Warrior Fae Princess

by Breene, K. F.

  “An echo?” Romulus leaned against his worktable, accidentally crushing a papier-mâché garden.

  Halvor’s hand flexed, and Romulus braced himself for the news to come.

  “She said the echo was so powerful, it knocked her from her chair, making her spill tea on her book. She mentioned she’ll be seeing you for the damages. It was her favorite book.”

  “What does an echo have to do with me?” Romulus asked, the acid spreading through his stomach.

  “An echo of that caliber can only manifest from the result of a successful quest. She did not say it outright, Second—forgive me if I’ve misunderstood—but she indicated this young woman’s quest is a result of your successful quest to sire her. Your quest was essentially leading toward this all along, which has compounded the impact of both quests.”

  Romulus shook his head, unable to stop his hands from fisting and his fingers turning white with the pressure. “It is impossible, Halvor. I’ve been gone from the human world for…”

  “Over twenty-one years, Second. Making any child you sired not yet twenty-one.”

  “When I left, my beloved wasn’t with child. I would not have left if that were the case. I never would have abandoned a fae child, mine or someone else’s. I would’ve ignored the call of our people; you must know that.”

  “Of course, Second. No one would doubt it. But women can be pregnant for some time before it shows.”

  The chair creaked as Romulus rose. “I sent people back to check. To make sure.”

  “As you recall, Second, the men were unable to find your beloved. They surmised that she must’ve changed her name. They did not feel the fae influence in the area and returned home.”

  “Could the infant have been missed?”

  “Sometimes, when the mother is human, the child’s fae blood is masked for some time. Diluted. It isn’t until the magic starts to manifest that it presents itself. Often a large event of great stress and pressure will bring about the change. Of course, most children of mixed lineage have weak magic. A few do get lucky and lean heavily toward the fae. Their magic and skills are mostly salvageable, though still not exemplary. Very rarely will a half-fae child develop strength and power that propels them beyond that which is their birthright. Given that your quest was to merge the human and fae blood, it stands to reason your child would be a diamond in the rough, called forth by fate and prophecy.”

  “It seems you have done your research, Halvor, before bringing this to me. I can only assume you have more information to offer.”

  The regal man bowed, ever so slightly. The harness of his sword, wrapped around his torso, issued a soft clink. He’d unconsciously flexed his chest. More disturbing news was coming.

  “The elves have gotten various disturbing reports centered on a young woman. Now, I must warn you, they don’t seem to know if they are looking for one woman or two. The first has been whispered about for some time, apparently. She and a vampire are linked to a large disturbance in the underworld. After great contemplation, Lucifer is sure he glimpsed this woman from a distance—in the middle of a demon battle, of all places. He has requested a meeting with the elf king and queen to discuss the matter in more detail. Although few people have been informed of the reason for this meeting, those in the know have to wonder if he’s suspicious of the elves’ interference. How else would a non-demon woman get past his magical barricade? Given Lucifer is a mighty adversary, on par with the elf king in power and magical finesse, the elves are stopping at nothing to find this woman and question her.

  “It could, then, be the same woman and vampire who have inspired the new rumors. We have heard reports that a young woman chased Vlad off a battlefield. For someone to do such a thing, she would need to be great in power. Vlad is a worthy foe.”

  “I have heard many reports of him over the years, yes,” Romulus said, calling up a picture of the vampire in his mind. “He has as much presence in the human lands as he does in the Realm, I believe.”

  “He has a foothold in the underworld, as well, I hear. Apparently, he has called this young woman an Arcana. He has judged this by her magical smell as well as her skill set. If these rumors are about the same woman, it’s possible they could merely be having a spat, as guardians are wont to do. It is dangerous to be in league with a vampire. That would be a black mark on her status.”

  The room swirled. Memories flashed—of the quest illusion that had overcome Romulus one night after a Gathering. Of the excitement of embarking on his quest. When he’d first stepped through the portal, the sky had been so clear and blue, and the sun was almost hot on his face. He’d soon met a smiling beauty who’d transfixed him, placing him under the sweetest of spells.

  He remembered, still so fresh, his time with her. The connection he’d felt with her, the bliss, the earth-moving desperation to be near her always. He hadn’t realized love like that could exist. It had ruined him for all other females.

  He’d thought it must be divine, that feeling. That the Fates were entwining the two of them as part of a larger plan. But then he’d woken up one morning and felt the call of the Flush, a pull so hard, so intense, that he could barely think for needing to get back. It was like his oxygen was drying up, and he could no longer breathe within the Brink.

  He’d tried to bring his love with him. He’d tried to show her the portal to the Realm, but she hadn’t seen it. She’d thought he was crazy. Eventually, he had to let her go. It had broken him to leave, and he’d longed for her every day since, but had left her anyway. By herself. Crying all alone as he walked away.

  That he might’ve left her to fend for herself with an infant—his child—

  The windows spun around him, the floor racing up to meet him.

  “Second!”

  Halvor’s concerned face appeared in his vision.

  “It cannot be true,” Romulus muttered.

  Halvor did not attempt to lift him. He’d been the one to receive Romulus as he stumbled back to his home those twenty-something years ago.

  “The elves were able to find a shifter that had taken part in the battle Vlad was chased from. A were-warthog. After days, he finally succumbed to their magic. Apparently, not only is this young woman able to blossom the sun in the night sky, she can summon the pulse.”

  Romulus stared up at Halvor, not comprehending.

  Summoning the pulse, a bundling of electrical energy that could concuss the air and magically blow the skies apart, was a rare gift graced to the worthiest of the Arcana family line—his family line. His grandmother was the last to have been bestowed with the mighty gift, and she was largely favored as the strongest and fairest First in the history of their race.

  Air couldn’t get past the constrictions in Romulus’s throat. All he could do was shake his head and flutter his eyes. This was impossible. He might have a child he’d never met, one who’d grown up without their kind to guide, train, and protect her…

  “If she is mine, and what you say is true…” His voice could barely be understood, it was so raspy. “She is in grave danger. I came into my full power at twenty-one, as did my mother, as did her mother and father before her. My father’s hit at twenty. She won’t understand what is happening. She won’t be able to control it, and certainly won’t be able to contain it. I’m sure she’s already having problems with the surges—how is she surviving? She will kill herself and probably everyone within her immediate reach and range. It would almost be a blessing if Vlad were to capture her. As an elder, he must be strong enough to counteract most of her magic.”

  “But would he know how, Second?” Halvor asked.

  It was a good point. Likely not. Fae largely did not trust vampires, and few, if any, would have taught the elder such a valuable lesson. But if the elves were able to intercept…

  “If what I understand is true,” Halvor went on, “Vlad is attempting just that. To capture her, I mean. Or was, until she burned him so badly he was forced to go underground.”

  Romulus allo
wed himself one more moment of absolute shock. Allowed the acid to drip to the soles of his feet. After that, he let the guilt wash over him, sucking him under and dragging him down. He opened up to the intense suffering for his lost love and their infant, to the impossible situation he had unknowingly put his daughter in. He let the guilt corrode him, eating away like a maggot. And finally, he allowed himself to push all that aside. He possibly had a little girl out there who needed to join her family. She needed guidance, but first, she needed saving.

  Romulus lunged up, swiping his hair from his face. Halvor stepped back to the door, firm and resolute once more. The situation had been laid bare, at last, and now they needed a solution and a path.

  “What are my orders?” he asked.

  “Find the girl and bring her here. Send someone who’s strong in both magic and fighting. Her most immediate danger is herself. Beyond that, keep her away from the elves and vampires—we must not let her become a pawn. If she is truly an Arcana, and my daughter, she must be steeped in our culture before we allow the elves access to her. They are our benefactors, but they may have to be reminded it is a contract, not an obligation. Finally, get our people training harder. Stage mock battles. Create a community competition. If this is a quest, the battle the prophet has foreseen will surely come to pass. We must be ready. No guardian will be left to stand on her own. We will be behind her when the Fates call.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The most handsome and dangerous creature Charity had ever seen in her life stood two feet away, separated only by an invisible ward the dual-mages had erected. The last time she had stood this close to this vampire, he’d lunged forward to grab her, and she’d retaliated by beaming fake sunlight down on him. This time, however, her magic wasn’t up to par.

  “It is so good to see you again,” Vlad said. His tailored suit, somehow not out of place despite the fact that they were in the middle of a forest, highlighted his perfect body. Even the guy’s hair was perfect. It was just too much for any one individual. It was annoying that he made it work. “I have missed our dealings.”

  “You miss being barbecued?” Penny asked, and she was entirely serious. A point that brought bubbles of laughter from Charity’s middle.

  A smile turned up Vlad’s lips. “I see our illustrious Arcana keeps the very best of company. Tell me, how is the mage game going for you, Miss Bristol?”

  “Great,” Penny replied. “The Guild structure is really coming along. Our training is churning out some of the very best mages.”

  “Yes, I know. I’ve purchased many of their spells—and their silence. Loyalty is so hard to come by these days, don’t you find?”

  “Hello, pot,” she replied.

  His smile didn’t seem to change, but suddenly it sent chills up Charity’s spine. “Yes, it does seem I have my own issues with loyalty. Quite the surprise.” He resumed his focus on Charity, so intense that it almost seemed like those around them dropped away. “You have my deepest apologies on your struggles to get this far. I never intended for you to come into harm’s way. I will not layer the issue in pretty words and lackluster excuses. Quite simply, I was outmaneuvered. My attention was elsewhere, and you were left exposed at the worst possible time. Trust me when I say that it will not happen again.”

  His suave demeanor lifted, for just a second, and the exposed viciousness made her want to take a step back. Or blast him with her magic. His calm and collected mask settled on his handsome features once again.

  “But let us talk of other things,” he said, his musical voice filling the tense moment. “Did you get my note?”

  Her heart hammered and her palms started to sweat. “You mean…the one—”

  “In your desk, yes. I’m glad you found it. I dared not leave it out for your father to find. It would’ve been ripped to shreds, along with all the pictures he must’ve found within the house. Your room was in a state. I figured that if I locked the drawer, it would deter his interest. I’m glad I was correct.”

  “But…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “My room was like I left it.”

  “Yes. I hope you don’t mind my tidying up. Your father is certainly a character. I didn’t think you’d want evidence of that in your personal space.”

  “You…” Charity remembered the torn photograph that had been forgotten under her bed. No, not forgotten. Missed. “You cleaned my room?”

  A small smile graced his face, but he didn’t comment. Obviously that was a yes.

  What sort of person broke into someone’s room and cleaned it? Had he done it out of arrogance, to show her he could do what he pleased, or actual concern for her well-being? She couldn’t decide.

  “You convinced my father that I wasn’t his,” she said, needing to lay out all the facts. If he lied here, she could better determine if he’d lied in the note.

  “I did not convince him, no.” Vlad clasped his hands behind his back. “I laid out a timeline, highlighted some facts, and he put it together. It was a wonder he hadn’t figured it out before now. Although, I have to own—and I don’t think this will hurt your feelings, given his nature and the fact that he’s not blood related—he isn’t very bright.”

  “Do you know where my mom is?”

  “Yes,” he said, and she didn’t miss a tiny sparkle of cunning deep in his eyes. “And when you are safely at ease with your magic, I would be happy to take you there.”

  “She isn’t going anywhere with you,” Devon said, his voice low and rough. He stood beside and a little behind her, letting her handle the situation but showing his support.

  “Little puppy, nice to see you again.” Vlad’s smile widened, and Charity’s small hairs stood on end. “Rest assured, Charity will be in no danger from me. In fact, as a token of my good faith, I have taken the liberty of clearing your way. I could not get here in time to completely clear your path through the wood, unfortunately, but I trust your journey went smoothly after your skirmish with the gnomes?”

  Emery shifted his stance. He’d just gotten his answer as to why it had been so quiet. Vlad clearly had more power and influence than they’d realized.

  Vlad’s smile said he knew it.

  “Your way ahead is clear as well,” he continued. “You will run into no danger. Except from the elves, of course. Their minions are under my control, but I have no power over them, merely spies among them.” A cunning gleam shone in his eyes. “At present.”

  “Why are you doing all this?” Devon asked. “Speaking to her father, the note about her mother, making it easy to get to the Flush…”

  “Simple.” Vlad took a step back. “She is a blooming flower among the decay of this world. She is a beacon of hope. Do you small-minded little puppies not see the shining radiance that surrounds her? That is not because she is fae—it is because she is important. The Fates have their hands on her in some way. I wish to know why and, if necessary, help her cause.”

  “You mean, you wish to bend her to your cause,” Emery stated in a flat voice.

  Vlad studied Emery for a long moment. “Your past has made you cautious. Darius must be taxed greatly trying to keep you in line.”

  “I hope so,” Emery replied.

  Vlad squinted, but that cunning gleam was back. This vampire was forever plotting.

  His attention swung back to Charity. The world seemed to drop away again. “I admit, I would certainly like to bend her to my cause. But do you not realize the elves are no better? One is stalking you as we speak, working through the shadow wood. He has called for aid. To hunt you. Once they have you, they will stop at nothing to get the information they seek, not even torture. One of your shifters recently learned this the hard way. They will claim they are doing what’s necessary for the safety of the Realm. What a lofty cause, no? They will deem this treatment just, because one of their own, whom they placed in charge without the consent of their constituents, made the…arrest, we’ll call it. Some would call it an abduction, of course. Is this the sort of authority the people o
f this land deserve? Brutality without consequences? Heavy-handedness without accountability? Half the land lives in fear, scared to cross those in power.” He tilted his head to the side. “That is hardly the mark of a properly run nation. I simply want to even the power balance between the people and the leadership.”

  A humorless smile spread across Emery’s face, but Charity spoke first, the words spitting out of her like acid.

  “You took my friends’ lives without consent. You changed them into monsters without consulting them. Without telling their families. Where is the balance in power there? Where is the accountability?”

  Vlad tsked. “I did not take their lives; you and your shifter friends did that. I merely opened up a new world for them. I altered them for the better.”

  Guilt, then rage, tore through Charity. Her magic spiked, eating through her. Devon’s calming influence settled her a little, but not enough. Red tinged the edges of her vision.

  “You did that,” she ground out. “Don’t you dare try to put that on me. And let’s not forget, you tried to kidnap me. You’re only being magnanimous now because your other approaches failed. I’m not fooled by you, Vlad.”

  “No, you are not. And you are better for it. I only ask that you do not be fooled by the elves, either. As you see, I am open to change. I wonder if you can say the same for them.” He paused for a moment. “Emery can attest to the danger you are all in, I am sure. The elves might spare some of you, but they might not. Your best bet is not to get caught.” He reached into his pocket and extracted a glass vial filled with red liquid. “Given your current state, you don’t have a chance. You are too weak, Charity, drained by your ill-functioning magic. The little puppy isn’t much better, though he is doing a miraculous job of hiding it. If you continue on in this fashion, you and your friends will be overtaken.”

  “And let me guess, you are offering yourself as my savior?” Charity said dryly, the note forgotten. The only thing on her mind right now was survival, because he was absolutely right. Her reserves were nearly empty, and if she didn’t have time to rest and regain her strength, her condition would only deteriorate. “You’ll whisk me away and run me to safety?”