The Lost Fae Princess

by K.N. Lee

  How could she undress before him? He was still yet a stranger, and she'd been claimed already.

  Still, her face relaxed and she closed her eyes. He was also her only ally on this entire floating kingdom. He may be the only one who could save her life.

  She snatched her dress off, determined to do whatever it took to save herself. She would return home, no matter what.

  To her surprise, he touched her shoulder. She jumped, and shot him a frightened glance.

  What she saw when she looked into his eyes was completely unexpected.

  Sadness.

  Anguish.

  Concern.

  Tears pooled his eyes as he looked to her. "Who did this to you?" King Thane asked, tracing the scars on her back with his finger. He was gentle. Loving.

  It caught her off guard and chipped away at her defenses.

  "Its nothing," she said in a whisper, entranced by the look in his eyes as he searched hers. "I was punished for trying to escape once before."

  Those words made him snatch his hand back. He wiped his eyes, and turned away.

  For a moment, there was silence between them, and Elle stood there, nude, and uncertain of what to do.

  When he spoke, his voice was quiet, almost unheard over the crashing of the waterfall into the pool.

  "You were imprisoned before?"

  She licked her lips. "Yes," she said. "Well, sort of. The monastery kept me and the other young girls who were fertile locked away in the castle. We were meant to be kept there until someone either bought us to mate with them or their sons, or someone of importance requested one of us."

  His shoulders slumped. "Because of the curse," he said, knowingly, and she nodded.

  "Yes."

  "We shall break it then," he said, and dove into the pool.

  She stood there, staring at her reflection.

  Break the curse?

  It was more than she could have ever hoped for.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Elle shed her inhibitions.

  She dove, uncaring of the past or the future. All that mattered was the present, and following King Thane through the enchanted pool of water to discover what secrets lurked beneath.

  The water was cool, and refreshing. It soothed her flesh and caressed her hair. When she opened her eyes, she was stunned by the clarity of the water, and how she could see straight to the bottom. King Thane flipped onto his back, and motioned for her to follow.

  Downward they went, and swam toward a cavern at the bottom of the pool.

  The rush of water in her ears and fluttering of the fish past her face were distracting, and she willed herself to hold her breath just awhile longer as she tried to keep up with the king's fast strides.

  Once they reached the cavern, relief washed over her. To her surprise, there was an opening, and King Thane awaited her arrival. He reached for her and pulled her onto the smooth, cool stone.

  Once she stood beside him, her eyes widened at the beauty all around. The cavern was bright with light that came from crystals that were embedded within. It made her feel as though she stood in the center of a precious jewel.

  With King Thane by her side, she spun around and took it all in, dripping with water, and not caring one bit.

  “I brought you here, because I wanted to show you the truth for which you have been desperately craving.”

  She paused, and glanced at him from over her shoulder. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  He nodded, and led her away from the crystal cavern and down a dark, narrow tunnel. They both had to duck down to make it through, and once she was deep within, her breaths became shorter, and labored, and anxiety that she might not make it out of the tunnel almost overtook her.

  King Thane must have sensed her anxiety, for he reached for her hand and helped her through. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, they stepped out to another larger cavern that was completely black.

  She breathed in the scent of sulfur and grimaced.

  “What is this place?”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Just clear your mind, and you’ll see.”

  She went silent, waiting for her vision to adjust to the darkness. It never did. As she stood there, her heart leaped into her throat as her body lifted from the cavern floor.

  She flailed, unsure of what was happening or what to do.

  “Relax,” King Thane’s voice said from far away. “Allow the magic to seep through you. Trust it.”

  That was easy for him to say. Trust was something she didn’t normally give freely.

  Whatever lifted her kept her steady, and before long, she began to lose her sense of where she was, what was up, and what was down. She closed her eyes, giving up on seeing, and allowed herself to become one with the darkness—one with the air all around her.

  The moment she relaxed, peace washed over her, and her facial and muscle tension dissipated.

  Once she embraced the sensation of pure quiet and stillness, her body jolted backward, contorting her body as her head craned backward, almost meeting the soles of her feet.

  She cried out, tears stinging her eyes from the shock and pain, and fear of what was to come.

  Then, her eyes opened to something she’d never thought she’d see again—someone she’d nearly forgotten.

  “Mother,” Elle breathed.

  There she was—the woman who had gave birth to her—the woman who had sent her to her grandparents as a little girl and never returned.

  Her throat tightened as a soft sob rose.

  Through a veil of tears, she looked at the woman whose face was nearly the same as her own. Pale skin that was illuminated by the darkness, vibrant red hair worn wild and curly. She wore a simple white dress, and it floated around her thin frame as she hovered before Elle, just out of arm’s reach.

  “Mother,” Elle repeated, and tried to get closer. To her dismay, the closer she got, the farther her mother became.

  “We haven’t much time, sweet girl,” her mother said, holding a hand out as if to tell her to stop trying to reach her. “But, there is much to tell.”

  She nodded, heart broken that she couldn’t embrace her mother. How many times had she dreamed of such a thing? To wrap her arms around her and breathe her scent again was all she wanted. To know why she left.

  “The Davidians are not to be trusted,” she said, and Elle’s heart dropped.

  Her stomach twisted, and a cold wave washed over her skin as if icy water had been poured onto her head.

  “Why?”

  “The matriarch is tainted. Her fate is sealed, and with that, so is yours.”

  Elle shook her head. Was she talking about the late king’s widow? “I don’t understand.”

  “You can change your fate,” she said. “By denying them the use of your power.”

  She still didn’t know what it all meant.

  “Who do you speak of, Mother?”

  Elle’s mother frowned. “The woman who killed me and your father. The woman who will destroy the world.”

  With that, she vanished into the darkness, a sour look on her face that would never fade from memory.

  It was a shame that was what she was left with—a shame she now knew the truth that broke her heart even more than the prospect of dying.

  “Mother,” she cried, covering her face with her hands, as tears sprouted forth. “Come back.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “The Davidians are the enemy, Elle,” King Thane said as she reached the ground once again, and regained her senses. “There is no way around it. If they heal their mother, and bring her to power, she will destroy us all.”

  Her heart broke at hearing those words—at hearing the truth. She wrung her hands, knees buckling as she tried to compose herself. She’d just seen her mother for the first time in years. Now, she was alone again, and didn’t know who to trust.

  Realization filled her, and her eyes widened, and she straightened her posture. She trusted her mother—or the wisp who s
he’d become.

  “We cannot let her gain power again. It is why the Serpent Sisters wish to kill you.”

  She shot him a glance.

  “Because you are the only one who can heal her. You are the only one who can break the curse.”

  Darkness. It smothered her as she opened her eyes and struggled to see. With hands outstretched before her, she ignited a vibrant glow. It was a light that could brighten any room, warm her when needed, or heal.

  King Thane glanced back at her.

  “You are special, Elle,” he said. “You have the gift and power to heal not just bodies, but minds, hearts, and souls.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “You can heal the world.”

  She stared down at her hands, and the swirl of color that encircled them.

  “And, with your healing, you can also destroy it by awakening the Davidian Clan’s dark power. They want you—yes—but their intentions are not pure. As the heir to their rival clan, and keeper of their healing power, they wish to use you.”

  She understood now, but that didn’t make it any easier.

  No, things were not much worse, and the breaking of her heart dimmed the light until they were cast back into darkness.

  “Dowager Queen Emrie Davidian is the daughter of the Great Wolf Witch, a powerful sorceress who nearly wiped out the entire elf, fae, and serpent race. Some might say she was responsible for bringing peace between us all, but the reality is that her actions only enslaved us. Who do they all serve now? The Davidians. We are the only ones who can resist the plague she set forth on the world. From our sky kingdoms we are safe, but we know that Emrie will find a way. It is her destiny. She will do whatever it takes to invade our kingdoms and wipe us from this world.”

  Elle sighed. It was too much to take in, and all she wanted to do was stand at the edge of Shiran and gaze into the depths of the sky. She wanted peace. Silence. How could she go on knowing what she now knew?

  “But there is a way we can prevent all of this.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at him.

  “To kill me,” she said, knowingly.

  “No,” he said, kneeling down to her. He took her hands into his. “We unite. You become mine, and we stand against the darkness.”

  Her brows furrowed, and as she blinked, the tears fell down her cheeks. She wiped them away.

  “How? I belong to Alexi Davidian. I’ve been claimed already. In body and soul.”

  He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb, and lowered his forehead to hers.

  “You have a choice in all things, Elle. You are the one with the power.”

  Her heart beat like a drum, and a gasp escaped her lips as she pulled away from him.

  What was he saying?

  She turned away, breathless.

  The truth rested in the dark depths of her racing heart, but she couldn’t speak it. She couldn’t make it real.

  She was falling for King Thane, and it terrified her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  They returned to the palace by nightfall.

  Instead of sending Elle back to her room, the king led her to his private bathhouse, where they bathed together under the dim light of a few torches along the dark, stone walls.

  She sighed, dressed in a white bathing gown that clung to her body, as she let the warm water caress her weary flesh. Everything that she’d experienced and seen had been more than she’d imagined. She and King Thane had shared something sacred, and that somehow brought them closer to one another.

  She watched him from her end of the rectangular pool of water as he draped his arms over the sides and looked back at her.

  She knew she was crazy for it, but she did trust him.

  With her life.

  After bathing, she was taken back to a dressing room and dressed in a new gown. She and King Thane dined on a short table, with the floor as their seating.

  The sweet scent of honey wafted along the breeze as a servant brought over a tray of spiced bread smothered in cream and honey.

  Once it was set on the table between them, Elle watched as he took a finger and scraped a bit of cream off the top.

  She licked her lips and he smiled at her.

  "Try it," he said, and moved closer, his finger at her lips.

  She met his gaze, and heat filled her belly as she took his finger into her mouth and licked the cream from it.

  The feel of his finger in her mouth was almost erotic, and something she'd never have thought of doing, but the intimacy of it was enough to make her heart race.

  He wiped a bit of cream from her mouth, and before she could react, he kissed her.

  Her heart now pounded in her chest as he took her by the back of the head and devoured her mouth. Every nerve ignited with need as he took her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled it before setting her free.

  A bit dazed, and woozy, she wasn't sure how to react or what to say.

  "Off to bed for me," he said, standing from their place on the floor.

  She looked up to him, unsure if she should protest or not. Instead of speaking her true feelings of desire, she held back and nodded, chewing the inside of her lip as she did so.

  No one awakened such a passion in her before, aside from Alexi, and they were bound to be together.

  As he left the room, she fell back onto the floor, exasperated. Her fingers laced into her hair and she exhaled, eyes squeezed closed.

  What was she going to do?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Once Elle returned to her room that night, her heart soared, and her head was clouded with joy, sorrow, and utter disbelief.

  King Thane was falling for her...and she was doing the same.

  When she closed the door behind her, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she stared at Maira tied up on the floor at her bedside.

  Terror flooded her veins as her eyes darted from that of Maira's wide-frightened eyes to every dark corner of her room. She covered her hand with her mouth, and ran to her new friend.

  “What happened?” Elle asked, as she worked on Maira’s binds, when she shook her head, and whispered.

  “No.”

  A gasp escaped Elle’s throat as someone grabbed her from behind. A large hand covered her mouth. Every muscle froze and she feared the tiniest movement as fear gripped her by the throat.

  With Maira on the floor, and someone holding her from behind, Elle knew what she had to do.

  She had to defend herself.

  Within seconds, she reacted.

  A gust of wind blew inside her room, breaking the balcony door, and nearly toppling her and her assailant over. It caught him off guard, and as she spun around, hair wild, and eyes determined, she froze, utterly stunned.

  It was him—her wolf.

  “Alexi!” Elle screamed and leaped into his arms.

  He wrapped his arms around her, and the wind stilled.

  “Elle,” he said, embracing her.

  She was stunned, unsure if this was true or a dream. When he kissed her, she knew it was really her white wolf. The scent of pine and campfires clung to his skin and clothing. The taste of his tongue reminded her of their night of passion.

  His strong arms around her was enough to convince her that the sensations she was feeling—the heat of his body—was real.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He kissed her again, and she could barely think clearly.

  When he pulled back, he held her at arm’s length. “Getting you out of here,” he said, searching her eyes.

  She swallowed, but the sound of guards outside didn’t give her a chance to think things through, or explain all that had happened—all she knew.

  He took her by the hand, and whisked her away. “Let’s go!”

  Together, they raced across the golden, stone floor.She followed behind, running as fast as she could, and Alexi led her outside to the balcony. When she’d first arrived in the Shiran Palace, she was determined to find an escap
e. Now, a tiny shred of remorse filled her veins as she thought of leaving King Thane behind.

  Once they were outside, Alexi gave her hand a squeeze.

  “Listen,” he said. “I need you to do something you’ve never done before.”

  Her brows lifted. “What is it?”

  “Trust me.”

  Her face paled, but when she looked into his eyes, the answer was right there within them.

  She nodded. “I do,” she said, and he took her face into his hands, and kissed her once more.

  It was then that she realized that something was amiss.

  Her gaze shot a look at her hands, and she gasped. A mist rose around her, and her fingers began to fade.

  She looked at Alexi.

  “What is happening?” Elle asked, eyes widening as her hand began to fade—and then her wrist. Panic washed over her, and her head became almost too heavy.

  “Dream with me,” he said, and his voice seemed to come from far away. “Use your magic, and combine it with mine.”

  She froze, throat tightened, and a chill raced up her spine.

  A quick look over her shoulder, and she watched as four armored serpents took flight and headed their way.

  “You have to hurry, Elle,” he said. “I cannot stay for much longer.”

  Confusion filled her mind, but she’d already agreed to trust him. So, she shoved her fear aside, and gave Alexi a nod, mustering her courage.

  “Close your eyes,” he said, and she obeyed.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, and all of the sounds of chaos around her were immediately muted. She wavered on her feet as magic encircled her and rose from her belly. The heat sparked and crackled and it was all she heard in that moment.

  With one hand holding hers, Alexi reached up and took her by the back of her neck, and whispered to her in ancient Enchantia.

  “Dobre noct.”

  A jolt shook her, and Alexi held tighter.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered.

  They dropped, as if the ground opened up for them. Her scream was caught in her throat as the descent began—the descent into an unknown void.