I stared at him as his words sank in. “You’ve known since the day you brought me here? Since the first day we met?”
“I suspected. Hoped I was wrong. I never wanted the tie—you knew that.” Yes, that was something he’d made perfectly clear. “When I went feral at Mrs. Plimmer because of the things she said about you, I was almost certain it must be true, but I kept telling myself it couldn’t be, because we’d never met before. Somewhere inside, I guess I knew.” He turned away and ran his hands over his plaited black hair. “That’s why I hoped you’d go to Rhiannon. If you were in Seelie, if I never had to see you again, my life could go on, at least for a while, as it always had. But it didn’t work out that way. Our connection tells me things, and I sensed you were in danger in Seelie and all I could do was go after you.”
I’d felt the same thing when I searched the rubble in the prison for him, like I couldn’t do anything but make sure he was safe.
He turned back to look at me. “I’m sorry, Bria. I’d never have taken you to that ceremony tonight if I’d known you planned on kissing me. I thought you didn’t want me. That’s what you said.”
“I didn’t plan on kissing you. It just … happened.” Stars. Had I taken even a second to consider it, it never would have happened. “You should have stopped me. You knew what would happen if we kissed.” Whereas I had no clue there would be consequences.
He gave a guilty shrug. “It’s not that easy. That same magic that pushed you to kiss me, pushed me to kiss you back.” He closed his eyes. “Stopping you didn’t even cross my mind. You looked so…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
He was right. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered, because after tonight, we would keep out of each other’s way. “So, if we stay away from each other, we can ignore this … bond?” It felt like I was ripping a hole in my heart, but I glued a smile on my face and reminded myself it wasn’t real. Anything I felt for Fergus over and above friendship was because of the bond. Magic controlled my feelings for him.
He smiled back. It didn’t reach his eyes. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking. “That’s what I figure. I know someone who can reverse spells. If she can help us, I’ll come and find you.”
I nodded. I’d do whatever I needed to remove the spell.
We walked on in silence through the dark woods, Fergus carrying a ball of blue light in his hand. The only sound the occasional branch snapping beneath our feet and the buzzing of night creatures. It was Fergus who spoke next. “You saved me tonight. Again.”
“I know.” I liked how surprised he seemed, but I knew he’d do—had done—the same for me. “I’ll add it to the tally.”
He threw a smile over his shoulder and pushed off the trail to stop in front of a small pile of stones. “This is the grave of the baby you asked me about.”
I sucked in a breath. “Tobias?” Selina’s brother.
He nodded. “Taking kids is the worst. I wanted to make sure he was treated the same in death here in Faery as his family would have treated him.” He looked away as he spoke again. “I brought his sister here once. Or, at least, Xion did.”
“You did?” I breathed out the words, remembering how Selina had said as much the last time I saw her. I’d thought she meant it had happened in her dreams. It had never occurred to me that Fergus would do something so kind. It probably should have. If not at the time, then since. “Thank you.” Tears pricked at my eyes. This was where that beautiful little baby lay.
He shrugged like it wasn’t the big deal that it was. “You don’t have to leave,” he blurted. “You could stay on the island. With me. For as long as you want.”
Yes.
That single word formed on the tip of my tongue.
Living there with him would be perfect. But there was more at stake than me being happy. I had to consider Mother. Rhiannon now knew she was alive, and I doubted either she or King Aengus wanted her to stay that way. I couldn’t hide away on a warded island while she fended for herself. I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Fergus, but I can’t. I need to look out for Mother. Plus, I can’t imagine how living with you would work when neither of us want any part of the bond.” Because that was the actual issue. The more time we spent together, the stronger that bond would grow.
He let out a breath, grinning. At least his mouth was. “Neither can I.” He held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you across the border. Make sure the king isn’t waiting for you.”
With his hand in mine as we walked the trail, I was happier than I had been in a long while. Mother was safe. Selina had seen her brother’s grave. I didn’t have to spend my life in Faery. And the border between our lands was just ahead. Mother and Willow stood beneath a bright light on the guard tower, waiting for us to catch up. Everything would be all right.
Mother and Willow crossed as soon as they saw us coming, talking and laughing like they’d known each other for years. The border guard looked us over but said nothing, dropping his gaze back to the book he was reading.
“Bria!”
I turned and searched the woods of Unseelie at the sound of my name, but there was no one, nothing, behind me. When I turned back, Fergus had already crossed into Iadrun.
“Bria!”
The voice belonged to Selina, I was sure of it. And she was on the Faery side of the border. I wasn’t going home without her. “Just a minute. I’ll be there in a second,” I called to Fergus.
I ran toward her voice. It was coming from the thick stand of trees beside the trail. “Selina!”
“Bria?” She seemed surprised to hear me.
I pushed through bracken and ducked beneath branches, calling her name until I found her in the dim woods. She was standing at the base of a tree and turning in a circle like she was unsure which way to go. When she saw me, her face broke into a gigantic smile and ran to me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. “I’m so glad I’ve found you.” She took my hand. “Come. We have to leave this place.”
I smiled. She looked good. A little thin, but happy. I guess that was the same for us both. “That’s what I’m trying to do. Why are you even here?”
“Looking for you. I came to Faery to visit Tobias’ grave then decided it was time you came home.” She was smiling so hard, she couldn’t talk properly. I was the same amount of glad to see her. “I’ve been trying to find you.”
Aside from happy, she seemed dazed, and a little confused. Faery could do that to humans. I wondered how long she’d been wandering lost, though it didn’t matter now. I could get her home. “Let’s go.”
Buttercup raced up to us, her tail a blur as she wagged it so hard. A few steps from me she stopped, so did her tail. Her lips drew back, and she bared her teeth, a low rumble coming from her throat. The hackles on her neck rose.
Selina backed away with a squeal.
“Buttercup! Stop!” I growled. The snarling stopped. Buttercup looked between the two of us, like she wasn’t sure she should stop at all. “It’s okay. This is Selina. She’s a friend.” I didn’t know when the hound had decided she liked me enough to protect me. I slipped my hand into Selina’s, pulling her back onto the trail. “Come on, you stupid dog.”
I half expected to step back onto the main trail to find Fergus there waiting for us. He wasn’t. He waited perhaps thirty steps away, where I’d left him, on the human side of the Crossing. A frown creased his forehead, but he smiled when he saw me.
I smiled back.
Buttercup growled again, a low rumbling that set me on edge. I glanced over my shoulder, something moved in the darkness. I gripped Selina’s hand and pulled her to walk faster.
Hoofbeats sounded behind us.
Guards.
“Run!” I pulled on Selina’s hand, but she was slow, stumbling over her steps.
Mother, Willow and Fergus were lined up on the Iadrun side of the Crossing. Their lips moved, but no sound escaped. Was that normal? I didn’t think so but couldn’t be sure. I’d never
tried to hold a conversation across the border between our lands.
Fergus moved his arm, beckoning me with quick movements that made my heart thud. I pushed Selina ahead and sprinted. Buttercup ran with us, barking as if she were running with the Hunt.
I pushed Selina across the border giving the border guard a quick smile, and followed.
Or tried to.
Where Selina had stepped through without a problem, something I couldn’t see stopped me. Something hard and unyielding. It was like I’d run into a wall.
I turned to the border guard, the hoofbeats behind me so loud I could barely think. The king’s men were coming. I needed to get to Iadrun. I didn’t want to be on this side of the border when they turned up. “Please. I need to get through.”
“I’m sorry, Princess. But that won’t be possible.” He looked back down at his book like this wasn’t a matter of life or death.
“Please! I need to leave!”
He lifted a shoulder, eyes on the page.
Fergus walked toward the Crossing like he was coming back to get me, but he halted suddenly. The frown on his face deepened, and he banged his fists against the invisible wall.
My mind reeled. Any moment now, those horses would pop through the thicket and when they did, I was done for.
Think. I had to calm down and think this through. There was a way out of this. There had to be.
The guard? Could I kill him? If he’d built the invisible wall that was keeping me here, would killing him destroy it? I had no weapons and couldn’t count on my magic doing what I expected. The chances of injuring him were low, let alone killing him.
As I weighed up my options, a faint white glow formed around his body. He was getting ready to use his magic.
Shield. Fergus’ lips formed the word from the other side of the wall.
Yes. That was my best option. I imagined a shield around myself, the same as I’d done earlier but this time, I thought carefully about it forming around me. Nothing happened. I cursed and glanced at Fergus. He pounded on the invisible wall with closed fists and shouted something at me. Something I couldn’t hear.
I tried again, concentrating on my magic. Still nothing. Not even a pink glow as I tried to call it up. The guard would use his magic any moment, while I had none left.
I’d used it all.
Buttercup growled, her body vibrating.
Run.
That was all I could do.
I took a step just as the first of the horses pushed through the thicket.
Something—magic, I guessed—hit me so hard it knocked me from my feet. Knocked all the air from me. I lay on the ground, staring up through the woods to the starry sky.
Somewhere far off, Buttercup was going crazy, her barking was all I could hear.
Soldiers on horseback approached, faces wary. One climbed down, gray magic floating around his body ready to attack. In one hand he held a sack. His feet were slow as he crept toward me, as if he expected I might jump up and attack him.
I would, too. As soon as I could breathe again.
He flicked his hand and Buttercup fell beside me. I turned my head to look at her. She wasn’t moving. Not breathing. Whatever was wrong with her, I couldn’t do anything to help. I couldn’t even take my next breath. Couldn’t fight.
The guard dragged a sack over my head. Darkness crowded my vision.
Fight back. I had to.
Or I would die.
By sheer force of will, I drew in a breath. Once I’d taken a second, I kicked and bucked as hard as I could.
It didn’t matter. Hands—so many hands—picked me up and carried me away. I landed a kick on someone’s nose—I heard it crack. They dropped my leg but before I could line up a second kick, someone else took hold of me, shutting my movement down.
They threw me over the back of a horse on my stomach and tied me on.
The sack over my head shifted, and I could see Mother, Fergus, and Willow beating on the invisible wall. Mother was crying. Fergus’ fists were curled into tight balls, his face twisted with anger.
And behind them, unmoved and unmoving, stood Selina.
No, not Selina.
Wearing Selina’s clothing, and with red magic sparking across her body and her arms raised ready to strike, stood Queen Rhiannon.
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To be continued in book two of the Royals of Faery series:
Kingdom of Today’s Deceit
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Already missing Bria? For a different type of kick-butt heroine, try Maryanne in the Sherwood Outlaws series.
Sherwood Outlaws is a complete series, available for purchase or free in Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.
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Acknowledgments
Well, 2020 has been an … interesting year! Unfortunately, for me anyway, global pandemics don’t mesh well with creativity, so this novel is at least six months later releasing than I’d hoped. Never mind, it’s here now, right?
Thanks to Kat Seelig for reading the first (and very bad) draft of this novel. Your insights and suggestions helped it become what it is today.
Thanks to Melissa Craven for editing, for your encouragement, and for answering questions on US English versus New Zealand English.
Thanks to Daqri from Covers by Combs for this amazing cover. I’m pretty sure I say every cover you design is amazing, but this one is doubly so.
Finally, thanks to my family. To Mum and Dad for being the first to pre-order a copy. To Kelly for loving the first chapter. To Zach and Ashleigh for continuously asking when they can read my next book. To Jacob for answering my tech questions (including Instagram). And to Hayden for believing in me. I love you all and couldn’t have written this without you.
Also by Hayley Osborn
ROYALS OF FAERY
Kingdom of Times Forgotten (prequel)
Kingdom of Yesterday’s Lies
Kingdom of Today’s Deceit
Kingdom of Tomorrow’s Truth
SHERWOOD OUTLAWS
Outcast (prequel)
Outlawed
Outplayed
Outlasted
About the author
Hayley Osborn lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband and three children, cat and dog.
Online, you can find her at:
www.hayleyosborn.com.
To connect with her on social media, you can find her on Facebook at HayleyOsbornAuthor, on Instagram at Hayley_Osborn_Author or on Twitter at @Hayley__Osborn. Or if you prefer to make contact via email, you can contact her at [email protected].
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