Veiled Fae: A Why Choose Fantasy Romance (Fractured Fae Book 2)

by Jarica James

  “I can’t even look around for two seconds?!” I ask him. His response is a few loud squeaks that sound like a ‘fuck you’.

  Why am I even talking to this creature?

  He stops in front of the next cell. I put my hand on the door and pull, half expecting it not to open, but it swings open without even a squeak of protest. The first thing that hits me is the smell. The room smells of sewage and body odor to the point my eyes water. Somehow, I manage to hold back a gag as Dormouse scurries in. There’s a ball of light that looks like Bella’s magic, a dim glow giving me a visual of the occupant.

  A skeletal figure huddles in the corner. The room is as meager as the last, so the person has nothing to hide behind. As soon as I step in, I feel the sharp sting of iron and fury envelops me.

  They kept someone on iron for this long?!

  The figure makes no attempt to move as I step inside. They don’t look up or react, but when Dormouse closes in, a bony hand reaches out and snatches him up, holding him close to their body.

  “I won’t hurt you. I’m a knight of the queen. Her mouse led me down here, he seems to know you," I soften my gravelly voice to what I hope is a calming volume. It isn’t my usual job, so it’s probably still intimidating. I really need Gerwyn here for things like this.

  “You came back for me?” She spoke to the mouse in a cutesy voice. “Take me to my daughter,” she directs the next line to me, in her normal voice. It’s rough from disuse but holds a regal flare.

  Daughter? This is Bella’s lost mom?

  The king imprisoned the Princess of Spring? In isolation?

  The thoughts are racing through my head and I have to work to erase my shock from my face.

  “Your highness, Bella is unconscious still, but I can take you to her," I offer. She stands and walks toward me. Now that I get a real look at her, their resemblance is uncanny. Her eyes are an exact copy of Bella’s and she has the same smile, though hers is a haunted version. No doubt from years in this horrible place.

  “Thank you," she replies as she steps forward. The woman has clearly only been fed enough to barely survive, she looks skeletal and her movements are stunted. Her hair is long and matted and she looks like a walking zombie covered in layers of filth.

  “Once we get back to the group, I’ll make sure you get a chance to clean up. I have to check in with my other knights," I explain. Honestly, I need to find someone to help her clean herself. She doesn’t look capable in her state.

  Halfway through our walk she can barely take a step, leaning heavily into the stone wall. Without bothering to ask for permission, I lift her up and carry her the rest of the way. She’s royalty, but more than that, she’s a person. She never deserved this and I wouldn't shy away from getting her help.

  She doesn’t protest as I carry her in the ballroom, but I do feel her tense in my arms. The crowd has calmed down and almost everyone in the room has succumbed to their exhaustion. Bowen is now asleep, clutching Bella’s hand. Maddox is speaking softly to a silver-haired man, some of the last in the room awake.

  The Princess makes a choking sound as she glances toward them. The man’s head turns and his mouth falls open in shock, horror, then relief. He runs forward and takes her from me. I’m too shocked to protest.

  It takes all of two seconds to figure out that he’s the Prince of Winter. He has Bella’s light skin and silver locks. His eyes are a deep purple instead of her bright blues, but the resemblance is enough to place him immediately. That and the crown still on his head. His reaction to Bella’s mom only solidifies my conclusion.

  “Allura. I’m so sorry,” the prince sobs, not caring who is around to see the breakdown. Emotions make me uncomfortable, so I move away from them and toward Bella. It’s been long enough that the need to be by her side is killing me.

  The sight of her bruising still fills me with anger, but I noticed that they’re already healing some. Yellows and greens color the edges now that definitely weren't there before.

  Now I remember why I went with Dormy in the first place, the sight of her hard to take in for long. I need a task… fast.

  “We need to locate food and water. Clearly the king survived somehow. I think they could use a moment anyway," I hint to Maddox. He stands and I turn to Bella’s parents. “Please watch over our family, we will give you a moment alone and locate bathrooms, food and water," I say with a respectful bow.

  “I won’t let her out of my sight again," her father vows, his voice determined and eyes misty once more. The love they had for her already was strong and I trusted him with her immediately. Well, as much as I was willing to trust anyone.

  I give a sharp nod before walking out of the room. This castle is so ridiculously big that it takes us over an hour to find enough bathrooms for people to get cleaned up. We have yet to find food sources and I’m just getting more frustrated. It doesn’t help that I can’t get the sight of Bella’s body, bloody and bruised, to leave my head.

  I should have been there to protect her.

  I’ve failed her.

  But I’m so fucking proud of her too.

  The fact she’s so skinny and weak she couldn’t properly defend herself if she wanted to, boils my blood. No amount of training would have changed that. Seeing her mother made me immensely glad Bella was able to kill him. She proved to him he was unworthy of his role. He starved and tortured her and yet she still was able to end him.

  He didn’t deserve to live and now the Spirits can judge him. I wish I could have ripped him apart for his crimes, limb by limb… slowly. I’d have danced in his entrails and bathed in his blood with fucking glee.

  Maddox jumps ahead and starts checking the rooms in the new wing we’d walked into. I give him an apologetic grunt but it's all I trust myself to say out loud. My teeth are clenched so tightly my jaw aches.

  “Maybe we should head back and let them know they can clean up. At least there’s enough space for sleep and bathing here," Maddox suggests, eyeing me warily. I’m not going to explode any second, but he’s looking at me like I’m a ticking bomb.

  “Fine," I reply, turning and stalking off the way we came. The castle is confusing enough, without walking around with no clue how to get where we need to go. It takes about ten minutes before I’m too confused to lead. “We need a fucking map.”

  “I’m sure someone can help. Hell, we have the Prince of Winter among us,” Maddox says. “Jesus, you’d think with this kind of gold he’d have invested in his fucking town.”

  We both look around with distaste curling our lips. But we both know that he didn’t give a single fuck about anyone but himself. Just from looking around at the lavish decor and overly gaudy hall, I’d say he never did.

  From the foyer to the ballroom the hallways, the ceilings are all high, giving them the effect of seeming bigger than they are. Each is decorated with huge tapestries and canvas paintings, silver sconces, and more accents than one space needs. Huge plush rugs line the polished stone floors that still hold a shine despite the years abandoned. Though in hindsight it wasn’t as abandoned as we assumed.

  The ballroom itself I’m sure was once a sight to see. Without his assortment of frozen fae filling the room, it’s a bit easier to take in. There’s a large fireplace that showcases the crest of the royal family on a huge silver shield. It’s currently covered in dried blood, but the king apparently took care of it if the shine on the metal meant anything. The floors were inlaid with gemstones, and I’m sure every single one of them were real.

  The more I see of the compound outside, the cell, and his lavish tastes in here, the more I hate that man. Any king who lives in excess enough to use expensive gems as a decoration and makes his people live in a giant compound made of stone that barely keeps the cold at bay, is an awful leader and an even worse person.

  We finally make it back to the group, only getting turned around a handful of times. It was stupid to not ask the prince for help before we left. He has to have an idea where the king found food and
water. Though if someone pestered me for something like this after finding that my woman looked like a walking zombie and my daughter near death, I’d be pissed. Fuck, I don’t even know Bella’s mom and I’m pissed.

  The ballroom is still in chaos when we arrive. Everyone is either unconscious still or trying to get their bearings. Kids are crying and more than a few of the survivors look out of their element.

  Gerwyn and Jacob are starting to groan and move, but Bella doesn’t even twitch in her sleep. The sight of her on the floor works my last nerve and I growl, causing everyone around me to back up, parting the crowd like Moses and the Red Sea. I won’t complain, it makes my walk easier.

  Scooping her up gently, I walk over to the cushioned benches and place her on one. Just to ease my own nerves I do another sweep of healing magic. The rest her body will have to heal on its own, but at least she’s internally mended, which is what’s most important. It seems the Spirits already blessed her with magic outside of Spring and Winter, so I have faith she’ll heal quickly. I just may have to find patience before then… and patience isn’t my best quality.

  Holding back my frustration, I tuck her in and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. I need to get her cleaned up, at least getting the blood off of her would help settle my nerves. I turn to ask one of my brothers to assist me, but Maddox is already walking over with a bucket of soapy water and a rag. I nod my thanks and take it from him, no words needed. We all feel the same about her and the blood clearly wasn’t just fucking with me.

  Taking the time to be gentle, I carefully clean the blood off of her battered face. It feels like I can truly breathe again when she starts to look more like herself.

  “What have you done to me, sweetheart?” I ask, resting my head on her arm for a second before standing up to give a little order to the chaos.

  I was an impenetrable, stone man before her. I shut off my emotions and lived life simply. Now she is all I think about or care about, the center of my whole world. I’d raze the realm for her in a heartbeat if she asked, though the fact she never would is proof she’s a worthy queen.

  Chapter 9

  Gerwyn

  I wake with a start, gasping as I sit up and glance around. The last thing I remember was passing out on Bella. After my unintentional rest, I feel much better. My muscles seem normal and my head is clear.

  Panic takes over when I realize Bella is no longer next to me. Glancing around I finally spot her on a cushioned bench nearby. Emrick is taking care of her and I relax immediately at the sight.

  His gentle movements have me smiling. Emrick gives off the tough warrior persona, and he is, but he is also the most nurturing one of us. I think it’s the healer side of him coming out.

  Bowen sits up next to me, looking a bit more disoriented than I feel. He groans but manages to stand, looking over at Emrick before walking the opposite way without a word.

  “Gerwyn, is Bella alright?” Jacob asks weakly as he sits up next to me. His eyes are barely open and he looks moments from vomiting.

  “She is. Andras is back and safe as well," I reassure him, knowing that would be his next inquiry.

  Jacob glances around frantically, his eyes finally landing on Andras who is talking to some of the survivors nearby.

  “Andras, get your fine ass over here," Jacob yells. Andras jumps and spins around, his face a mask of elation at his boyfriend’s voice. He runs over and tackles Jacob in a hug. I laugh as Jacob grunts with the force of impact.

  “I’m so glad you’re alright," Andras says, smashing his lips against Jacob’s. That’s my cue to leave. I get up and walk away, giving them privacy.

  Maddox looks relieved when I walk up. “Glad to see you’re awake. I want to know everything, but I think it’s best to wait. Let’s focus on getting the necessities in here. Then I suggest we find a room to fit us all, so we can watch over our queen and speak in private," Maddox addresses me, his leader personality shining through to mask the pain I can see in his eyes. I nod my agreement as two people step forward. I recognize the King’s son immediately, but the woman I don’t. She’s frail, bony, and dirty. She looks like Bella did when the king dragged her in, and that thought unsettles me. Was she trapped just as long as the others?

  “I’m Sebastian, this is Allura. We are Bella’s mother and father," the Prince says with a bow.

  “Prince. Princess," I acknowledge formally with a bow in return. He waves off my formalities.

  “Our royal status died with our realm. We are simply Allura and Sebastian now. Parents of the new queen," he says firmly. The pride in his voice makes my smile even wider. She could use a few more people in her corner and it seems they were ready to make up for lost time.

  Emrick walks up a moment later and joins us. He gives my shoulder a squeeze in greeting but just from the look on his face I know words won’t be happening. Instead, I give him a reassuring smile to let him know I’m fine now.

  “We’ve decided to speak tonight in private, once everyone is cleaned up and fed," Maddox says, eyeing everyone with a warning glance. Keeping panic at bay is a smart move and honestly now isn’t the time to catch everyone up with our mission.

  “We need to find food and water. The king survived somehow. Ideas?” Emrick directs his question to Sebastian.

  “The palace was always self-sufficient. The king preferred not to share with the ‘common’ people. We actually have a water reserve and a greenhouse in one of the towers. I can lead a group there to gather supplies of what’s left," Sebastian explains.

  “Will the food drive us to madness? Our food was inedible after the war.” I counter, not willing to feed everyone tainted goods.

  “With it being self-sufficient, I don’t think so. Father’s madness started long before,” Sebastian said with a long sigh.

  “During one of his rants, he went on about the stone giving him this power,” I admit. “I’m assuming that means he had the stone we’re looking for, in his possession.”

  “That kind of power would drive anyone to madness,” Maddox sighs.

  “And my daughter is collecting them?” Sebastian asked, his tone promising pain that we’re even allowing it.

  “It’s different with her. The Spirits of Faerie have spoken directly to her. The stones are inlaid into her crown by the Spirits, and she has us to share the power with. It helps ground her,” I explain before he can get to upset. “It’s her destiny.”

  “And good luck telling her she can’t do something,” Emrick chuckles. We all laugh at that, knowing damn well she’d do what she wanted anyway… after a few choice words.

  “Okay, back to the issue, we need a map to get around properly. This place is a maze,” I say, bringing everyone back to the issue at hand.

  “I could give the information, but my ability to draw to size is dismal,” Sebastian admits.

  “Hey lovers! We need Jacob’s art skills," Bowen hollers over to Jacob and Andras, making poor Sebastian and Allura jump. Jacob holds up his middle finger and grins before breaking away from Andras’ kiss.

  “I know I’m a hot commodity, but give a guy a minute," he laughs as he leads Andras over to us. It’s a relief to see that Jacob kept his sense of humor. I worried after having to see what we did, that he’d be a different man. But for the moment at least, the old Jacob was still here.

  “We need a map for people to navigate through the winding hallways. I figure Sebastian could help us plot one out, then we can copy a few so the people can find their way to their rooms. Not all of the fae here are from Winter, in fact only a few are. We can even do just a map to the nearest washrooms for now, and work on a bigger map tomorrow," Bowen suggests.

  “That’s brilliant,” Andras agrees. “I can help with the copies.”

  “Do we even have materials?” Jacob asks, gesturing to the ballroom.

  “So, for immediate needs, we need paper, blankets, food and water. Not everyone is ready for moving from this room just yet," Maddox says, falling back into leader mode again
. Maddox is a warrior in his own right, but he’s more of a strategist. He was our best option at getting everyone set to a task. “Emrick, Sebastian, and any of the others who can join will gather food and water. Andras and Gerwyn can get the art supplies and find the king’s office. Bowen and Jacob can find blankets and a proper room for our group and Sebastian and Allura, Bella will want them close. I’ll stay behind to defend Allura and Bella.”

  “Works for me," I say, mainly thankful to not be the one to stay behind.

  “Let me give some direction,” Sebastian insists, going through each task and giving the best places to start.

  We split off quickly, everyone in a hurry to get back and clean up. Andras and I follow Sebastian’s directions fairly easily, but without them we’d have been walking forever. The castle is large enough that the walk alone takes us a good thirty minutes of winding through corridors.

  “What could they have possibly needed this much space for? He had a three person family, staff, and the guards were kept on the lower levels,” I say with an annoyed groan as we turn down another long hall of doors.

  “This castle is a bit much," Andras agrees. His lips are twisted in a grimace as he looks at the walls.

  “I’m sure his personal office reflects more of the same lavishness. The king was proud of his station," I say as we approach a set of double doors. Even they are over the top, an entire royal processional carved onto the surface.

  Pushing open the doors, we see that we weren’t far off in our assessment. The office is clean and organized, but he didn’t spare expenses. A large desk stands in the middle of the room, on top of a woven blue and silver rug. A high backed, carved chair heads a table along the back wall, the rest of the chairs small in comparison.