Page 17 of Hidden

“Ademar is not in trouble,” Galeeta said in a chilly tone. “He is a warrior, and he was performing his duty. He has done nothing wrong. What is your next question?”

“Who built this way station and why?”

“The other way stations are well known and hardly secure. Lord Farras made this one in secret for King Elroth, to ensure the king could travel without risk.”

Farras again. His name was coming up a great deal. “Who else was involved? There had to be others to help him set the spell.” Magic did not always survive its creator. No one took chances with something as large as a way station, so it would be anchored to a group for safety’s sake.

Galeeta gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know the answer to that, but Lord Farras has many powerful friends to call upon for that. Is there anything else you want to know?”

Lila set her plate aside, her breakfast untouched. “Mother, why is there a magic-infested dungeon in the basement?” Do other children ask this kind of thing?

Galeeta blinked. “For prisoners, of course. By now, you’ve figured out this is not an ordinary station.” Her mother sipped her tea, her expression carefully blank. “As I said, it was created explicitly for the king’s safety. There is a struggle for the throne. Lord Farras is the king’s cousin and his supporter.”

“Then what was Captain Teegar doing here?”

“The captain hails from a rival clan. Farras believes he is part of a conspiracy against King Elroth’s life. If such a plot succeeds, every light fae will be forced to pick a side.”

Lila’s stomach lurched. “Civil war.”

“Exactly. And then the dark fae will move in to take advantage of the chaos.”

“As they do,” Lila added dryly. “We love blaming them for wrecks of our own making.”

Galeeta shot her a sharp look. “This is serious. The fate of all the fae hangs in the balance. You saw Teegar break down the door to the way station, sword drawn. What if the king had been here?”

Lila wasn’t sure of the answer. “Well, thanks to Ademar, Teegar is in the dungeon.”

Galeeta nodded again, her expression satisfied. “Yes, he is.”

“The Sleeping Beauty spell can be fatal.”

“It can, but I won’t let Captain Teegar die.” Galeeta picked a purple grape from her plate and popped it into her mouth. “His ultimate fate is not up to us.”

“Then what will you do?”

“We will take the fae prisoners with us once Lord Farras arrives. We’ll join King Elroth in Gilden Wood, and once we are there, Teegar will kneel before his sovereign. He will be exposed for the traitor he is, as we shall be on the side of his captors. It never hurts to remind royalty who supports them, and who does not.”

That scene was likely to end with an execution. Lila picked up her plate again, needing something to distract herself from that image. She bit into a slice of apple, but was too distracted to taste it. “What are you going to do with the other prisoners?”

“What did you learn from the wolf?”

Lila shivered at the memory of his fingers on her wrist.

“You look frozen, my dear.” Galeeta rose, setting her cup and plate on the table. Then she pulled up the blinds of one window. A rectangle of light fell across her, turning her golden hair to pale fire. “The one drawback of my new servants is that they can’t abide the light or heat of the sun.”

Lila stifled a sigh of relief. Daylight made her feel safer. “I spoke to the prisoner. He said other wolves came into the valley looking for a criminal. They never returned home, so he and the vampire came to investigate. He thought we killed or kidnapped them.”

“That’s a lie.” Galeeta turned to face Lila. “As one would expect. No matter which face they wear, shifters are mere beasts.”

Rafe—tall, dark, and wild—rose up in her imagination. “There is nothing mere about this one.”

“I will question the vampire. Go back and question the wolf again.”

“I just left him.”

“Get the truth this time. Lord Farras will be here shortly.”

“So, the lord will arrive now that Captain Teegar is safely under lock and key?” Sarcasm again, but Lila couldn’t help it.

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