by Bonnie Lamer
Kallen is not happy but it’s the only way. “He’s right,” I say to my increasingly agitated husband. “One of us has to stay here. If I do, it will be suspect.”
Kallen raises a brow. “Are you implying that because I am male, the lack of my presence will not be suspect because I could not possibly be caring for the child?”
Sort of, I admit to myself. Of course it was a stupid thing to say and he has the right to be annoyed with me. “Sorry,” I murmur.
He sighs heavily. “Fine, I will stay here.” He places a hand on my arm before I can stand up. “If anything happens, you need to teleport back here and grab me. Agreed?”
I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “Agreed.”
12 CHAPTER
I’m too curious to take the carriage back to the palace with Sindri. Instead, I teleport to just outside Dagda’s office door. Leaning my ear against it, I check to see if this is where they are. Since I hear voices, I’m pretty sure it is. Turning the knob, I walk inside. When I see the new Elf Queen, I stop short. Is she Addylyn’s twin? She has the same fire red hair and silvery eyes. Her long, flowing dress is silver to match her eyes. The Elf seated next to her is nothing less than drop dead gorgeous. He is nothing like the warrior husband who I met earlier. This guy is too polished to have ever been a warrior. His blonde hair is short and perfectly combed into place. With his bone structure and toned abdomen, which I can see clearly because he is wearing a kilt with no shirt, he would make a great model. But his smile is what makes me instantly dislike him. It is so slimy, it could be used for mud wrestling.
Dagda rises from his chair and comes to my side. “May I present Princess Xandra,” he says in his most kingly voice.
The King Consort and Elf Queen rise, as well. “Our pleasure,” the Queen says. Her voice is like warm chocolate and she tries to engulf me with glamour to put me more at ease.
Unfortunately for her, it just puts me more on edge. I’m pretty sick of glamour, right now. “Don’t do that,” I tell her, my voice coming out cold and hard. I’m impressed, I rarely sound cold and hard.
“The Queen meant no harm,” the King Consort explains in a voice smooth as still water.
“Regardless,” I say before Dagda can stop me. “If you try using glamour on me again, I’m not going to be as nice about it.”
“He’s not wearing anything under his skirt, so let me know if you want me to show him what a mistake that is,” Taz says from next to the King Consort. I try not to laugh.
“Is this a pet?” the King Consort asks, frowning down at Taz.
“Something like that,” Dagda says. Pulling me farther into the room, he indicates a chair which has been set in place next to his. So, this is an ‘us against them’ meeting.
When I am seated, the Elf Queen begins to speak. “I am Adelaide, Queen of the Elves,” she informs me. “I have come seeking your help.”
I try to keep the shock from my face. If I can sound cold and hard now, maybe I can school my face like Kallen can. I suspect it doesn’t work by the small, sleazy smile on the King Consort’s face. Maybe I’ll give Taz permission just this once to bite someone’s lips off. That would probably be really messy, though. Dagda wouldn’t be happy about getting blood stains on his office floor.
“Yes, you mentioned that,” Dagda drawls. “Now that my daughter is here, perhaps you will enlighten us.” Were they waiting for me to show up?
Giving me an imploring look, Adelaide says, “My sister’s illegitimate child has been kidnapped. We are seeking her safe return.”
I snort before I can stop myself. “Really? You want her safe return so you can kill her?” I ask. I realize too late that I just gave away too much information. How would I know this? Oh, yeah. The warriors. I hurry to add, “Your warriors explained the prophecy to us when they were here. As we explained to them, we have no idea where the baby is.”
“It is true, we are concerned about the child fulfilling a prophecy which will end our race,” the King Consort slimes. Despite how sleazy he is, he’s not lying. “An understandable concern, I am certain you will agree.”
He can be as certain as he wants to be. Doesn’t make it true. I am about to tell him so when Dagda says, “I do not understand why you are here. We have already made it clear the child is not in this realm.” That, of course, was a lie and I try hard not to squirm in my chair when the buggy feeling hits me. Other than a twitching leg, I do a pretty good job.
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, the King Consort’s voice is all comradery and friendliness. “Perhaps our warriors were a poor choice as delegates. It is understandable you would be concerned about handing over a child to soldiers. When they told us what they said, I was horrified.” Each teeny, tiny bug crawling over my skin is proof he is lying. I glare at him which he does a decent job of ignoring. “They were brash, uncaring. They also implied the child would be in danger. I assure you, we have no intentions of harming the child. She will be kept safe. But, we will not allow her to fulfill any sort of prophecy.”
Dagda is as unimpressed with his speech as I am. “Again, I ask why you seek the child here when we have already assured your warriors the child is not in this realm.”
A dazzling smile forms on Adelaide’s face. “As my husband pointed out, we understand your resistance to handing the child over to soldiers. But, I am the child’s aunt. I can certainly be trusted with her.”
I cock my head and stare at her long enough for cracks to form in that dazzling smile. Finally, I say, “Someone who performs a coup against her own sister is not necessarily the most trustworthy being in the universe.” I feel a sharp pain in my ankle where Dagda kicks me. He actually kicks me. I try not to gape at him.
“What my daughter is trying to say is that even if we had the child, your realm is undergoing a great upheaval. Wouldn’t the child be safer elsewhere at the moment?”
Frustration is gathering in the Elf Queen’s eyes. “Whether you approve of the way I became Queen or not, you do not have the right to judge. My actions were appropriate under our laws. Laws which Addylyn broke willingly. If the Queen does not set an example, why would anyone else respect the laws of the realm?”
She does have a point. Addylyn knew she was going against the system and she went ahead and did it anyway. The fact she brought an innocent child into it is getting harder and harder to reconcile in my mind. I find I am not nearly as sympathetic in regards to her situation as I was at first. Still, Lielle shouldn’t pay for her mother’s mistakes. “We don’t have the baby,” I lie to them.
Anger flashes over both their faces. “Certainly you do not wish war over this,” Adelaide insists. “Return the child and you will see no more of our warriors.”
“As we do not have the child, what you ask is impossible,” Dagda reminds her. Why, why do I have to be a living lie detector?
“We have warriors in position. We will go to war to retrieve the child,” the King Consort informs us.
Dagda rises from his chair. I stand with him. “If it is to be war, so be it. There is nothing left to discuss.”
Adelaide and the King Consort rise. Strange he didn’t tell us his name and I don’t remember what Whysper said it was. Does he just go by King Consort? “We did not want it to come to this,” Adelaide intones. “You have left us no choice. If the child is not returned within the next twenty-four hours, we will attack.”
An evil little smile forms on Dagda’s face. “My warriors are prepared to defend this realm. As is my daughter. I am certain Addylyn shared stories of her strength and power.”
Adelaide sends a worried glance my way but she doesn’t change her mind. I am so tempted to use a show of magic to let them know war will not be an easy win for them. But, I would only make the situation worse. The door to the throne room opens and several Elf warriors enter. I wonder how they knew Adelaide was ready to go. They were probably listening at the door. Her head held high and her King Consort by her side, Adelaide glides out of the offi
ce. Or, at least, the glamour she is throwing off makes it seem like she is gliding. She’s good but nowhere near Lielle good. The door is closed behind him by Dagda’s security force who is no doubt escorting the Queen and her entourage out of the realm.
Dagda sits back in his chair and rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms. After a moment, he makes an awful admission. “Before you arrived, I may have handed the child over to avoid war.”
My mouth falls open so far, half of Texas could fit in it. “You wouldn’t!” I exclaim.
“I am certain you think less of me now, but their claim on the child is just, Xandra.”
My mouth closes and my indignant shoulders slump down. He’s right. “I don’t think less of you. The same thought has been bothering me.”
I surprised him. “Really?” He chuckles. “Like father, like daughter.”
I grimace. “This is probably not the best example of that.”
“True, but it is comforting to know you realize how difficult the decision to keep the child safe is. Many Fairies may lose their lives in a war with the Elves.”
Guilt flows through me like scalding water. “Can we ask for volunteers instead of making the whole Fairy army fight?” After all, many probably see it the same way Dagda once would have.
My father shakes his head. “War does not work like that. The Fae warriors have pledged their allegiance to this realm and to me. If I believe a cause is just, they must follow me into war.”
Just like the armed forces back home. They couldn’t pick and choose what they wanted to fight against. “I’ll be right there with you,” I tell him.
The hint of a smile forms on his face. “I know you will be. I have faith you will keep our losses to a minimum.”
“If I have to choose between following you into war or eating bacon, you better hope there’s no bacon around,” Taz informs me.
“I will fight,” Felix says, squaring his little shoulders as best as a Tasmanian devil can.
I can’t help but smile. “I know you will.”
“Preparations need to be made. You should return home in case you are needed there,” Dagda says, rising from his chair again.
“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling a zillion times guiltier than I ever thought I could. He and I have made a decision that puts not just our own lives on the line, but those of everyone in the realm. Unlike the movies I grew up with, being a Princess sucks. Cinderella never had to declare war.
Dagda nods. “Yes. Though they said twenty-four hours, I do not trust either of them to keep their word. There may be trouble yet today.”
Trouble? War is a little more substantial than just trouble. I don’t point this out, though. “Okay. Let me know if you need me back here.”
Absently, he nods again. “I will.” His mind has already moved on to preparing for war.
I am about to leave when there is a loud knock on the door and Sindri pokes his head in. “Sire, there is a problem with the Cowan.”
“With Whysper?” I ask.
“No, one of the thousand other Cowans in the realm,” Taz snarks and I glare down at him.
Dagda asks the question I should have asked. “What is the problem?”
“The guard was bringing her the snack she requested and found her unconscious on the floor.”
“Is she hurt?” I ask. Maybe she fell and hit her head or something and got knocked out.
“Nothing apparent,” Sindri replies.
Dagda rises from his chair. “Bring us to her.”
We both follow Sindri out and he leads us to the guest room where Whysper is being held. The door is open and two guards are standing over her. They have no idea what to do with her.
Crossing the room, I kneel down next to her. First, I feel for a pulse. She has one but it’s faint. I look her over but can’t find any blood or injury. Glancing up at Dagda, I say, “I would try healing her but I can’t find anything to heal.”
Brow furrowed, Dagda asks, “Are there Cowan illnesses which would cause this?”
I shrug. “There’s lots of them. Maybe she’s diabetic and her insulin is off. Maybe she has narcolepsy and she falls asleep at random times.”
Dagda looks at me askance. “Is the latter something you just made up?”
I laugh. “No, I did not.” Sobering, I say, “Maybe I should bring her back to Isla’s. Maybe Tabitha will know what’s wrong.” Tabitha is a skilled healer even if she doesn’t have quite the healing power I do.
Sighing heavily, he says, “I do not like it. Something is off with this one.”
“I agree. But I have no idea what.”
After a long moment, he finally says, “Take her. I will send a guard along after you to keep an eye on her.”
“Good.” I don’t want to babysit her. “I’ll let you know if we figure out what’s wrong with her.” With that, I touch Whysper’s arm and teleport us back to Isla’s.
Thank you, Addylyn, for dragging us all into this.
13 CHAPTER
I teleport back home more miserable than I was when I left. We are going to war. The thought bounces around in my head over and over and it never feels quite right. I suppose war never does.
I startle Tabitha when I appear with Whysper on the kitchen floor. “Lordie, child, you are going to be the death of me.”
“Sorry. There’s something wrong with Whysper. One of the guards found her on the floor of her room unconscious and I can’t figure out why. I can’t find a wound anywhere.”
Tabitha comes over and kneels next to me. She goes through all the things I did. She checks her pulse, feels around for a bump or bruise, and she tries to shake her awake. Nothing. She remains unconscious. Rising, Tabitha creates a cot underneath Whysper. “I will keep an eye on her but I do not know what is wrong.”
“Okay, let me know if anything changes.” She nods and I go in search of my gorgeous husband. I could really use a hug.
When I enter the living room, Kallen feels it right away. “What happened?” he asks, coming to me across the large living room.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, stalling for time. “War. It’s going to be war.”
Alita and Kegan look up from where they are still playing with Lielle. “Are you certain?” Kegan asks.
I nod. “If we don’t hand Lielle over in the next twenty-four hours, it will be war.”
His face now as somber as mine, Kallen says softly, “It is not your fault.”
How did he know I was blaming myself? “I’m not so sure about that.”
Pulling me into his arms, my gorgeous husband holds me tight against his lean, hard body. “What I would give to be able to wipe that frown from your face,” he purrs.
Despite my body’s immediate reaction to his suggestion, I groan. “I want that, too.” The ‘but’ is implied and we both steer our eyes toward the reason we are going to war. And not making love.
Lielle’s eyes are open wide and there is the tiniest of a pout on her lips. She knows something is wrong. She ignores the toy Alita tries to distract her with so Kallen and I can have a moment. Instead, Lielle holds her arms wide, wanting to be included. Reluctantly, I slide out of Kallen’s arms and go to her. I sit down and lift her into my lap. “How can someone so innocent and beautiful cause so much pain?” I whisper more to myself than anyone else.
Alita puts a comforting hand on my arm. “As much as this is not your fault, nor is it the baby’s. Her mother set this in motion to save her child. Would you not do anything you could to save her if she was yours?”
“If she was yours, she probably wouldn’t have survived this long so the question is moot,” Taz snarks from a few feet away.
For some strange reason, this makes me laugh, which earns me strange looks from everyone else. Explaining, I say, “Taz’s attempt to cheer me up.”
Taz snorts. “If telling you the truth cheers you up, you are way crazier than I thought you were.” He says the words but he doesn’t mean them. I know by the protective stance he h
as taken next to Lielle and me. Felix is on our other side. It is very clear that anything coming for us would need to go through them first.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I had to bring Whysper back here. She’s in the kitchen.” I go on to explain what happened.
“Does Tabitha need your help?” Kallen asks, his expression wary. He is suspicious of Whysper’s sudden illness, as well.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Should we go to the palace to help with preparations?” Kegan asks. He, Kallen and I have been spending more time at the palace learning how things run and what we can do to help until Kallen and I replace Dagda. I really hope that is a long time from now.
Kallen considers for a moment before shaking his head. “No, if Dagda needs us he will send for us. We do not want to be in the way.” He doesn’t say it, but Whysper is another reason he doesn’t want to go.
I am about to argue that my father probably needs the support emotionally if not physically, but I selfishly keep my mouth closed. I want Kallen here with me and the baby. “What should we do here to get ready?” I say instead.
“I do not believe there is anything to do,” Kallen replies. “Other than wait for a call to action.”
We’re doing a lot of waiting in this crisis. I hate waiting. “There must be something we can do.”
Kallen leans down and kisses me softly. “I am sorry, my love,” he murmurs against my lips. “There is nothing to do but wait.” He knows me too well.
Suddenly, Alita rises to her feet. “I must warn my parents.”
Her father has very little magic and her mother none at all seeing as she is human, not Fairy. They live a little ways down the beach and they could be caught in crossfire if the war is brought to our doorstep. “Yes,” I nod. “Bring them back here if you like.” At least here we could try to keep them safe.
Kegan stands and takes his wife’s hand. “We will protect them,” he assures her with a kiss. The two of them disappear out the terrace door. The shoreline is the fastest way to get to her parents’ home.