Fae Games

by Sofia Daniel

  Cool, juniper-scented air filled my nostrils, clearing some of the confusion from my head. Now that no-one was trying to turn me into a creature or burn me from the inside-out with a glower, I rested my head on his broad shoulder and exhaled a relieved breath.

  This was the first time I had been able to relax since returning from our trip to Prudence Plaza, and I was looking forward to having time alone with the winter prince.

  The wind blew my hair into my face as Prince Caulden flew around the castle. I gazed out into the green landscape of mountaintops that stretched to Snaefell Palace, enjoying the swish his wings made with each beat.

  The white clouds overhead dissolved into swirls of mist that curled around the castle’s spired rooftops and seeped into its white walls, making it look like a mirage. I gripped Prince Caulden’s muscled shoulder, making sure that this wasn’t a dream.

  “Are you hungry?” he murmured into my hair.

  “My stomach is still unsettled from the stress of the contest.” I tilted my head up and gazed at the side of his handsome face, marveling at features that could have been chiseled by Michelangelo out of Alabaster.

  “The pixies can bring up a late breakfast, and we’ll see if there’s anything you’d like,” he replied.

  “Thanks.” I slid my hand down from his shoulder, over the contours of his muscular bicep. “Where’s your suite?”

  “In the royal tower.” Raising his head, he sliced his wings through the mist, taking us close to the high tower where I had first met the headmistress. “We each occupy a floor, so no-one will disturb us.”

  The last time I’d been flown out of the castle, Pokeweed had carried me, and he had traveled clockwise. Prince Caulden took the opposite direction, and the towers on this side of the castle seemed to sprout out from the side of larger towers. Prince Caulden ascended toward a square structure at the far end of the castle that stretched several stories above the main building.

  I tilted my head up, noting the parapets at the top in place of a roof, and wondered if the Kings Guards stood beyond the defensive walls.

  “This is my floor.” Three huge, arched windows appeared from the tower’s wall, and Prince Caulden glided toward the one in the middle. “Don’t mind the wards.”

  Ward? A fist of alarm squeezed my heart, and my grip tightened on his bicep. Clenching my teeth, I held my breath and waited for the pins-and-needles attack from when I’d first entered the academy with Gladiolus, but only a slight tingle brushed against my skin, then everything went cold.

  “Here we are.” Prince Caulden set me on my feet.

  The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was a vast room with an archway on one wall, which led to a grand bed large enough to fit four people. Pale blue fabric covered its surface, which was embroidered with white shards that resembled ice. Above it hung a white canopy with pale blue drapes that swooped toward the wall.

  I sucked in a sharp breath and stepped away from Prince Caulden. This suite was better than any of the homes I’d seen in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Its semi-translucent walls glittered from the diffused light of a chandelier of icicles that looked more like a sculpture.

  Prince Caulden took my hand and guided me to a sofa larger than my bed, upholstered in white damask fabric that I guessed was velvet and silk. I tried not to gape, but the sight of low tables made of crystal, a polar bearskin rug large enough to fit my entire house was more than I could handle.

  “Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I rasped, but my throat wasn’t dry because of thirst.

  I had known that they were princes. The memory of that morning at Saltbay port was still fresh in my mind. But it was one thing to see someone from within a crowd and another to have a tryst with them in the back of a wagon. But stepping into Prince Caulden’s private quarters gave me a whole different level of understanding of what it meant to be royal.

  This wasn’t any ordinary guy my age. He had access to more wealth and magic than any of the people I envied on my DVDs.

  After placing a peck on my lips, he walked to the end of the room to a semi-circular bar. Steam billowed from the ice covering its surface, and behind the bar was another block of ice that supported two-dozen bottles. Even from this distance, I recognized the gold and cream covering of the Cristal brand from old hip-hop videos.

  “Bloody hell,” I muttered to myself. “No wonder those bitches are murdering each other for a chance with the princes.”

  “What’s that?” Prince Caulden asked from behind the ice bar. He glanced at the selection of drinks and picked up a green bottle.

  “It’s just a reflection on everything that’s happened.” I lowered myself into a seat and sank into cushions that felt like clouds.

  He clicked his fingers, and two pixies flew in from another archway behind the bar. “Breakfast for two.”

  With a nod, they flew out, and the Prince uncorked a green bottle with a pop and poured its contents into two flutes. “I hope recent events haven’t discouraged you from mating with Rory and me.”

  Lowering my gaze to my gossamer-covered lap, I bit down on my lip. The answer was complicated. Pokeweed’s suggestion to mate with all four brothers would give me everything I wanted: the wishbone that could save the people I loved, at least two gorgeous and attentive mates, and I would save the crown from Lady Gala’s malevolence.

  I blew out a long sigh. But was it worth risking my life? Now, Helen’s words about my being destined for greatness or tragedy made complete sense. If I won this gamble, I could make life better for the whole island, but if I lost, it could be a slow and excruciating death.

  The glasses clicked on a low table as Prince Caulden set them down, making me glance up. Then he sat at my side and placed an arm over my shoulder and engulfed me in his warmth.

  “What’s wrong?” His leg brushed against mine. “Tell me, and I’ll fix it.”

  I placed a hand on his muscular thigh and gazed into his worried, steel-gray eyes. Right now, all I wanted was to lean into him, inhale his pine-and-cedar-wood scent, and taste those gorgeous, full lips. Maybe if I could lose myself for a few hours on this sofa in his embrace, I might be able to face my dilemma with renewed hope.

  Prince Caulden’s frown deepened, and I sucked in a steadying breath. “I have a lot of enemies.”

  His eyes softened, and he cupped my cheek with his large, warm hand. “I’ll speak to Salix and explain that my feelings for her are fraternal. Rory can have strong words with Gala to back off.”

  I shook my head. “If they went to such terrible lengths to counterfeit a fated mating, I doubt that either of those four would be willing to let go.”

  His lips quirked into a smile. “Are you thinking of adding August and Bradwell to your collection?”

  “You didn’t hear Lady Gala’s announcement,” I asked.

  “What did she say?”

  “She wants to unite the four Courts and become the queen.”

  Prince Bradwell huffed out a laugh. “I doubt that Her Majesty reacted well to her proclamation.”

  “Queen Titania didn’t seem impressed.” It was an understatement, but I was hardly going to describe his mother in unflattering terms.

  Prince Caulden shook his head. “Gala can’t even please one mate.”

  “You believe Helen’s statement?”

  He paused and stared into his hands. “Three years ago, His Majesty brought all four of us into a room and asked us what we thought of Helenium of Medietas. Her father is our family’s strongest supporter, and he wanted to see if we could mate with a single female.”

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  Prince Caulden smiled. “Nobody had objections to Helenium. At the time, it was hard to accept only getting the chance to mate with her once every twenty years. I doubt that a full-blooded female could handle four males at one time, even at the height of her heat.”

  I grinned. “The supposed Fated recoiled at the blow job round.”
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  He wrapped both arms around my waist. “I want a female who can be both a friend and meet my physical needs.” His lips grazed the side of my neck, sending pleasant tingles down to my nipples. “You’re everything I ever wanted in a mate. Beauty, resourcefulness, and a strength of spirit that I find irresistible.”

  Arching my neck to give him more access, I asked, “Me?”

  “Mmmm.” He gave my neck a suck hard enough to make my core pulse with need. “I told you already that I’d resigned myself to a lifetime with Salix.”

  “Yes.” Sliding my palm further up his thigh, I squirmed in my seat.

  He pulled me onto his lap and peppered feather-light kisses down to where my neck met my shoulders. “But what I didn’t say was that I would probably consort with half-blood females in between her heats.”

  I drew back and stared into his darkened eyes.

  The corner of his lips curled into a smile. “With you, there would be no need. You have just as much desire as a male.”

  My tongue darted out to lick my lips, and I shifted on his lap, enjoying the hard length bulging against my thigh. He was right. I really loved sex and lots of it, but after learning that my three years with Elijah had been a disgusting sham, I wasn’t sure I wanted to enter into a relationship based on just sex.

  “What did you mean about my strength of spirit?” I asked.

  “You’re in the lead in these trials, yet you have no magic.” He grinned. “I know you’ve made allies within the academy, and even Mistress Ellyllon favors you. It’s also refreshing to encounter a female who stands up to us. August talks about you all the time.”

  “Rants,” I muttered.

  “He protests too much.” Prince Caulden cupped my breast over the embroidered dress. “August acts like the upstanding older brother, trying to protect the crown from bad influences. Deep down, he can’t stop thinking about you.”

  I shook my head. Prince August was the worst male faerie in the academy and probably wanted me dead. At least Prince Bradwell was just aloof.

  “Please, don’t back out of the trials.” Prince Caulden encased me in a hug.

  My arm slid around his torso, and I hugged back. This wasn’t just about saving others from their fates. With Prince Caulden and Rory, I might get a happily ever after without leaving the Isle of Fae.

  Tilting my head up, I met his heated gaze, which lit a fire in my soul. “I’ll see this to the end.”

  He lowered his lips onto mine in a kiss so sweet, it filled my heart with warmth. I let my eyes flutter shut and moaned. For a winter prince, he certainly knew how to get me hot and bothered. His tongue curled around mine, lathing it with caresses that sent bursts of sensations between my legs.

  I slipped my hands under his blazer and peeled the garment off his shoulders, ready to take our relationship to the next step.

  A high-pitched voice cleared its throat, breaking us out of our little bubble.

  We broke apart, and I slid off his lap to find two pixies standing on the other side of the low table, which was laden with plates of canapé-sized treats.

  “Your Highness,” squeaked the taller of the pair, a female whose wide eyes contrasted with her turquoise skin. “Breakfast is ready.”

  Prince Caulden smiled. “Thank you.”

  The pixies bowed and flew toward the archway behind the bar on transparent wings.

  The scent of baked bread and eggs filled my nostrils, making my mouth water. I sat upright and licked my lips. “This looks delicious.”

  “If you mate with us, you’ll eat breakfasts like this every day.” Prince Caulden picked up a plate containing tiny poached eggs on three-inch-sized slices of toast. “Sunbird on toast?”

  I popped one in my mouth, enjoying the burst of spicy yolk. “This tastes even better than osprey’s eggs!”

  His brows rose. “Do you remember your old life, now?”

  The food stuck in the back of my throat, and I grabbed a glass and gulped down a refreshing mouthful of what tasted like melon juice. If I was going to spend the rest of my life with Prince Caulden, I had to tell him the truth.

  “Everyone thinks I’m a cast-off,” I said.

  “Yes?” he offered me another piece of eggs and toast.

  I shook my head. “My human memories are real.”

  Compassion shone in his eyes, and I knew what he was thinking. That my faerie father had done such a convincing job of addling my mind that I couldn’t separate fact from fantasy.

  He parted his lips to say, “Unity—”

  “No.” I took the plate and set it back on the table. “The first time I saw you up close, it was at Saltbay Port. You and Prince August flew down in white carriages to snatch boxes containing iPads meant for humans.”

  His expression dropped. “How did you…” He shook his head. “They weren’t iPads.”

  “I know. The logo on the box had two leaves and no bite.” I slapped his thigh, trying to make him focus. “The point is that I was there, kneeling beside everyone when you parted the crowd with ice and stole those boxes.”

  His face tightened in a defensive kind of expression.

  “Yes, yes,” I snapped. “The royals think they’re entitled to the lion’s share of whatever the United Nations sends to the humans. We can argue about that another time, but I was there, I was human, and I was furious that you took those boxes.”

  Prince Caulden turned his gaze to the low table, picked up a small avocado stuffed with chopped tomatoes, pink onions with a creamy paste, and popped it in his mouth. “Alright,” he said. “That happened the morning before you were found cast-off in the woods?”

  I nodded and watched him chew over the facts.

  After eating a few more canapés, he said. “But there was a mix of beings present on that morning. I remember seeing ogres, hags, and centaurs among the humans. It’s feasible that you also flew down to obtain an iPad, and this event remained in your memories with a small alteration—”

  “No.” I clenched my fists. How difficult was this to grasp in a world of magic? “About an hour after you left with those boxes, I had a run-in with Lady Gala in Doolish. Prince Rory was also there, and Lady Gala tried to get me to rub ice on his drake’s anus.”

  His eyes bulged. “I heard about that. Gala and Aster planned on returning to Doolish to attack a human urchin who had offended her, but that couldn’t have been you.”

  “It was.” The entire events of that day spilled from my lips. At this point, I didn’t care if the wards were listening for the right moment to attack. If I was going to make this work between his brothers and me, he had to know the truth.

  At the end of my story, Prince Caulden frowned. “A human can’t become a faerie overnight. It’s against the lore of magic.”

  I grabbed my glass from the table and gulped down its contents, barely tasting the sweet liquid. How could I explain things in a way he could accept? Prince Caulden placed a large palm on the small of my back and rubbed soothing circles. I wondered if he thought I was traumatized from being discarded by my faerie family with no memories.

  My lips quirked into a sad smile. Prince Caulden had changed so much toward me since his confrontation in the remedial gym.

  “It makes no sense until you factor in what Gala and the others did to become your fated mates.” I squeezed his hand, trying to convey the truth of my words.

  Prince Caulden gave me an encouraging nod.

  My chest loosened a little. Even if he didn’t understand, at least he was trying. “If those girls contacted faeries dark and devious enough to steal Helen’s magic without causing her death, then maybe those dark faeries found a way back to our realm.”

  Prince Caulden paled. “The night you were cursed, did you sense their magic?”

  “It was as powerful as yours and your brothers’,” I replied.

  “I believe you.”

  “What?”

  “We lost a lot of magic when His Majesty banished Queen Maeve and her Dark Court to the Othe
rworld,” he said. “If those four could reach a powerful user of dark magic, they could make anything possible.”

  The tight band of tension around my lungs loosened, and I whooshed out a long, relieved breath.

  Prince Caulden nodded to himself. “Gala and the others must have glamoured you to take advantage of your connection with that Meadowhawks janitor, which perfectly explains why they maneuvered you into that display in the dining hall.”

  I reached for his hand, gratitude swelling in my chest. He hadn’t reacted to hearing that I was once human, but I had to know one thing. “Do you—”

  “Well, that explains a lot,” said a voice from behind.

  A jolt of fear had me scrambling to my feet to find Prince Bradwell standing on the window sill, his cerise wings outstretched, and looking like he wanted to commit murder.

  Chapter 14

  I clapped a hand over my mouth and gaped at the faerie on the windowsill. Prince Bradwell’s features were much like Prince Rory’s with a frowning brow, prominent cheekbones, and a strong jaw. The main difference was their coloring. The wind blew Prince Bradwell’s cerise hair off his face, and his amber eyes burned like the afternoon sun boring through the clouds during a storm.

  Sparks of power crackled against my skin, and my insides trembled with the force of his rage. Of all the people to immediately believe in my being human, I hadn’t expected Prince Bradwell.

  Beside me, Prince Caulden sucked in a breath, his jaw tightening, and his body tensing at the oncoming hostilities.

  With a gulp, I stepped back and tried not to remember our last conversation. He had accused me of conspiring with Elijah to pimp out women to high faeries. Now that he knew I was human, it wouldn’t take him long to work out that I had been one of Elijah’s unsuspecting girlfriends.

  A cry bubbled up to the back of my throat. He had been so furious yesterday and ready to have me imprisoned. What on earth would he do to me now, and what would he say to Princes Caulden and Rory?

  Prince Caulden pulled me behind his back. “If you’re planning to hurt Unity—”