Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(10)

On cue, her stomach grumbled. She hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, but apparently it was lunchtime there.

The dining room was just as modern as the exterior of the palace—such a contrast to the Summer castle. The food, on the other hand, reminded Scarlett of the meals she’d had in Faerie. More delicious, even.

A small creature that Scarlett learned was a brownie brought her meat, which Scarlett thought was turkey, with an apple cinnamon glaze dished on top. The brownie was short and clearly not human, with long, thin limbs, large ears, and a pointy nose. Its narrow eyes avoided Scarlett’s gaze. Were they slaves?

“Brownies serve the high fae and in return are given room and board underneath the homes they work for and whatever food they desire.”

“So slaves who get to live inside the plantation mansion instead of a shack outside? How generous.”

“The fae world is different than the mortal world you come from.”

“Or maybe the two are more similar than you realize.”

She’d learned of the horrors of slavery in school. Plenty of plantation owners condoned it by claiming they kept the slaves fed and clothed. Freedom was overrated, they asserted.

Kaelem stared at her. If he was listening to her thoughts, he chose not to comment.

As a brownie placed a loaf of bread next to Scarlett’s plate, she thanked him.

He froze, eyes briefly meeting hers then darting to the ground, then exited the room.

With a guilty stomach, Scarlett savored every bite. She hadn’t eaten in hours and, though she disagreed with using any creature as a slave, she had to eat regardless and the food was delicious. Even her taste buds had become more sensitive with her transition. It was as if she could taste each individual flavor from the nutmeg in the glaze to the salt and pepper sprinkled on the turkey. After the main course came dessert.

“When do we start?” Scarlett asked after she finished her last bite of chocolate cake with a raspberry frosting spread on top. There was also cheesecake and a lemon meringue pie, but her stomach was too stuffed to even consider anything else.

“Humans, always in a rush.” Kaelem licked the frosting off his fork.

Scarlett imagined him licking every inch of her.

Ugh. Stop. Not again.

Kaelem laughed. “You’re too much fun.”

“I’m not human anymore, remember?”

“Technically, no. But you’ll have to get used to yourself as fae before you quit acting like one.”

“I’ll ask again. When do we start?”

“The Unseelie Court comes alive at night. I could show you the town.” Kaelem wiped the frosting that lingered on his lips with his index finger then stuck it in his mouth. When Scarlett put her hand on her hip and just glared at him, he said. “Tomorrow. We start tomorrow.”



Cade thought, after becoming king, his mother would stop summoning him like a child.

He thought wrong.

As king, he could refuse her, but king or not, he didn’t want to find himself on her bad side.

“Mother,” he said as he stepped into the parlor. “You wanted to see me?”

Two servants fanned Kassandra as she relaxed on the chaise by the window. Another played the piano. “Leave us.”

The servants all obliged.

“Sit.”

Cade obeyed, taking the chaise across from her. Candles in golden holders hanging on the walls lit the room as the sun set outside.

“I’m so proud of you, my son,” Kassandra said. “You’ve shown such strength in your first months as king.”

He hadn’t done anything, really. He’d thrown a ball to celebrate his victory and made an effort to make public appearances to his people. There had been no threat to face or treaty to negotiate. So far, his time as king had been quiet.

Kassandra flicked her hand, lighting the fireplace across the room. “Now that you’ve settled into your new role, I think it’s time to discuss your future.” She resumed her perfect posture, stiff in body and expression. Her green eyes pierced Cade as if waiting for a response.

Did she want him to find a wife? Already?

Kassandra folded her hands in her lap as she glanced at the vase full of red Ranunculuses sitting on the end table next to the chaise. “Your father was a wonderful king. He always had the best of intentions. But he was an idealist and never understood our place as fae in the world.”

“What do you mean?” Everyone loved Cade’s father as king. He won the war against Winter and kept peace with the other courts until his death.

“He always took pity on the humans—their frailty and emotional weakness—but it cost our court. We defeated the Winter court as a fluke. Had the general not accidentally killed the Winter King, they would have taken us down. And now, I fear his daughter, the Winter Queen, will retaliate.”

“But it’s been fifty years.”

“She needed time to learn how to rule, and what is a half century to us fae? We need to prepare for any possibility. You’re a new king. Our court is vulnerable.”

“What are you suggesting?” Cade stared out the window behind his mother, the sun now hidden behind the forest. His court was peaceful, his people safe. What if someone tried to ruin it?

“We are at our strongest when feeding off of human emotion. Your father’s policy to never take humans against their will was admirable, but not practical.”