Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(30)

“She’s full fae now. How?”

“Kaelem gave her something. I don’t know exactly how it worked. He’s supposed to be helping her learn to control her powers.”

Raith wanted to say more, but they were interrupted.

Poppy stepped out from behind a tree. “He has to die.”

Jaser looked back and forth—to Raith, then Poppy, then Raith again. Raith wanted to believe his friend would stand by him, but to go against the new Summer King could be a death sentence.

More movement caught the attention of all three. Sage evanesced in front of Poppy.

Surprise covered Poppy’s face. Then her features turned lethal and she swung a dagger at Sage’s head as a war cry exploded from her lungs.

Sage ducked and pulled a sword out from a scabbard slung across her back, slicing it at Poppy’s stomach. With the protection of her battle armor, Sage twisted through the strikes aimed at her limbs and throat. Her sword cut through the air silently as she tried to pierce skin.

Poppy screamed as her daggers stabbed at Sage’s neck. Her attempts failed with block after block. As her right arm struck, a kick to the stomach sent Poppy flying backward, grunting as her body collided with a tree. Poppy blinked, frozen in place just long enough for Sage to leap through the air and raise her sword above Poppy’s head.

A wave of fear hit Raith: Poppy’s fear. He could only imagine the fury in Sage’s eyes as she held back the killing blow.

“Don’t kill her,” he said.

Sage flipped her sword around and swung its handle into Poppy’s skull.

“She’ll wake up. Probably with a headache.” Sage shrugged. She kept her sword out as she looked at Jaser.

“He’s a friend,” Raith said.

He didn’t want to hurt Jaser. But could he trust him? He’d take the chance.

“Let’s get out of here,” Raith said.

Sage slipped her sword back into the scabbard. “I told you not to leave.”

“You’ll learn quickly that Raith is a stubborn ass,” Jaser said. He looked to Raith. “Be careful.”

Raith nodded. Before he could say anything, Jaser added, “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Sage placed her hand on Raith’s shoulder and they evanesced away.



Scarlett was on edge the entire meal. She managed to eat most of her salad, but she only picked at the main course. She could sense both Kaelem and Cade stealing occasional glances at her.

So far, they were the only two fae rulers there at the Winter Court, aside from the Winter Queen herself. The rest would be arriving shortly. The lunch was to honor the most dedicated of her people, or so she had said in a toast before they ate.

Servers brought in the fourth and main course, topping off the guests’ wine and clearing out old plates. Scarlett had only seen high fae at the Winter Court so far, with no low fae or humans to speak of. She’d expected the ice all around to keep her cold, but the temperature was surprisingly pleasant.

As Scarlett stuck her fork into a piece of meat on her plate, she felt the bond weaken. She sighed with relief. Raith must have gotten away.

Kaelem smirked next to her. When she looked at him, he winked.

Thanks for letting me go.

He dipped his chin.

You’re still an invasive ass.

Scarlett chuckled under her breath. She wanted to hate him. He’d done the unforgivable by stealing her sister. But she still trusted him, at least enough to feel safe as his guest.

It might have just been a game to Kaelem, but he’d helped her survive. Without the pill he’d given her, she’d have died. Before that, he’d been the one to warn her of the ritual she’d face at the Blessing. And he’d come to offer his help training her to learn to control her magic.

She didn’t know why he’d done those things, but gratitude swirled with the anger she felt toward him.

Scarlett would have to sort out her feelings later. For now, she needed to focus on helping Kaelem and getting herself and her sister out of this mess.





Chapter Fourteen





When had Kaelem become so soft? Scarlett was there as his guest, which did not include pining after a fallen Summer prince.

Her emotions and mind were an open book—something she really needed to work on—and he couldn’t help but pity her desperation. Guilt crept in. He couldn’t erase the expression on her face when she’d seen her sister in the mirror. It had seemed like a good idea to Kaelem at the time—the perfect way to guarantee her loyalty.

Kaelem brushed the feelings aside. He had to focus on the mission. He could worry about feeling sorry for Scarlett later. As king, he’d learned to ignore remorse. Regret only lead to weakness, and as king, any sign of vulnerability could be used against him. Indifference made a strong ruler and he had no intention of being anything less.

After the meal was over, Nevina excused the guests to their rooms for a while. Except for Kaelem, who she requested meet her in the throne room for a private conversation.

“Why the grim face?” Nevina sat on her throne of ice, legs crossed and elbows resting on the arms of the throne.

The chill of the ice enhanced her powers even if magic hid its cold temperature from guests. That was why Winter Court fae were strongest in their own court, as was the case for all the courts in Faerie. Kaelem, on the other hand, gained a slight increase in power during the night, but he had plenty of magic coursing through him no matter the time or place.