by Mindy Hayes
“Calliope?” Evan prompted.
“No, Evan. I haven’t.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Will you please give me a minute?”
“But, Your—” he caught himself. “Calliope, I truly feel that there is more to discuss. There are only so many hours in a day and—”
“Evan,” I said sternly. “If you would like me to have a clear head when I make these decisions, I need a minute to myself.”
“Yes, Calliope.” He bowed at the waist and stepped out.
I felt the tears rise behind my eyes and choke my throat, but I swallowed them back. I couldn’t show weakness. I was Queen of Faylinn now. I couldn’t show them how petrified and inadequate I felt. But this was too much. What did I get myself into? I needed guidance. I needed my dad.
• • •
“Where are you headed off to?” Kai appeared by my side as I walked out of the atrium.
“I … I wanted to do a little more exploring. I thought I’d go see Allura.”
“You don’t think I know the kingdom well enough to guide you?” he challenged, back to being the Kai I knew.
I peered up at him. He really wasn’t the person I could talk to about bonding, but at least he’d get my mind off it. Most likely, he’d be obnoxious in the process, but a distraction was a distraction. “Do you want to be my guide?”
“Not particularly, but I’d like to at least be asked.”
“Exactly. Why would I ask you when I already know the answer?”
“It’s the thought that counts,” he mumbled, which earned a quiet chuckled from me.
“Kai, would you mind showing me more of the kingdom?” I asked, overly sweet.
“Since I have to tail you anyway I might as well.” He sighed.
I lifted my palms to him. “No need to do me any favors. I don’t need pity here.”
“Who said anything about favors? It’s merely convenience. Besides, Allura is at the Harvest Borough. She’s unavailable.” He pulled his flute from who knows where and began twirling it in his fingers.
“Lead the way then.”
We reached the front doors when he asked, “Where have you been so far?”
I named off the places where the Craftsmen and Weavers worked as well as the Harvest Borough.
“So she showed you the basics. Good. That leaves us with the adventure. I think you could use a little fun. Are you doing better today?”
My face dropped. Of course he had to bring it up. “I don’t really want to talk about that right now.”
“Okay,” he said softly. “Here we come, Novalora.”
“Where?”
“C’mon.” He knocked his head to the side with his crooked grin and vaulted toward the forest, kicking off of the first tree for momentum. Heads twisted in our direction as we passed, watching with curiosity as we dashed deeper into the trees.
I was doing a pretty good job of keeping up with his winding and unpredictable course until one second he was there and the next he vanished.
“Kai?” Silence answered me. I dropped down to the ground and scanned my surroundings. “Kai, I’m not laughing. This isn’t funny.”
He didn’t respond, and I was beginning to feel uneasy. He had taken such an indirect route I wasn’t sure I would be able to find my way back without him.
“Kai!”
“Ha!” His head jetted upside-down in front of my face.
It was a reflex. He probably regretted scaring the crap out of me when my fist met his face.
Kai grunted and fell to the soil, caught off guard. “Dang, Calliope.” He shifted to his knees.
“You scared me, you jerk!” I couldn’t help but laugh at the look of disbelief plastered across his face. It was priceless.
He grabbed his jaw as the side of his mouth turned up. “You pack a mean punch for such a little thing.”
“Told you I could handle myself.” It was hard not sounding a little smug.
“I can see that.” Kai chuckled warmly, and it was the most comforting sound I’d heard in weeks. “Well …” He adjusted his jaw. “We’re here.” He turned to face what appeared to be a wall of greenery, but he brushed aside some dangling vines and revealed a cave opening. “After you.” His arm fanned out in front of him, coaxing me to go inside.
“Yeah right. I may trust you, but not that much. You go first. I’ll follow.”
He gave me a you’ve got to be kidding me expression with a heavy sigh and eye roll, but conceded. “Fine. Follow me.”
I remained close behind him, still unsure of our surroundings. We didn’t venture very far when I saw light cascading from the other side indicating another opening. I heard birds chirping, a trickle of water, and quick fluttering wings. When we reached the mouth of the cave I gasped.
“This is Novalora, Land of the Pixies.”
A whole new realm resided behind those vines. A completely different world existed from Faylinn. I had thought nothing could be more enchanting than Faylinn, but this place was something else entirely. Miniature cottages dotted the trees dripping with oversized wisteria and bright moss. Pixie’s fluttered about, springing from giant wildflower to giant wildflower. Their wings spread out, dwarfing their dainty bodies.
“I have no words.”
Kai didn’t reply. When I looked over at him he was staring at me, wearing a genuine smile that buckled my knees. “I thought you might like it.”
I smiled back and scanned the unreal woodlands. Flowers the size of my head bloomed, and those red and white mushrooms sprouted to my height. I felt like a munchkin in Munchkinland, being towered by nature that I should normally tower over. “But I thought you hated pixies.”
“Shhh … I don’t hate pixies.” He looked around like a cornered animal, but they weren’t paying attention to us. “They’re harmless. It just tends to be annoying when they buzz around your ears or think they are helping do your job when they aren’t.”
I chuckled. “They are fascinating. Are their clothes made out of … flower petals?”
“I guess. I don’t really pay that close attention to their attire.” One landed on his shoulder. Her clear wings flickered rapidly. She started talking, but it was so fast, I couldn’t even begin to tell you what she said. There was no deciphering it.
“Am I supposed to understand her?”
Kai chuckled with a shake of his head, peering over at the pixie. “No. It’s supposed to sound like gibberish.”
I could have sworn she was scolding me, but her tone was too sweet to sound angry. She wagged her finger, flitted to his cheek, and kissed him, her tulip dress swinging like a bell. And then she was gone.
“Looks like someone has an admirer.”
“Ha! Yeah. I’ve got the pixies lining up. Who’s next?” he hollered into the woodlands.
They all went suddenly still, their attention set on him. Before he knew what was happening, they swarmed him, hovering around every inch of his body.
“Whoa! Hey now! Hey!” He shot back through the cave faster than I could follow because I was doubled over with laughter.
When I entered back into Faylinn I was still laughing, unable to control my amusement especially when I saw he was doing quite the little dance to shake them off.
“A little help?” he hollered to me.
“What’s the matter, Kai? Can’t handle a few little pixies?”
“Calliope!” I knew he wasn’t really in distress. I thought about letting him suffer for just a few more minutes. This could be entertainment for hours. But I decided to intervene instead.
I brushed the back of my hands across the pixies like I would to shoo away a bug, and they began to scatter.
When the last one had flown away he turned to me as I tried to stifle my laughter behind my fist.
“You think that was funny, don’t you?”
“Funny? That was downright hilarious!” I didn’t hide my satisfaction then, relishing the humor of the situation at his expense.
He spread his arms apart. “All
right. Laugh it up. Enjoy this now because your moment will come, and I’ll laugh all the way home while you try and kick the trolls off your ankles.”
I stopped then, sobered by the thought. He laughed at my expression.
“You’re not serious, right? You wouldn’t let them attach to my ankles.”
“They wouldn’t hurt you. They just like pretty things.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but came up short when what he said registered. He thought I was pretty? “But…you said trolls were hideous; I don’t want those things touching me! Pixies are small and cute and harmless!”
“Relax.” He continued to chuckle at my terrified outburst. “Relax. I wouldn’t leave you. I might watch for a little bit for some good entertainment, but I wouldn’t leave you.”
“Punk.” I shoved his shoulder and began to walk away.
“Umm, My Queen, with all due respect …” I turned when he didn’t continue. “The kingdom is that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction.
“Whatever.” I rerouted in the direction that he pointed and endured his quiet chuckles all the way back to the village.
Just before we hit the meadow we were stopped. “What kinds of trouble are you two kids getting yourselves into?” I looked up to see Allura with her hands on her hips, perched on a tree limb coated in dark pink moss.
“Not enough,” Kai chuckled wryly.
“Kai was just showing me a little bit more of Faylinn since we didn’t get it all covered before and giving me a bit of entertainment in the process.”
“How thoughtful of him,” she mused.
“Not necessarily, since I basically had to drag him along.”
He scoffed, and I smirked at him.
“Well, then let’s ditch him and go have the real fun.” She stepped off the branch, landing gracefully in front of us.
I looked to Kai, though I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t need his permission. But I didn’t want to be rude either. He merely shrugged.
“Get along, little one.” Allura shooed him off with her hands. “We don’t need an entourage. Just simple ol’ girl time.”
“Thank you for sparing me. Declan will want to check on Calliope in a little while though. Where will you be going?”
“Maybe we don’t want anyone knowing where we are going,” Allura goaded.
“Unfortunately, sister, that’s not up for you to decide. Calliope’s safety comes first.”
“Fun crusher.” She made a face. “We’re just heading to Crystal Falls.”
“Just be on your guard, Allura. I know you can handle yourself, but Miss Delicate over here hasn’t been properly trained. And Declan will have my head if anything happens to her.”
“Hey,” I protested. “I thought we already established I’m not completely helpless.”
“Yes, do shine that death glare of yours. It’s sure to knock a predator right off its feet.”
“Oh, lay off, Kai. I’m sure she can hold her own. She seems feisty enough to me.” She eyed me up and down. “And what predators do you really think are going to swarm Crystal Falls in broad daylight? We’ll stay in the boundaries unless you fear another kingdom will invade our forest when they have one of their own.”
“Just don’t lose her or let her fall out of a tree.”
“Oh my gosh. Would you stop treating me like I’m not here? Or like I’m completely handicap? We’re fine, Kai. Just go,” I pressed.
Allura chuckled. He finally nodded, giving in.
• • •
Allura took me on what seemed like a wild goose chase. We did a little serpentine in the trees. Up, down, right, left, diagonal. Had I not become more familiar with leaping through the trees, I might have stopped to puke.
“Are you trying to lose me?” I called up to her.
“Just keeping thing interesting,” she called over her shoulder.
“Sometimes it scares me how much you are like your brother.”
“There’s no way Kai is as amazing as I am.”
I chuckled.
She slowed and I followed her through an arch in the trees that opened up into an alcove. A sparklingly clear body of water set under an idyllic waterfall flowed before us. Boulders wrapped around the lake mingled with multicolored vines and foliage. The towering trees framed the lake like a landscape masterpiece.
“We have this, and the Harvest Borough is your favorite place to be?”
“It’s pretty gorgeous. I know.” She shrugged out of her vest and shimmied out of her shorts. Luckily, fae underwear looked more like bikinis than underwear, though not as supportive, it was still comfortable. Her flawless swan dive into the lake didn’t give me the confidence to follow suit. I cautiously climbed over the rocks and eased into the water.
“Yeah … I’ll probably be coming here every day.” I waded across to her near the waterfall.
“I come here to relax. It’s quiet. It’s far enough away that no one really comes here that often.” She turned and sighed. “And it’s still in the confines of Kai’s idea of a secure boundary.” Her eyes rolled, but I saw the glint of affection in her eyes when she said his name.
“Man, he really does like to keep a close eye on you.”
“It gets a little obnoxious. But I know why he does it.”
I nodded and dipped my head under the fresh water. When I came back up I confessed, “I spoke with Brokk and Raina yesterday.”
Her face darted to me. “And?”
“And what is there to say?”
“What did you say to them?”
I exhaled and let my body float on the water. If I hadn’t wanted to talk about it, I shouldn’t have brought it up, but it was eating me alive from the inside out. “I forbid them to see one another in private anymore, and I ordered them to bond within their own colony.”
“Brutal,” she breathed.
“I had to be,” I shot up defensively. Wasn’t it Declan and she who told me that I had to do it?
“No, I mean brutal for you,” she quickly amended. “I can see what a romantic you are. That must have been a really difficult conversation to have. I’m sorry.”
My shoulders sagged and I nodded. “Thanks.” I needed a shift in gears. I needed mindless girl chat. “Allura, what do you know about the Royals?”
“Which ones?” She let her dreads soak under the waterfall.
“I don’t remember all of their names. The ones Evan expects me to bond with.”
Allura contemplated my question with a finger to her lips. “Though I don’t know all the ones Evan wants you to bond with, I do know of quite a few attractive Royals waiting to be bonded. At least they should be in line for bonding by now.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“Allura,” I chuckled. “I don’t want you to play matchmaker; I just want to know for the future what I’m getting myself into.”
“I would never play matchmaker.” She smirked. What a horrible liar. “But you’ll be expected to bond soon. You’re at the ripe age, and I would not complain if you needed me to help you. Maybe we should have a line up and we can pick my favorite.” My eyebrows lifted, and I shook my head in amusement. “Or … your favorite. Here … how about we compromise? We can pick our favorite.”
“Allura!” I playfully splashed water at her.
“It would be so much fun. We could have a tournament! Categories: The Greatest Hunter, The Fastest Leaper, The Strongest Protector. Oh, I’m enjoying the image of these challenges already.”
“Oh my gosh …” I blushed and sunk under the water to cool off.
Watching Allura babble on made me think of Lia. I had to push back the thought of her face; it made me miss her too much.
I resurfaced and Allura continued, “In all seriousness though…Tomas from Callastonia always thought he was the greatest gift from the Fates. He’s gorgeous, but he totally knows it. I’d steer clear.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. It would have been useful to talk to you before the Awakening. He thought it was appropriate t
o ask me to bond with him after one dance. It wasn’t even just a no, but a no-way-in-the-history-of-all-faeries no.”
She laughed then her mouth twitched to the side as she contemplated further. “There is Marcas of Oraelia. He knows his way around a bow and arrow. Definitely an attractive trait.”
“He’s the one with the really short black hair?”
“Yes. Quite the hunk. The strong, silent type.”
“Kai seemed unsure of him.”
Allura looked at me, clearly amused. “Kai’s unsure of everyone.”
I pursed my lips, agreeing with her. “Where’s Oraelia?” I think I had asked Sakari, but I had forgotten.
“Australia.”
“I can’t believe that through the Oak we can go nearly anywhere in the world. I’ve always wanted to travel the world.”
She smiled. “It is nice to get out every once and awhile.”
“What do you know about Sakari?” I let the name roll off my tongue. It seemed so natural now. He was the one that kept coming back to me. Not one other Royal stood out to me as a legitimate choice.
“I do remember he didn’t really get along with Kai,” Allura commented.
“Does anyone really get along with Kai?”
She gave me a knowing look and snickered. “No one aside from Declan.” She paused. “And you.”
“You obviously haven’t spent much time with me and Kai. Or were you not just present for our most recent conversation?”
“Calliope.” Allura was the only one in Faylinn who never tried to address me formally, and I liked her that much more for it. “Kai spent two cycles of the moon away from home for you. It wasn’t because of a lack of important things to do here. Don’t get me wrong … though it scared me to death, I know he made the right choice by sticking his neck out on the line for you, but he didn’t have to. He wasn’t the one ordered to kill you. He didn’t even know you existed until almost a year ago when he followed Declan and demanded to be involved.”
“Demanded?”
“What? You think he was about to let Declan have all the fun in defying Favner?” She chuckled lightly. “That kid was determined to take Favner down. And if it meant protecting a pretty girl in the process … it was like drawing a moth to a flame. He couldn’t help himself.”
