My hair flew forward as the troll roared and stomped faster. Glancing over my shoulder, I sucked in a breath. I could see his head, surrounded by flying pixies as they gained on us.

  “Layanna!” Sarsia ordered. “Take my hand.”

  Now? Why would she want to hold my hand when we were trying to escape? My frown was met with a shaking of her hand, which I grabbed. As soon as our palms touched, she tugged me so hard, I almost fell to a stop.

  “I need your magic to create a spell that will stop them from coming any further.”

  Nodding, I indicated that she hurry. I couldn’t breathe from the running to reply, plus the Unseelie were looming closer and closer.

  Squeezing my fingers, Sarsia closed her eyes. What was she doing? The troll was going to catch up at any moment.

  A pixie arrow sliced through the air, landing in the earth beside me.

  Chanting loudly, Sarsia pulled on my magic. Heat spread over my palm as she raised her other hand and pointed towards the trees in front of us.

  Larnika and Trenton came to me, their faces a blur as my vision changed. Colours, unlike anything I’d seen, contorted their images, making them look peculiar.

  “What are you senseless people doing?” Trenton barked.

  Even if I wanted to reply, I couldn’t. Magic swirled through my mind, ice blue swirls playing over my eyes and blocking out my friends. The thrash of the Unseelie rumbled in my ears, the desperation in Trenton’s voice loud, but I was calm. My whole being remained settled.

  A push from the others disconnected me from Sarsia. She shook her head and swung round just as the first pixie flew down from above, ready to dive into us. Larnika thrust his sword forward, but the pixie struck into an invisible wall.

  “It worked!” Sarsia roared, throwing her arm in the air in celebration.

  As more and more Unseelie Fae bespattered against the barrier, I allowed my breath to return to normal.

  “You’re one wily witch,” Trenton said, gripping my arm. “Let’s go.”

  About to turn, I paused when the Unseelie fell still. The group were ample, at least fifty. They were meant to be enemies of the Seelie Court, and yet, I had felt the pain that resounded from the troll when he told me of their plight. They were meant to be the evil ones, weren’t they?

  “Princess Layanna,” a deep voice shouted over the frustrated moans of the fae.

  The hairs on my arms lifted away from the skin as his voice caressed it.

  Jordeek strode through the Unseelie, parting the way with his presence.

  My whole being shook as his green eyes narrowed on me. His jaw clenched when he reached the invisible wall, his hand resting on the handle of his sword that was slung low on his hip.

  “Jordeek.” My greeting was met with a quirk of his lip.

  “We need to go,” Larnika advised, his scowl deep as he directed it to the deviant king.

  We stared at one another, the bogus King and I, unable to look away.

  My heart swelled in my chest, forcing the air out of my lungs. Tingles ran up and down my spine as my friends tried pulling on my arms.

  “I’ve seen this very spell before,” Jordeek drawled.

  Sarsia snarled in his direction. “Liliya taught it to me before you kidnapped her and kept her hostage.”

  “Actually,” he replied, his eyes finally leaving me to glance at her. “She has chosen to stay and help me.”

  “She has?” Larnika asked quietly.

  Throwing his hands in the air, Jordeek spun on his heel, walking around and then facing us again. He gestured to the Unseelie as he pulled his lips into a grim line. “I keep telling you that I’m not as ruthless as you perceive me to be. I’m trying to save Althea, not destroy it.”

  “If that’s true,” Trenton piped up. “Why is there Unseelie living in our woods?”

  Waving his hand in dismissal, Jordeek came closer to the boundary between us, his gaze on me again. “Did you not tell them of our meeting? Surely, you informed them of my reasons for allowing the Unseelie onto my land?”

  My friends stared at me, their gazes boring into my chest and stretching it. Ah, my secret had come out in the most despicable way. Whatever softness had developed between us had evaporated. I had been a fool to believe that Jordeek was better than he liked others to believe.

  “We must leave,” I told the fae, ignoring the angry growl that erupted from Jordeek’s chest.

  Before he could say anything to tarnish my name, I spun and indicated that the others followed. We were in no position to fight. The dragons wouldn’t be able to reach us through the canopy of the trees, and the Unseelie were clearly loyal to Jordeek.

  “Don’t turn your back on me, Layanna Fairling,” the King shouted, his voice tight. Please.

  The last word was whispered in my mind. Allowing it to echo through my brain, I blinked as tears unexpectedly came to my eyes. Our pull was strong, and yet, I had to walk away.

  You can’t run from me forever, his voice said softly in my mind. We are destined to meet again.

  My pace increased as the others followed, their footsteps solid as we left the forest and mounted our dragons. No matter what happened, I would never allow myself to fall in love with my enemy.

  Jordeek Glyneria had committed atrocious acts, acts that I could not ignore. He would be beaten and overthrown.

  It had been my promise, and I was ready to keep it.

  Chapter Ten

  “What do you mean you kissed Jordeek?” Trenton squirmed at my confession.

  Staring across the fields, I shuddered at the black smudge in the distance. The dragons had flown us South, nearer the woods that lined the palace boundaries. Marli didn’t live far, but I had asked the others not to call on her until first light. The sun was rising now, washing the green and black fields with rays of sunlight.

  Glancing at the fairy, who stood to my left, I pursed my lips. “I know, I... it was a moment of weakness.”

  Larnika’s cheeks were bright red, his eyes wide and unrelenting. He stood in front of me, trying to block my view out to the palace. The hill rose high in the far distance, but the palace, once glistening from the reflection of gilded coloured glass, was dull and almost invisible.

  The shroud had travelled much further in only thirty days. When we had flown over the land, we had seen it spreading out in long tentacles, stretching towards the borders of Althea.

  “It’s coming from the castle,” I said quietly as I looked around Larnika. “It was extremely clear from high up.”

  Scowling, Larnika moved out of my way. The dragons were behind us, basking in the dawn’s warmth. They had hunted discreetly, being careful to mind the land and only take the amount of animals needed to survive.

  I noticed that, my Queen, Cerys said in my mind. It looked like a poison has started within the palace and leached out.

  “Do you think Jordeek’s energy is creating it?” Sarsia muttered, almost flinching when I glanced at her.

  Were they afraid of my reaction to their reaction? They hadn’t mothered me up until now, I doubted very much they would suddenly start just because I had dallied with the enemy. Although, they certainly had something to say about it.

  “His energy is changing.” Sighing, Trenton shrugged when all eyes turned to him. “What? I noticed it in the woods last night.”

  “He does seem to have softened somewhat,” Larnika agreed begrudgingly.

  We had managed to sleep fitfully for an hour or so, but the days ahead weighed heavily on my mind, making it hard for slumber to pull me under. The cries coming from the distance reminded me of the Night Crawlers that wandered the woods when darkness fell. I hadn’t encountered them since that first night and hoped to never see them again. Luckily, we were safe out in the fields, away from the cover of trees. I had given up trying to sleep just before dawn, and seemingly, so had the others.

  “Something is coming from the palace. We need to investigate it.” My words were meant for my own thoughts, but they tumbled out before I could stop them.

  “Layanna?” Sarsia took my arm, tugging me gently. “We’ll investigate the shroud when we’ve overthrown Jordeek.”

  Someone clearing their throat made us spin around. A mist appeared in front of us, followed by bright blonde hair and an endearing nose.

  Sarsia gasped and ran to her witch friend, Marli, the one who had helped us when I first arrived in Althea.

  Clasping her in a hug, Sarsia exclaimed in excitement. It had been over thirty days since we had left Marli to go on a journey to find the dragons, who bristled, all of them coming to a stand.

  “You did it,” Marli breathed, patting Sarsia on the back as she stared over her shoulder. “They’re incredible!”

  A surge of pride rushed through my blood, making me stand proud.

  Larnika, on the other hand, stepped forward and put himself between the witch and myself. “How did you find us?”

  Blinking, Marli released Sarsia and frowned at the fae who had his hand ready to grab for his sword. “I felt the presence of Sarsia. Witches are connected, as you well know. Not only that, whispers of your return have been circulating around the kingdom.”

  Inclining his head, he kept vigilant, his gaze darting around us. “And what news do you have for us?”

  Smiling, she shook her head, her finger wagging. “Ever the Althean Guard! He doesn’t change, does he?” she asked Sarsia.

  Shrugging, Sarsia blushed, her cheeks flaring bright red as she gazed at Larnika. Marli glanced at me with raised eyebrows.

  My amused expression told her everything she needed to know.

  “Well, I do have a request from the High-born Fae.”

  Our backs stiffened as we watched her. She flung her long blonde hair over her shoulder and crossed her hands over her waist.

  Larnika took a step forward, his impatience evident in the way he hopped from one foot to the other. “Go on!”

  “They would like the Princess to visit them at the enchanted falls. Now.”

  “And what do they want?” I asked, trying my hardest to sound like I knew what I was doing.

  The nobles of the Seelie Court would have high expectations of me. Would I be good enough for them? The doubts filtered in, making me question everything that I had learnt on my journey so far.

  Have faith in yourself, my Queen, Cerys thought in my mind.

  “They want to help you in your quest to overthrow Jordeek.”

  Her words were spoken with a truth I could detect. That hadn’t happened before. It was as if I could feel the vibration of them, knowing if they were true or false.

  “Then we shall go,” I said, offering my hand.

  The others blocked the way, their shouts of protest agitating the dragons. They huffed, some releasing smoke into the air.

  Marli stared, her eyes not blinking once as Cerys stood beside me.

  All is well, I assured them. I will return soon.

  Their grunts of acceptance made me smile as Marli stepped forward and took my hand.

  The scene around us changed, contorting until it formed into a beautiful small meadow with a trickling waterfall, not unlike the one I had been under on Dragonscale.

  The grass was long with pretty dots of flowers of pinks and orange. The rocks that formed the falls were piled on top of one another, reaching up towards the sky, but never quite touching it. The water cascaded into a pretty pool, which was lined by sand. Fairies danced across the water, their bright dust leaving trails of colour.

  “Here they are,” Marli said, gesturing to a group of three people.

  Trenton suddenly appeared in front of us, growling up at me. “I’m the leader of the fairies, remember?”

  Marli waved a hand indifferently, a smirk colouring her face. “Yes, yes, you’re welcome here, too.”

  Moving closer to the other fae, I swallowed hard and tried to quell my rattling nerves.

  A tall thin woman with long purple hair that almost touched her feet, bowed low to me.

  A man with high cheekbones and plush orange hair smiled kindly, inclining his head.

  The third noblewoman was aged, her grey hair woolly around her small head. She looked elderly, and yet, her eyes were sparkling with a magic I had never seen, tiny specks of light dancing in them.

  Trenton greeted the fae with a warm smile and slight bow as he went to stand beside them. Each one of them were leaders of their own kind. The old wise woman was a witch, head of the Althea Coven. The man was the High-lord of the High-born Fae; Larnika had told me about his fair kindness. The young woman was the queen of the merfolk who lived in the lakes in Althea. They had forgone their Unseelie ways, preferring to live a private life away from the land and humans.

  “Layanna Fairling,” the elderly woman addressed me. “My name is Flaya. I’m sure your protectors have taught you all about us.”

  Smiling broadly, I kept my head held high, even though my insides quaked. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My companions informed me on everything Althea, including the kingdoms brilliant leaders. I just want to give you my gratitude for looking after Althea while I was gone.”

  Raised eyebrows spread across the three elders.

  Marli stood aside, her eyes watching the proceedings closely. Would she judge how our meeting went? Were they on alert to take me down if I didn’t live up to their expectations?

  The birds sang prettily in the trees, joining the chorus of the tumbling water. I tried to concentrate on the people in front of me, but the beauty of the place summoned me to investigate.

  “Shall we sit?” I asked when I spotted a circle of small boulders, placed perfectly around a fire pit.

  They glanced to where I pointed, shaking their heads when they spotted the stones.

  “That’s the circle of elders.” Trenton fidgeted as he spoke. “A queen doesn’t join us in our discussions. It’s below her.”

  “Nonsense!” My sharp retort made their eyes widen. “Unless I’m not wanted there, of course.”

  Flaya stepped forward and took my hand in a tight grip. “You are very welcome to join us, however, there’s no time. We must tell you why we have requested an audience.”

  Her words were suddenly rushed. I understood, we had to get on with our quest, otherwise Jordeek would bring the Unseelie and the Althean Guard to us before we could get to him.

  “Please, tell me what it is you want.”

  The others were allowing the witch to take the lead.

  I stayed quiet, waiting for her request. My insides quivered at the idea of what they could want. Maybe they would ask me to step down and not attack Jordeek. Or would they want me to leave the dragons?

  “We have raised an army to assist you.” Flaya glanced around, checking to see if there were any lingering souls in the woods.

  It was quiet beyond the beautiful clearing, the leaves bristling ever so slightly. There was no one out there.

  Her words sank in as I moistened my lips. “You have?”

  They all nodded enthusiastically, their eyes bright when they glanced at Trenton.

  He looked up at me, shrugging when I raised my eyebrows.

  “I may have persuaded them that our cause was just,” Trenton said. “Not only that, the shroud has been spreading faster and faster. Before I left, I explained our quest. They’ve obviously been working hard while we’ve been away.”

  “We are dedicated to our real queen. I don’t believe that Jordeek is as evil as his father,” the younger girl chirped with a pretty voice. “But, we don’t want our land to die out.”

  “No.” The witch glanced down at the ground. “He’s shown kindness to some Seelie and the way he’s defying the Unseelie King warms me to him... but only very slightly. We must stop his rule so our land can return to the way it was.”

  Stepping forward, the man stared at me. “It’s obvious that you’re the queen of our legend. However, I’ve heard rumours since you’ve been back that you’re Queen of Dragonscale now. Is that true?”

  “Only by default,” I replied, wishing the ground would swallow me up. “I’ll correct that soon enough.”

  “We care not about that right now.” Flaya tutted, waving away the man’s query. “When will we attack Jordeek?”

  Glancing around at those gathered, I studied their faces and felt for their truth. Their energy was true, and it seemed that Trenton trusted them.

  When I looked at him, he nodded his head quickly, answering a question I didn’t even need to ask.

  “Tomorrow,” I said, finally making up my mind about the man who had made my knees quiver with a brush of his lips.

  Tomorrow would be the day that I bury all my rising feelings for the tyrant and take him down.

  Once and for all.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jordeek

  The thundering of blood in my ears caused me to shudder. Almost stumbling up from the glass throne, I turned to look at Helania, the piece of paper in my hand slowly crunching as my grip tightened.

  “My King,” she muttered. “I see the blood now.”

  I didn’t need to hear anymore. Shaking my head, I swallowed hard. “Does the Unseelie King win?”

  The note in my hand was sent by the tyrant, threatening me of war. He was currently sitting on the border of Falonia, ready to cross into Althea with ten thousand troops.

  The watery eyes of the oracle I had named Helania flickered three times before her soft lips opened. “Not if you seek aid.”

  “Aid?” I spat. “From where? I have seven thousand men, including the Unseelie in the woods. That’s if they don’t run back to their ruler!”

  My knuckles hurt from where I squeezed my fingers in on themselves. My words had risen into a shout, echoing around the throne room. The squeak of the door alerted me of Jin and Liliya’s entrance.

  I stared at Helania, waiting for her reply. She ducked her head, her eyelids covering her bright irises as she refused to answer.

  “Sire,” Jin said, striding across the long carpet. “We know where Layanna and the dragons are. Shall we attack?”