Page 65 of The Forbidden Fae King

A final alley brings us to the courtyard before the grand hall. I hold up a hand and my party stops immediately. I scan the area from our hidden position for a long moment.

There should be guards on those immense double doors framed in moonstone, regardless of the time of night and the limited numbers of Cyprien’s force. He is a brilliant strategist, but he has always been arrogant enough to assume he is untouchable.

Surely it can’t be this easy.

We have to enter through the main doors. If we try to scale the outside of The Tower to reach the bedroom on top, we would be visible across the entire fortress. Not even Silvan could keep the invisibility ward over all of us that spread out. The slit windows are too narrow for any of us to climb through regardless.

A single fern leaf lays across the step of the main doors. A signal from the other half of my force. They are here already, waiting under the invisibility ward formed by Zinnia, the only other member of my band capable of the magic.

I take in a deep breath to steel my nerve, rolling my shoulders to ease some of the tension. The space around the main hall is completely empty of soldiers; the grounds, the walls, and the shadows.

I lead my party out of our hiding.

Another distortion of air follows us, crude enough that I spot it straight away. We are sitting ducks out here. My entire force, right in Cyprien’s clutches. These people rely on me and their fates are tied to mine. They joined my exile willingly, and that is not a thing easily forgiven by the high chancellor.

I grasp the latch on the door and twist it. It isn’t barred. It’s not even locked. The bright light and warmth of roaring fireplaces leak out of the gap in the door as I slowly swing it open. The hinges don’t make a sound.

I know my doom immediately.

Time slows, so each heartbeat extends a lifetime. The scent of sweat and leather floats out of the hall, too potent to be impressions lingering from the day. The slightest grinding of metal reaches my ears, of amour moving under adjusting bodies.

The door swings to reveal a room full of guards lining both sides of the hall, their bodies creating a wide tunnel to the dais.

Two thrones sit upon it. Cyprien occupies the larger one, with hisback completely straight and utter stillness on his stony features. Not even a hint of surprise shows. In the other smaller throne lounges a human woman with an arm hanging over the edge, clutching a goblet of wine casually around its rim. Keira’s sister. Their similarities are striking.

“It's about time you arrived, Aldrin.” A wide, cocky smile fills Cyprien’s face, and he spreads his arms. “We have organized a little party for you and your human friend.”

My blood turns to ice as the thoughts whirl in my head, looking for a way out.

A retreat.

A horn blows from outside and rebounds within the room, followed by boots crashing on cobblestones behind me. I throw a glance over my shoulder, to where a dozen soldiers file out of the two buildings behind us, wedging my loyal band of warriors between two forces on this doorstep.

I step out of Silvan’s invisibility ward, onto the elaborate mosaic floor of the hall, exposed by all that bright light. I don’t spare a second thought for the guards clutching spears around me.

I send a glare of pure hatred at Cyprien. “You’re sitting in my fucking chair.” I growl.

Chapter 18

Aldrin

Cyprien rises and slowly claps his hands at me, stepping down from the dais. “You took your time in coming here. And no, it stopped being your chair when you were exiled. Are you going to let the rest of your people in from the cold?”

I curse under my breath, then motion for them to enter. The wards ripple, then fall away and the entire band is visible, with grim expressions and taut bodies, ready for a fight.

Except we are grossly outnumbered.

Keira stares at her sister sitting on that dais, examining every inch of her as though looking for signs of abuse. She takes a hesitant step forward, but I put a hand on her shoulder to still her. To keep her behind me. Caitlin’s eyes narrow on my touch.

I narrow my gaze on Cyprien. “How did you know we were coming?”

He stops his approach halfway down the hall and raises his eyebrows at the viciousness in my tone. “I would love to say I outwitted you. That I know you so well, I anticipated your every move, but that would be a lie. In fact, it was the human woman who helped me.”

Cyprien glances back at her over his shoulder. “Caitlin wanted hersister back. She had the audacity to demand I muster my entire force and chase you through the woods to find her. But I wouldn’t. Didn’t need to, because I knew you would come for Hawthorne. That you would have to hunt me down and force me to listen to your explanations on why my hasty assumptions were wrong, and that I should be on your side.”

“Get to the point, Cyprien.” I growl at him.

“Did you know that these women have the most fascinating bracelets, made from moonstone? Caitlin told me they were created from chips taken from the portals, so they could find their way back to the human realm, but they also gravitate toward each other. So when your little party marched here and snuck in so effectively that my guards wouldn’t have been able to stop you, we were sitting here tracking your progress.” Cyprien laughs. “The irony, that something so small was your undoing.”

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