Forever Fae (Forever Fae #1)(14)
“My daughter asked about you,” the king says. I can sense a hint of humor in his statement and I wonder what it’s all about. It got my attention and I almost smile, but decide against it.
I say flatly, “Really? What did she say?”
“She asked who you were. She knew you were from the Winter Court, but didn’t know who you were so I told her. Calista has never shown an interest in anyone so I was shocked that she asked about you. Do you have any idea why she would have an interest in you?” He asks curiously.
I shrug my shoulders and look like I have no clue. I do have an idea and I share the same interest in her, but I am not going to tell him that.
“No, I have no idea why she would be interested in me,” I say.
King Oberon points behind me with a sparkle in his eyes and says, “Well, here she comes, Prince Ryder. You can finally meet my sunshine.”
My heart picks up speed and I turn to see her walking toward me and her father. Our eyes lock and I can see the curiosity eating away at her. She stands beside her father and kisses his cheek.
At last I hear her voice as she speaks, “I have made my rounds, Father. I believe it might be time for some dancing.” Her voice is soft, but strong. It is a very feminine voice, but laced with a hint of stubbornness.
As she says “dancing” she looks straight at me. Her exotic green eyes have gold specks and are so tantalizing. I feel like I could get lost in the sea of them. If she wants to dance, I can show her how we move in the Winter Court.
King Oberon cuts in and places his hand on my shoulder.
“Calista, I would like to introduce you to Prince Ryder of the Winter Court. He is the leader of their army and son of King Madoc and Queen Mab.”
She gives me a smile and curtsies ever so gracefully. I finally hear her lovely voice speak my name.
“Good evening, Prince Ryder, it’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please, call me Ryder,” I say.
She replies softly, “Well, then please call me Calista.”
She reaches out her hand to mine and I grasp it gently. The moment our hands touch, the electricity surges through our bodies and the images come flooding in. We both gasp, still holding on, while the images continue on in a silent movie only Calista and I can watch.
Chapter 8
Alasdair-Dark Sorcerer (Black Forest)
The ceremony is taking place as we speak. I wonder who has won the title of Princess Calista’s Guardian. Whoever it is will have to be taken care of soon. I can’t have him interfering with our plans. I can feel Gothin approaching and I know he has news for me. I’ve been waiting to hear news from my informants.
“Master, you have an urgent message from the Summer Court. They wish to speak to you through the scrying bowl,” Gothin says.
“Excellent, Gothin, I will see what news my most trusted servants have for me.” I dismiss him so I can be left in peace.
I take my solid form and retrieve the dagger from my belt to prick my finger. The drop of blood will allow me to see my servants and talk to them secretly. They slowly appear in the reflection of my bowl.
“Good evening, Master. We brought you news from the ceremony,” one of the men says.
I reply, “Very well, continue. Which warrior won the title?”
“Merrick was the warrior who won. His fighting is magnificent and efficient. He’s a fearsome warrior and also Calista’s best friend. He will not be taken down easily.”
“I’ve heard of this Merrick. Yes, he is a skillful fighter, and I will have to figure out what to do with him. Is the princess still planning on visiting the Elvan Kingdom in a few days?” I ask.
The Summer Court traitor says, “Yes, Master, she is still planning on the visit and she will have a contingent of guards with her as well. We have the route she will be taking and are making arrangements to intercept her. We also have a spy in place in Endelyn with the dwarves. He is taking place in the meetings while King Madoc is visiting there on business.”
My other informant interrupts, “I have some news, Sire, that may not be good. Prince Ryder seems to have taken a notice to Princess Calista and she to him. I could practically see the connection there. If they figure out the prophecy, there’s going to be no way to stop it.”
This is not good and thinking of them together infuriates me. Let’s just hope I get the princess in my grasp before things escalate. I need Calista’s power and I need the power of The Four.
Agitated, I say, “Go back to the party before someone notices you’re missing. Do what you can to keep the prince and princess apart. If you find anything else, you better come to me quickly. My tolerance is running thin.”
I dismiss them both. Only a couple more days and I’ll have the power within my grasp. Having to wait has really grated on my nerves. I leave the main headquarters and walk to one of the prisons. The guards at the door move aside to let me enter. I look around and see that I have about twenty people in the prison. The other prisons I have are scattered across the forest.
I look each prisoner in the eye and ask, “Now which of you would like to join me and which of you would like to die?” I see a mixture of hands of the people that would like to stay. The guards escort each one of the prisoners up to me and I use my mind control to make them pledge fealty. I do this one by one until I am left with one last couple. I do not use mind control on everyone because it is still nice to fully drain the energy from some. I need to refuel my power at some time.