To Love a King (Court of Annwyn)

by Shona Husk

  Dylis sat up straighter. “She has a name.”

  “And she will be arriving in Charleston this morning.” He pulled a carefully folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Caspian. “Can you please go to the airport and collect her?”

  Caspian nodded. “What does she look like?”

  “Dark curls, blue eyes.” He paused for a moment and thought of all things he’d once tried to forget and yet never would. She had engraved her name on his heart, and some wounds never faded. “I doubt she will have a problem spotting you.” There was a family resemblance even though Caspian was mortal.

  “Am I to assume she will be staying here?” Dylis said.

  “Sulia’s Greys found her in California. I had no other choice.”

  “It’s fine. There are plenty of rooms.” Lydia smiled, but it looked forced. Because she didn’t want someone else staying or because was afraid of Greys after her last encounter?

  “Hang on. Sulia is working with Greys?” Caspian looked directly at him. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

  “As far as I know, she hasn’t made a deal with them; she has taken their families hostage, some of them are mortal.” Usually trusting the word of an unknown Grey wasn’t wise, but he’d seen the fear in the man’s gaze as he’d faced his last moment and begged not for his own life, but his son’s.

  Everyone was silent for several heartbeats as the meaning sunk in.

  Verden spoke first. “I’d heard whispers but didn’t believe it.”

  “That gang of Greys was willing to kill for her because she’s threatening their families?” Taryn leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. “How did she arrange that?”

  “I can only assume she has supporters willing to resort to kidnapping.” Which made him worry even more about Jacqui. Perhaps he should have sent Dylis or Taryn to travel with her. It was too late now, and at the time the best plan had been to get her on a plane as fast as possible.

  “We killed most of those Greys.” Taryn paused. “You think there’s more? You think they will come here?”

  “I think it’s a possibility you should all be aware of.” He looked at Verden, the person most as risk, as he wouldn’t be protected by the tea set in the house.

  Lydia glanced around the garden as if expecting a Grey to melt out of the shadows. “And you are bringing Jacqui here. We will be a beacon to every Grey and fairy loyal to Sulia. We’ll be trapped in the house.”

  “Lucky you.” Verden crossed his arms.

  “It’s only for a few days…which is my next point of business.” Felan took a few paces, then turned back to face them. Everyone was watching, waiting for him to say he had a solution. It was less of a solution and more of a gamble. But what fairy didn’t like to gamble? It was a hell of a lot more fun when lives weren’t at stake. “Tomorrow in Annwyn is a full Court meeting. You must attend.” Felan paused and waited for the inevitable why?

  When it didn’t come he was surprised.

  “And me?” Caspian crossed his arms.

  This was the part of the conversation Felan had been dreading. “If you go to Annwyn, you will be safe from the power shift, however, being there will bring its own dangers. People know your face; they will know you are there for me. Sulia is out to hurt me regardless of the bloodshed.” He would rather Caspian stay on this side of the veil, trapped in the house, as Lydia had put it.

  “And if I stay here?”

  “You are mortal; the power shift won’t kill you, but it will be unpleasant for a time because of your fairy blood.” Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure how unpleasant or for how long. No one had ever bothered about changelings too much, as they were born on the wrong side of the veil to start with. Although one changeling had recently arrived in Annwyn on the arm of a fairy and had willingly given up his soul—making him fairy—and sworn to fight on Felan’s side. He couldn’t ask Caspian to do that. Caspian’s life was here.

  His son frowned as if considering, then glanced at Lydia. “Will Jacqui be attending the Court meeting?”

  “No. I will come for her soon after.”

  Dylis slapped the table. “Why not take her in for the meeting?”

  “I can’t risk her murder.” If he lost her, he’d walk away from Annwyn so he could die in the power shift when Sulia took over. And if he took her back without a child growing in her belly, all was lost anyway.

  Verden tilted his head slightly, his gaze carefully neutral. “What are you planning?”

  “I’m going to bring forward my mother’s execution and close the doorways.” No one in and no one out. He was hoping to spoil whatever Sulia had planned.

  “You need someone to bring Jacqui to Annwyn before that.” Verden leaned forward. “I’d offer, but…” He smiled, knowing that he couldn’t set foot in Annwyn at the moment.

  Verden was right. He couldn’t leave Annwyn once he went back for the Court meeting. Which meant he wouldn’t be the one holding Jacqui’s hand for her first glimpse of Annwyn.

  He could only give Jacqui full Court protection once he was either accepted as heir or the formal call to war had been issued, and he could only do that once she was by his side in Annwyn—proof that he had everything he needed to take the throne. Almost. Could he tell anyone here the truth, that Jacqui wasn’t pregnant yet?

  He still had time. He hoped he had time. He glanced at Taryn, but she had to be by his side as Lady of the Hunt. That left Bramwel or Dylis.

  Dylis inclined her head. “I will do it. I’ve protected Caspian and will protect Jacqui as my last act as guardian.”

  Bramwel kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t be late.”

  “I won’t.” Dylis placed her hand on Bramwel’s thigh.

  Felan hoped this wouldn’t all unravel, but he’d listened to the stones singing of his father’s battles. He knew how many consorts had been killed before they even set foot in Annwyn, and then those who had been poisoned or stabbed before the formal protection could be given. Until the formal protection was given, it was consort hunting season. Unfortunately for him, Sulia only needed a willing man, not even the father of her child. His consort needed to be pregnant with his child, a fairy child.

  One of the first things he was going to do was issue a law protecting all consorts on both sides of the veil. The killing for political gain had to stop.

  “We’ll meet again this evening, then cross to Annwyn—except Dylis and Jacqui. After the Queen is executed, I will only have one mortal day to produce my consort.” The trick being, if he left, Sulia might take the doorway to prevent him from getting through, or follow and attack him in the mortal world. All of which had been done before, which was why he had to stay and make sure Jacqui could get through.

  “How will you gauge the time difference?” Caspian glanced between Felan and Dylis.

  “That I can help with.” Verden pulled out Felan’s ceramic watch. The watch Jacqui had given him all those years ago. “I found a man who owed me a favor.”

  “We have fairy watchmakers?”

  “I’ve discovered there’s a lot that happens here that we don’t acknowledge in Annwyn.”

  “Banished?” Felan asked.

  “Exiled.” Verden raised his hands. “He knows his time is up.”

  Damn it. He didn’t want fairies to die because they were in exile. It was one thing to condemn them to a social death beyond the veil but another to kill them. Not even banishment was a direct death sentence—but most used too much magic and suffered the rapid effects. Unlike Verden.

  Felan held the watch. At first glance, it looked the same, but as the light shifted on the glass face, he saw the Castle in darkness. Not a clock, but enough that the wearer could gauge the time at Court. “Will it work in Annwyn?”

  “I hope so. I cleared a debt for it,” Verden said. “He wanted to die knowing he had left no promises unfulfilled
.”

  “Thank you for getting it repaired.” For a moment he just held it and watched the second hand tick happily around the face. He doubted anyone here knew how much it meant to him. Then he handed the watch to Dylis so she could have a look. “Bring Jacqui through during the execution. Take her directly to my chamber and do not leave her unattended for any reason.”

  Dylis peered at the watch, tilting it to catch a glimpse of the Court. “Will you set guards on the doorway?”

  “No, I want Sulia to think I’m planning on coming back to claim my bride.” He’d even reference that clause when announcing the new execution date. Let Sulia make assumptions about his plans. “Verden, I want you to find out what you can about the kidnapping, track down the whispers.”

  Verden nodded once. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Good.” Felan looked at everyone at the table. Dylis handed the watch back to him and he put it on. “I’ll be back this evening.”

  ***

  Jacqui held her breath as the plane touched down, bounced, and then settled on the runway. The small craft shuddered as the pilot slowed. She had no idea how much Felan had paid, but the plane had taken off from the small airport and was landing at an equally small one in South Carolina. She’d never been this far south before. Hell, she’d never been on a tiny little plane before. Or forced to flee across the country because Greys were after her. A day for firsts really. And none of them were good.

  Except for the bit where Felan had actually asked her to marry him…although it wasn’t what she’d hoped the proposal would be. She’d hoped for more romance and less drama. But every time she thought of him wading into the ocean to get her, her heart gave a patter of excitement.

  The plane came to a stop, and after a couple minutes, the pilot got out of his seat. “Here we are.” He gave her a weak smile. “I hope your family stays safe with all the trouble happening.”

  “Thank you.” Her stomach tightened. She was partly responsible for all that trouble. The escalating death toll, the grinding to a halt of all travel and tourism, and increasing fear. Was this how the end began, with fairies going to war over who should rule? Had people thought that the end was coming thousands of years ago when Felan’s father had fought to keep Annwyn from his brother?

  She shivered, even though the plane was warm. The pilot opened up the door and she climbed out, her one bag thrown over her shoulder. She still felt bad about lying to Ash, and for telling her she was going home before all the planes stopped flying. She still didn’t know what to say to her parents, only that she had to say something before she went to Annwyn. But she could do that over the phone.

  Jacqui walked across the tarmac, hoping that Caspian would be there as Felan had promised. And if he wasn’t? She wouldn’t let herself think of that.

  Airport might have been glorifying this place. It was more like hangars and a small building for passengers to pass through. As soon as she stepped into the building, she saw him and she relaxed a little. Her lips curved in a smile, but even as it formed it froze. Something was wrong. The man was using a glamour. He walked toward her. For half a second, she considered running, but where was she going to run to? Instead, she forced herself to take a breath and keep moving toward him. He didn’t know that she could see through glamours.

  He already had dark hair, but he was too young to be Caspian. His eyes were brown, not green like Felan’s, and he was trying to dress like a fairy but without pulling off the style or elegance. Human then? Not changeling, as they always had pale eyes that gave away their parentage. Felan had told her what Caspian looked like as she’d packed for the flight. This man wasn’t Caspian, but he was hoping she’d think he was. Not a good sign.

  The man smiled at her, but it was too sickly and she could see the cunning in his eyes. This was a man who’d do anything to ingratiate himself with powerful people. “Glad you arrived safely.”

  He offered his arm, but she didn’t actually want to touch him, so she shifted her bag to the other shoulder. “Yep, good flight.”

  Where was Caspian?

  She walked toward the doors as quickly as she could, trying to work out a way to avoid getting in a vehicle with this man. He followed a few paces behind—that made her worried. She could turn around and speak to the one person at the desk, but what would she say? That this man was trying to kidnap her when he’d done nothing wrong? Yet.

  The doors swished open and sunlight bounced off the footpath. A silver sedan was parked against the curb; a dark-haired man leaned against it. He lifted off his sunglasses and revealed eyes of the palest green. Exactly like Felan’s. That was his son.

  His gaze flicked to the man following her, but he didn’t move. “I thought you were traveling alone?”

  “I did.” She turned to face the other man and did her best to look confused. “You aren’t both here to pick me up, are you?”

  The man looked at Caspian, then Jacqui. “You’d best come with me if you want to be safe. He’s a glamoured Grey.”

  “He’s a glamoured human. Why would a human need a glamour?” Caspian moved toward them both.

  She really wanted to run to his car. But since he was treading carefully, she decided to follow in his footsteps and be safe. “What’s going on?” She turned to be able to see both men.

  The fake Caspian grabbed her arm. “Stop being silly. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”

  Jacqui stomped on his foot and yanked her arm free. “Don’t touch me.”

  As he reached for her again, she gave up on playing it safe and ran for the silver car. She was yanked back by the man grabbing her backpack, and she couldn’t shrug out of it fast enough. Her butt hit the footpath. The man lifted his foot to stomp on her belly, and she punched him in the groin. He doubled over and she scrambled up.

  Caspian grabbed the man by the collar of his burgundy waistcoat and hauled him upright. “Who sent you?”

  “Your future Queen,” the man gasped out.

  “And you are?”

  “Stuart, her consort.”

  “You’re an idiot. Run while you still have the chance.”

  “I will be King.” He struggled to get out of Caspian’s grip and failed.

  Caspian saw the ring on Stuart’s finger and tugged it off. “We’ll see.” The glamour ended as soon as the ring was off his hand. “Don’t wear my face again.” Then he dropped it on the ground and stood on it. The ring crunched, and for a moment the scent of cold and pine trees filled the air. He released Stuart with a shove in the opposite direction.

  Stuart stumbled and turned, determined to have the last word. “I’ll do what I want and answer to none. Especially you, changeling.” He spat and walked away as if he’d won. From a safe distance he turned around. “You won’t live to see the execution.” He mimed shooting her and then laughed.

  Jacqui watched him. He was Sulia’s lover. Sulia knew she was here. She’d crossed the country for no reason. Her blood chilled and seemed to stop moving. Her wrist started hurting and her legs felt weak.

  “Are you okay?” Caspian picked up her bag,

  She nodded. No she wasn’t. She’d just been attacked by a man wearing magic, her butt hurt, and her wrist ached. She shook her head. She should’ve been safe here.

  “Come on. The quicker I get you back to the house, the better.” But Caspian wasn’t watching her; he was watching Stuart’s back. Stuart seemed to be the kind of man that you never took your eyes off. Not even for a second.

  “I’m not safe anywhere.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He opened the car door and held it for her. “There’s too much riding on this.”

  She was getting tired of hearing that. Like it was her responsibility to save the world. Worlds. “So why did you wait out here if my safety is so vital?”

  “I saw him go in and thought it best to wait.”

&
nbsp; “He could have killed me.”

  “Not in there he wouldn’t have. He would’ve hoped you’d get in the car with him.” Caspian placed her bag on the backseat. “You saw through the glamour.”

  “Don’t make that public knowledge.” While she’d hated the ability for so many years, it was becoming quite handy when the enemy didn’t expect it.

  “You aren’t a changeling.”

  “Nope, I unwittingly drank fairy wine.” There was no need for Caspian to know his father had given it to her without telling her what it was or what the side effects would be.

  He shut the car door after her, then walked around and got in. “Have you ever been to Court before?”

  She shook her head; she was trying to concentrate on getting through the next few days. One thing at a time for the moment.

  Chapter 13

  Twenty minutes later, she was sitting in a grand old plantation house at the kitchen table with one fairy and one human. Caspian and another male fairy had left to put a note up that his shop would be closed for the next few days. Most people would think it was because of the disease outbreaks. She knew better. It was all about staying safe from those working for Sulia.

  Lydia was the human at the table and Dylis was the fairy—the one who’d she seen with Felan in the mirror—and they both looked concerned.

  “Really, I’m fine. I just landed on my butt.” She’d said it three times already. She wasn’t made of glass.

  “You sure?” Lydia glanced at Dylis and a shiver of warning traced down Jacqui’s back. What weren’t they saying?

  Dylis rolled her eyes as if humans were dense. “And the baby?”

  “What baby?” Had she missed part of conversation somewhere?

  “You aren’t pregnant?” Dylis leaned forward, her eyes wide. “That lying bastard.” She stood up. “He told me that his line was secure.”