by Terry Spear
"How many of the dragon fae stood up against King Tibero and his ancestors when they slaughtered our parents, fearful that the shifters would become too powerful? I will not fight their war, nor will I kill them as they are still our brethren. Let them overthrow the prince if they do not wish his rule. We are here. And we are content to be here," her brother said.
Halloran was four years older than her, and nearly the oldest one of the dragon shifters after so many of their families were murdered. So, though she had led the dragon shifters here, and they had listened to her with regard to King Tiernan's rulings—since he treated her as the one in charge—the shifters still looked to her brother in a matter like this.
"I will be leaving tomorrow then with the hawk fae king and his soldiers. If someone would look in on my people while I'm away, I'd be grateful." Ena understood her brother's feelings and sympathized with him. But she was determined to fight Prince Grotto on this and help free Princess Alicia's mother.
"You know I will," her brother said.
Her suitors looked uneasy, as if they wished to go with her, maybe just because they loved a good fight, hated Prince Grotto for seizing their castles and what he had planned to do to them, or wanted to protect her, but still, no one stood up to her brother. They probably were more concerned about the business with killing their own kind while serving on the dark fae's side. They'd had grievances with them forever, though Princess Alicia, dragon fae heir to the throne, had married Prince Deveron, heir to the dark fae throne.
When the men disbursed, she headed into the keep to tell her staff what was going on, but they'd all been listening in on the discussion.
Ryker, her butler, and anything else she wanted him to be—though he had strict rules about what a butler did—was first to speak, as befit his position. "We want to go with you."
"Absolutely not."
"We can blend in. Be spies. Help you in many ways," he insisted.
"No. You stay here and take care of things." She tilted her chin down, giving every one of her staff members I-am-the-boss looks. It used to work. Then she'd brought her human prisoner, Brett, home, and he had turned everything upside down. Which again made her wonder how he was faring.
"What about Brett?" Ryker ventured.
She scowled at Ryker.
He should have looked sheepish for mentioning Brett's situation, but he didn't. She'd heard the hushed conversations between members of her staff—how much they wanted to sneak off and rescue him from the phantom fae. If the travel hadn't been so dangerous through No Man's Land, they might have done it. Although, they would never have managed to sneak him out either, she didn't believe. The phantom fae could be dangerous and she and her people had enough fighting just to make it safely here. Her staff, who were not trained warriors, could not manage against a hoard of phantom fae also.
"I just believe he should be with you," Ryker said.
"He is…is with the phantom fae. Which means he very well may fight on their side, if they take him along with them."
Ryker's countenance brightened. "Then you can rescue him."
Ena shook her head. "He may be one of them. What if I had to fight him?"
The women on her staff all gasped. Addie and Kerry were her cleaning maids, and while Brett had been gone, they had kept a chamber cleaned and ready for him just in case they rescued him and brought him home. Ena had never seen them clean so much in her life. At least, in Brett's chamber. If she gave the rest of the keep a white-glove treatment, she was certain she would find a ton of dust. Not that keeping a castle clean was easy, especially for as small as her staff was.
"It's possible. We don't know where his loyalties will lie," Ena said.
"He wouldn't take up arms against you," Lila, the cook said. Middle-aged, she acted as though she were Brett's mother. She didn't dare act like she was Ena's. "Not when you spared his life. He's loyal to you."
"If he's one of the phantom fae, that can change things in a heartbeat. He'll learn their ways and…well, we can't rely on the notion that he will be on our side."
"I can't believe that none of the dragon shifters would go with you," Jacob, the wheelsmith said, though he had joined her staff to help her move to the hawk fae lands so that he could earn enough money to set aside and start a family. But he hadn't seemed to want to leave anytime soon. "I would go with you, if you would allow me."
She shook her head. "You've been a great help to us. I'd be happy to keep you on my staff for as long as you wish, but like the others, your avocation isn't fighting. And I don't want to see you get yourself killed over this."
"Do you think the other shifters will change their mind about going when they see you leave?" Muriel, her lady's maid, asked, looking worried. Muriel was just as much a misfit as her housekeepers who had been fired as gardeners at their last place of employment. Muriel would say just what was on her mind with her employer—and that got her into major trouble and out of a job. Cook loved to try out new things in the kitchen. Some were a total disaster, and frugal employers didn't want to spend that much money on food that she could ruin on the chance that something might turn out.
Ena didn't care. She had enough money to allow Lila to experiment and sometimes the "new" dishes were extraordinary.
"It doesn't matter." Ena' own mind was made up. She didn't care if no one else would back her in this. "I must pack." She didn't think her staff would be foolish enough to follow her. But she gave them one last look to emphasize they'd better mind her. "If any of you follow me to the dragon fae kingdom to fight this war, I'll release you from my employ. So don't try me on this."
They all looked grim-faced, like they wanted to object, but didn't dare.
Good. She was a fierce dragon shifter after all, and she expected them to obey her and not question her authority in any matter. Just the way it should be.
***
The next morning, Ena's staff hurried to give her breakfast and pack her bags. Cook even prepared sweet treats for Ena for her flight. They looked just as grim-faced today.
"I have spoken with Queen Ritasia. She has assured me that you will be kept on at the castle here no matter what happens to me," Ena said, trying to be practical about this.
No one spoke to her and she figured they worried about her or were upset because she wouldn't take them with her. But she had no intention of risking their lives.
Her staff wished her well, and she reminded them again, "Your place is here. Unless you don't wish to work for me any longer."
They all nodded, assuring her that they would abide by her rules.
She hoped that they wouldn't try to run off and rescue Brett or try something else that was just as foolish.
"He won't fight against you," Cook said.
"What?"
"Brett. If the phantom fae make him fight on their side, he won't go into battle against you."
Everyone looked so serious, as if they were waiting for her to agree. Reassuring them, she finally said, "He probably won't be there."
But all able-bodied, male fae would probably be there, though as far as she knew, he was only human—a fae-seer, so she left it at that and took her leave.
She cast them a backward glance before she joined King Teirnan and his soldiers. She couldn't help it. She'd never had any reason not to trust her people when it came to staying put when she told them to. Not until Brett had come into their lives.
Chapter 4
The next morning, and apprehensive about the second day of trials, Brett knew something was the matter. All of the soldiers were dressing in light armor. Their armor was as silent as they were so they could battle against someone, he suspected.
He'd asked three of the queen's staff what was going on, but everyone ignored him.
Then he saw Freya. She was watching him in the Great Hall while everyone else scurried about, trying to get somewhere in a hurry. He stalked toward her and this time she didn't flee. Her arm was bandaged, and he immediately worried about her. "Freya, you wer
e injured?"
"'Tis nothing."
The bandage wrapped around her arm said otherwise. But he changed the subject for the moment. "What's going on?"
"We are fighting the kingdoms that are rallying against the dragon fae kingdom."
"Why? What's happened?"
She looked him in the eye. "You will be fighting with our people and we'll be allied with the dragon fae against our enemies, the dark fae and hawk fae. Maybe others, if they can rally more help to fight their cause."
Brett couldn't believe his ears. "No one has said a word of this to me. Why are they fighting?"
"King Tibero has been murdered."
Brett's heart raced at hearing the news. "Princess Alicia?" All he could think of was how upset she would be to learn of her grandfather's death and how the kingdom would be in turmoil. She was supposed to be the next to rule, but Brett knew Prince Grotto could be a real problem.
"She and Prince Deveron were away at the time. Her mother has been imprisoned." Freya let out her breath. "Prince Grotto—"
"Has taken over the kingdom." Brett knew it with a certainty. The prince had been angered that once King Tibero had discovered he had a granddaughter, next in line to be the queen, he had stated she would be, and that left Prince Grotto out in the cold. But Brett couldn't imagine Alicia's mother being imprisoned. She'd been under castle arrest once she returned home, wearing a jeweled retaining collar so she couldn't fae travel, under her father's rule. That was because she'd married a fae he didn't like. And then kept her daughter away from the fae realm, living with humans all these years.
Even though Brett had every reason to despise King Tibero, who would have ordered his death, and had attempted to force Ena to wed the despised Prince Grotto, Brett hated to think how upset the princess would be over learning of her grandfather's murder, most of all. Because she had asked Ena to take him in payment for her mission of freeing Princess Alicia, and Ena agreeing, the three of them were inexplicably tied.
"You feel something for this dragon shifter fae, Ena?" Freya tilted her head to the side, looking curiously at him, as if she couldn't understand how he would feel anything for her.
"I do. She saved my life."
"Have you not done the same for her?" Now Freya sounded as if she thought enough was enough. He didn't have any reason to do anything further for the dragon shifter.
"I have. But would do so again if it comes to that."
"The queen has suspended the mage trials because she feels you would better serve her in this endeavor and if you get yourself killed, so much the better."
"Why?"
"Your grandfather was a rebel and so were your parents. She fears you will be the same. You proved it when you struck Zane for sending a bolt of energy to kill the raven."
Brett studied her expression. "You were there?" He hadn't seen her anywhere.
Ignoring his question, Freya said, "She wants to use you as an example. Watch out for Zane. He will not be on your side. If he has the chance to kill you, he will. You have already beaten him at one of the trials he was sure to win. When you were able to ignite the sword in flames and fly, he was shocked. We all were. He might worry you're more powerful than he is. He wants to be the queen's mage more than anything else in the world. If you think to side with the hawk fae, that will seal your fate. They will be watching you."
"Where were you at the time?" He again looked at her arm.
"I was watching the proceedings. I…brought you the vase filled with water to douse your flaming sword." She glanced at the jeweled sword in his scabbard. "Did you return the enchanted sword to the guard?"
"He wouldn't take it back."
"Where is the guard's sword?"
"Still heating the water in my chamber."
She raised her brows.
"Thank you for bringing me the vase of water."
"You are most welcome. It is said the queen is the way she is because her mother murdered her father in a fit of rage over a disagreement concerning how to raise their daughter, Everlee. Then her mother tried to kill Everlee when she was sixteen summers because she was mouthing off at her. If Maracose, who had been her mother's Champion at Arms, hadn't stepped in to protect Everlee, she would have been dead. Maracose killed her mother to protect her. But I think the same madness that her mother had, rages through her daughter."
"It gives Everlee no right to kill innocents."
"I agree, but she is the queen."
Brett shook his head, and then changed the subject. "With these tattoos, I'll never be able to blend in with the other fae kind."
She studied his markings. "They are beautiful. And only our kind see them. How else do you think we could be considered phantom fae? We move about like phantoms, hard to detect when we don't want others to know we are about."
"But they just appeared."
"You have been given the sight. Your grandfather gave it to you before he died. You have always had the markings. No one can see them who is not one of us. Your mother probably didn't want you to see them and be confused, wishing you to believe you were human so that you could be safe in their world. Can you imagine if you had said something to foster parents about the tattoos they couldn't see? They would have thought you were crazy."
Brett was relieved. He feared that he wouldn't be able to blend in and fight alongside Ena. He wouldn't fight anyone but… "You said you needed me to save you." He glanced down at her arm. "How were you hurt?"
"You saw what happened."
Brett frowned at her. He would have stopped anyone from hurting her if he had seen it. "I never saw—"
"You did. You saved my life. And now, I'm bound to you."
He thought back to the times when he saw her, but not once had he witnessed anyone trying to injure her. "I don't…" Then he thought of Zane casting a spell to kill the raven, and how Brett could hear the raven's true voice. He stared at her in disbelief. "You can't be the…the raven. You are a familiar."
"Zane cursed me with a spell at the behest of the queen. I'm not a familiar, your familiar, or anyone else's." She folded her arms, looking highly annoyed.
"You don't know magic." He was disappointed. He had hoped she might help him learn something.
She shook her head.
"How can I help you?"
"You can't undo another mage's spell from what I've been told. You can't kill him or I will be like this forever. You have to—"
Footfalls headed in their direction.
"You have to convince him to restore me to my former self."
Like that would be easy. Maybe if he offered his life for Freya's? But there would be no guarantee the queen or the mage would go along with it.
"I must go. I wasn't to speak to you about this."
"He hurt you." The realization was finally sinking in that Zane had tried to kill her. "Why?"
"He does so to gain the queen's favor and to rile you."
Brett took her hand. "I'll do everything in my power to end his curse."
She bowed her head to him a little, looking sad, as though she didn't believe he would be able to do anything for her, but she had to ask. Then she vanished.
The queen's advisor headed in Brett's direction. "The queen has dictated that you will fight in the war against the dark fae."
"And the hawk fae?"
Maracose raised a brow. "Aye. Do not think to anger the queen in this matter should you fight on the dragon shifter's behalf. You are one of us and owe allegiance to our queen. Our people."
Brett didn't agree. He didn't know these people and he hadn't found any of them, except for the queen's advisor and Freya, to be supportive of him. "What of Freya?"
"She will go with us."
"No, she can't."
"She will. You are her only hope for ending the curse. She won't be dissuaded from following you into battle."
"Then you know she told me about her predicament."
"I knew she would." Then Maracose smiled a little evilly at Brett. "The queen
was not happy that you fought Zane's hydra with a sword. The only way she allowed you to live was because you used an ability to fly that was due to some use of magic, and you engulfed your sword in flames. But your skill with the sword was impressive as it made up for your lack of being able to use magic solely for the purpose of destroying the hydra. It might work in your favor if someone only believes you are able to use magic, but you are also able to fight using a sword."
"Like a paladin."
"A paladin?" Maracose looked puzzled.
"A chivalrous hero who wields both magic and a sword, or some other weapon like that." Brett was thinking of the video games he played where he loved to have both abilities and so he always chose being a paladin. He didn't believe Maracose would understand where he had come up with the term though.
"Did you ever learn how to extinguish the flame on your sword?"
"It isn't meant to be extinguished." But Brett knew he had to figure it out before he could travel anywhere with it. Thankfully, Freya must have taken pity on him or the queen learned of the trouble he was having and had sent her to help him, not wanting him to burn down the keep in the meantime.
Maracose shook his head. "Then you are not a great paladin. Not until you learn how to use your magic skills."
"How am I going to get to where we're going?"
"If you cannot transport yourself in the fae way still, you'll have to go with the supply train."
Brett suspected that would be an un-warrior or mage-like way. But it couldn't be helped. If no one would assist him in fae traveling… Freya. But he suspected she couldn't transport him while she was in her raven form and she couldn't stay in her human form long enough to take him anywhere, either.
"Get ready to leave. We'll be departing in an hour. And maybe while you're traveling, you can read up more on the spell books. When we finish this business, the queen will still require you to complete the next mage trial." Then Maracose tipped his head and strode off.
Brett figured if he survived the war while wielding both magic and a sword, he shouldn't have to complete any trial. He hurried back to his chamber and discovered the sword sitting in the tall vase of water was no longer on fire. He quickly pulled it out of the water, watched it to make sure it didn't suddenly burst into flames again, then set it aside. He sheathed the jewel-handled daggers and sword that Ena had given him. After that, he packed what little he had, grabbed the guard's sword, then headed out of the chambers where people were hurrying to get ready. He looked for the guard first, and finding him organizing his battle gear, Brett offered him his sword and thanks again.
