Page 84 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

Calypso

Riding Azulin’s shoulders was far different from being carried in his arms. Lowering my center of gravity, I dug my claws through the layers of fabric covering the shoulders of his tunic. Careful to not pierce his skin, I hung on and prayed the layers of silk and leather wouldn’t give way.

Azulin jogged through the crowd, jostling me about. Unlike every other time, the crowd didn’t part for him. Elves and fae flooded the corridor and jostled us as they pressed either toward or away from the doors into the courtyard. Through the opening, I caught sight of a running figure grabbing at another fae, preventing him from running away.

“Pick a direction!” Ghost’s roar shook the floor. “Either way you will die!”

“Sire.” A breathless dwarf approached from the left, offering Azulin a perfunctory bow.

“Nuttal.” Azulin acknowledged him with a nod. “What is the status in the yard?”

“Master Ghost has cornered the former queen. She demands an audience with you, and no one knows what to do.”

“I doubt I will give her what she wishes,” Azulin muttered. He reached behind and pressed on my back, urging me to climbover his shoulder and into his arms. I set to extracting my claws from his tunic.

“The former queen keeps racing back and forth, hiding behind plants and fixtures and trying to grab a hostage. The elf captain wishes to know your orders.”

Once I was settled securely in Azulin’s arms, he turned to the shadow elf at his elbow. “Guard her with your life.” Then, he deposited me in the elf’s arms. My senses filled with the cool sensations of night and shadow.

“But—”

Before the protest left the elf’s mouth, Azulin was walking away from us.

I hissed my displeasure.

“I suspect I agree with your sentiment, my lady.” The elf adjusted his grip on me, petting my head distractedly. “Pardon, my lady, but I have to keep him in sight at all times.”

I purred my agreement. Azulin and I would be having words once this was all over. How dare he leave me behind? I suspected it meant he intended to do something foolish that would result in potential injury. He probably left me behind to protect me, forgetting our connection.

The elf holding me stepped into the shadow world, stealing my breath with the sudden wash of cool magic. I protested with a hiss of surprise.

“Apologies,” he muttered. We emerged in Azulin’s shadow, moving backward instantly to a more socially acceptable distance before matching Azulin’s pace as we emerged into the sunlight. The courtyard spread out before us and my carrier stopped abruptly behind Azulin at the top of the main stair down into the courtyard.

The elf cleared his throat. “King Az, I must protest. I am tasked with protecting your person, not your wife’s.”

Ghost’s inarticulate roar echoed off the walls of the courtyard, making me crouch down lower in the elf’s arms. My sensitive ears rang with pain. I let out a pained cry of my own in his direction.

Perched as he was on the north wing’s roof, I doubted he heard my protest. Much like a large cat, he eyed the far end of the courtyard with intense focus.

Azulin glared at the elf. “I don’t care what your original orders were. Your new assignment is to protect her.” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and began yelling orders to the fae in the Seelie-colored livery. “Clear the courtyard! See that no one enters.”

Elves and fae moved to comply, ushering the few remaining people from the courtyard and locking the doors behind them.

“Az!” The sugary, coy feminine call made me cringe. We all turned toward the voice, and the elf’s grip on me tightened. I squirmed in protest.

Tana stepped out from behind a pillar in the far southern corner. She eyed Ghost warily. “Is this really necessary?”

“You attempted to murder my wife. Yes, this is necessary.” Azulin glared at his mother.

“But a dragon execution?” Tana pouted. “The indignity is so overdone. By law, I have the right to a trial. At least allow me the dignity of that.”

Ghost growled, and the roof groaned ominously as he shifted his weight. A great cloud of smoke rolled from his parted lips.

“Yes, I know your opinion, Ghost. Don’t cave in my roof.” Azulin didn’t turn his head or raise his voice. But Ghost chuffed in response. “What do you have to say about your actions, Mother?”

“You married beneath you. She obviously trapped you into it.” Tana shrugged. “I was merely rectifying the situation.”

“Without speaking to me or asking my opinion?” Azulin folded his arms over his chest. “Replacing her with a facsimile of you is not freeing me. It’s just manipulating the situation to benefit you. When were you planning on revealing your plot?”

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