The Dark Fae (The World of Fae #1)(39)

Alicia didn’t hear anything more as her temple swirled with bewilderment, and her world instantly faded to midnight.





CHAPTER 19





The countess called to the guard as Alicia came to on the floor of her chambers. “Help me with the princess!” Alicia’s mind could barely focus. How could her father have married the Venician queen? And worse—that horrible Lorelei and Phillinois were her half-sister and brother? Or were they stepsister and brother? Maybe the queen had had the children by another fae. And Alicia wasn’t truly related to the devil fae.

She frowned as the guard lifted her, then carried her across the floor. How could her father have abandoned her mother and her, then married another woman?

As soon as she was resting on the mattress, the countess said, “Sir Kendall, inform the king, Princess Alicia is too unwell to see him at the moment. And get the physician for the lady.”

“But Prince Grotto said—”

“The lady is indisposed. Do you think she’ll fight me to get away?”

“No, countess. But Prince Grotto ordered me to stay here to guard her and—”

The countess drew herself up and lowered her voice to a harsh roar. “If the princess grows more ill, the king will have your head! Prince Grotto doesn’t know how poorly she’s feeling. Now go.”

Still he hesitated, glancing from Alicia to the countess again.

“Go!”

He grumbled under his breath and left the room.

The countess returned to the bed and patted Alicia’s hand. “Are you feeling nauseous?”

Alicia swallowed hard. “I never knew what had happened to my father. How could he have left my mother like he did? To marry another woman?”

“Under threat of his family having you and your mother killed, he really had no choice.”

Alicia fought shedding a tear as her eyes misted.

“Is that what’s making you ill?” the countess asked. “The news about your father?”

“He never came back to see us. Never.”

The countess smiled. “I imagine he found a way to see your mother and how you were doing over the years. The fae have magic you are probably unaware of.”

“But he married—”

“Sometimes we must do what we don’t like. As royals, it’s expected of us.”

“Are you married?”

“By heavens no. Though I am betrothed. But it’ll be another year before I have to marry the duke. Now that you are here with us, the king will decide on a husband for you.”

Alicia’s stomach had been settling, but the nausea returned.

“Oh, your cheeks have lost their color again. Forgive me. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” The countess grabbed a peach feathered fan and waved it in front of Alicia’s face.

Then a knock on the door disturbed the peace.

“Come in,” the countess hollered.

A man, whose blond hair was streaked with white, entered the room. A red velvet cloak draped over his shoulders, fastened with a gold chain. And instead of a tunic like the other men wore, he wore a long shift-like gown of purple that reached gold sandaled feet.

Behind him a white-haired man entered the chambers.

“This is my granddaughter?” the first man said.

This was the king?

*

Deveron paced across the cell in the Crislis Castle’s tower, hoping the king was treating Alicia with respect. When Prince Grotto had told the guard to shackle her, Deveron had turned with every intention of protecting her. But luckily, the countess stepped in to aid Alicia.

Would the countess also help Alicia to free him, or did her loyalty only extend to aiding the royal princess, granddaughter of the king?

The chains linking his manacles clinked as he crossed the floor back and forth. At least they hadn’t manacled him to the wall.

But how could he escape without Alicia’s help? His mother would have a fit. She wouldn’t hesitate to wage war against the dragon fae if she learned they had imprisoned him.

A key ground in the lock to the cell door, then a guard shoved the door open.

His stomach clenched.

The guard walked into the room followed by Prince Grotto.

Time for the interrogation?

The prince walked around Deveron in a tight circle, examining him from head to foot. “What are you to the princess?”

“A friend when she needed one.”

“Did you take her from South Padre Island?”

Deveron’s lips thinned. If he told Prince Grotto he had taken Alicia from the Island, he’d have to say why. If he told the prince he was attempting to keep her out of his mother’s grasp, the prince would want to know who his mother was. Then, the prince would know Deveron was not a sphinx fae, but a lion fae—the crown prince in fact, of the Denkar.

“You took her from South Padre Island?” Grotto repeated. “Her mother said a fae witness told her enough that she assumed a fae had taken Alicia. Since you were with her last…”

“You assume I was the fae.”

“Do you deny it?” Grotto folded his arms and narrowed his sharp green eyes.

Deveron could see a slight family resemblance between Grotto and Alicia when she had appeared angry.

“I did.”