped into the hall, and less than a minute later Preston joined us. At least taking a while to get ready wasn’t one of his traits.
Preston looked over the assembled group. “Everyone. Right. I get it.”
“Shh.” Wren put a finger to her lips.
Lacey wordlessly turned and continued down the hall.
I almost didn’t believe it when we reached the main floor of the palace undetected. It didn’t make sense. The palace should have been secure to begin with, and even more so given the recent turn of events.
Lacey didn’t seem remotely surprised or concerned about the lack of security, so I assumed she knew something I didn’t.
We slipped out a side entrance, through the side gate, and stepped into a waiting carriage.
A young Fae stood next to the open door. “Your carriage, Miss.” She bowed her head.
“Thank you, Matilda. Your loyalty and discretion will be rewarded.”
“Anything to aid you.” She opened the doors to the passenger space. “I am ready to take you as soon as you give the word
.”
I had a million questions to ask about the carriage, the driver, and where the missing guards were, but I held them back at first, sliding in last to take a seat beside Wren.
I pushed back the curtain and looked out as the carriage lurched, as we headed for the gates of Spring Court.
Wren
“I don’t know how you did it, Lacey, but that was impressive. Seriously impressive.” In order for my plan to work, each and every piece had to fall into place. As much as I wanted to mastermind things, I knew it would be impossible to pull off without Lacey’s help. It was her court. She knew the ins and outs of it in a way I couldn’t possibly.
“Are you asking about where the guards were?” Frost stretched out his legs. “Because I have no idea how you pulled that off.”
“Yes. Exactly. Lacey told me she had it handled, but I was definitely a bit nervous.” It’s not that I’d doubted her, but I knew even the best laid plans didn’t always pan out the way you wanted them too.
“A bit nervous?” James raised an eyebrow. “You Fae must be really good under pressure.”
“Not all of us.” Lacey wiped her brow. “Now that that’s over, I think it’s all hitting me.”
I knew exactly how she felt. All the adrenalin built up with our evening escape was slowly seeping away, and I was left feeling utterly exhausted and stressed. But I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s faith in things by admitting to it. Instead, I focused on another truth. “You were amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
“In what way?” Lacey yawned. “All I did was follow my instinct and do the right thing.”
“It still took guts,” I pointed out. “I’m going to acknowledge that.”
“Where are we going exactly?” Preston interjected. “Does everyone else know?”
“I take it the driver already knows where the chasm is?” James asked his own question before I had time to answer Preston. “Otherwise someone should probably tell her.”
“We need to go in a zigzag pattern. In case we are spotted it needs to look like we were actually headed to Autumn Court.” I didn’t want us followed. Dealing with the unknown in Energo would be hard enough. We didn’t need Spring guards chasing after us too.
“We snuck out. I don’t think King Leon is going to accept that we stuck to the plan.” Preston put his hands behind his head and leaned back into them.
Winter's Wolf (A Court of Shifters Chronicles #1) Page 9