Page 68 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

Azulin fostered a detached façade, but that was all it was, a façade, a mask, a role he played. Right? I recalled his amusement at my open suspicion when we met and the multiple times he had protected, sheltered, or saved me. He considered my feelings in decisions and cared about those he interacted with. No, Azulin was decidedly not distant or lacking empathy.

Why, then, did his brother think that the cold mask was Azulin’s actual personality?

Azulin’s mother stopped in the middle of a clearing. Bordered by a stream and hemmed in on all sides by trees, the small island was large enough for a small crowd, but not expansive enough to compromise privacy. “Here,” she declared. “Will you set the spells?” Then not bothering to wait for ananswer, she crossed a bridge and started walking toward a bench under the largest shade tree.

“Immediately, Mother.” Oran grimaced at her back before whispering to me, “She forgets she is no longer queen, and unlike my father, she has no excuse.” He eyed me. “Do you want to sit with her or walk with me while I set the spells?”

The former queen settled on the stone bench in the shade of the massive tree. She adjusted her skirts, straightened her back, and closed her eyes.

“I will walk with you,” I decided.

Seventeen

Calypso

As Oran and I walked the circumference of the island, he gathered magic and fed it into a spell contained in a coin he had taken out of his pocket. Unlike Azulin’s prickling magic, Oran’s had a different feel, smoother and more soothing.

I waited until he finished the spell and the sounds of the gardens beyond the island hushed before I spoke. “What kind of magic do you have? It is different than Azulin’s.”

Oran turned abruptly to stare at me. “How can you detect my magic? You’re human.”

“I’m a shifter.”

His eyebrows rose. “Oh, then you probably also have a mating mark.”

I lifted my right hand and spread it, revealing the golden vine.

“Intriguing.” His dark eyes narrowed as he studied me. “We hypothesized that the curse was set up to be broken by a human. That it was broken by a shifter is unexpected.”

“Finished?” His mother’s voice carried clearly in the unnatural silence inside the spell.

“Yes, Mother.” Oran motioned for me to precede him. In a lowered voice, he said, “Best not share that with Mother yet.There is a general prejudice against shifters among the older generations of fae.”

“Are you asking me to lie?” I asked softly.

“No, just don’t volunteer that information. The fewer who know the better.”

I nodded as we stepped into the former queen’s view. I hated all the secrets. Even living as a shapeshifter among humans, I’d never needed to hold so many secrets so close.

“All sealed up and secure,” Oran announced.

“Finally. We have little time.” The fae woman motioned for me to approach her. “Come. We must cover the essentials before Azulin grows too frustrated with Malkin.”

Oran matched my steps and stood at my side when I stopped before his mother.

“You may call me Tana,” she began.

Oran leaned over and mock-whispered, “Her name is Taneisha.”

“Oran!” Tana straightened up and glared at her son in horror. “We do not share our names with strangers.”

“She is hardly a stranger, Mother.” Oran nudged me with his elbow. “Besides, it isn’t even your full or true name.”

Tana pursed her mouth. “In light of your brother’s recent experience, you should take more care.”

He groaned. “Sharing your name with the woman who freed Azulin is no risk. He trusts her.”

“Azulin is too trusting.” She leveled an icy stare at Oran. “I will share or not share my name with whom I please.”

---