Page 92 of Fae Crown

The door crashed open and into the adjacent wall. Dashiell stalked in. The many small braids that adorned his head stood on end more than usual, their bells vibrating with his intensity. His eyes were piercing and determined, the blue and brown equally bright.

“Get up,” he ordered with a snap of his fingers.

It was then I noticed the parvnit—whose name I realized I hadn’t asked—was gone. Without thepopthat signaled her transpopping, I guessed she was still in the room, just invisible. A mighty handy skill indeed…

“Well?” Dashiell pressed when I didn’t jump out of bed to do his bidding. “I said, get up.” He snapped his fingers another time.

I remained right where I was—of course I did.

He looked at Edsel, who was standing, hands flinching, and asked, “Is something wrong with her hearing now? I told her to get up and she’s still lying there.”

“Shecan hear you just fine,” I said. “Butsheis still recovering from practically certain death and not about to hop about just ‘cause you tell her to.”

Dashielltskedand frowned to the tune of his bells chiming. “I don’t have time for this nonsense. His Majesty hasn’t been able to shield you from the queen anymore.”

My heartbeat sped up in anticipation of what he’d say next.

“She’ll find you soon if she hasn’t already. And now that she’s declared the Fae Heir Trials over, there’s no magic keeping her at the palace. You need to get up right this instant. Odelia must remain safe. So long as you’re here with her, she isn’t.”

Nodding numbly, I scooted to the edge of the bed and gingerly lowered my feet to the floor. Torn muscles,mending cuts, and tender, taut, abused flesh all protested at once. I winced.

“She’s not ready,” Edsel protested, hands stretched out to assist me.

“Too bad,” Dashiell said shortly. “I won’t risk Odelia.” He amended, “His Majesty won’t. She needs to leave right now.”

My body had automatically hunched forward to avoid the pull on painful injuries. I forced myself to straighten some. “Leave?” I could feel myself warring between righteous anger at being treated as a pawn without value—yet again—and a profound hurt that my father’s closest advisor, who supposedly understood his will as if it were his own, didn’t give a flying fuck about me—also yet again.

“Where do you expect me to go?” I asked.

“I don’t care, so long as you leave now,” Dashiell said.

He scanned the room in all directions as if anticipating an attack at any moment.

When Edsel verified I was leaning against the bed and at no risk of falling, he scurried away and quickly returned with fighting leathers—and none of my treasured weapons, still at the palace.

I steeled myself. In time I’d surely be grateful for the protection of the leathers. But regardless of all the healing I’d done, I was still a haphazard array of slices, gaping flesh, and fusing bones. Getting into the leathers would be an ordeal.

Dashiell threw up his hands in a flashof silver rings. “What are you waiting for? We don’t have a second to spare. You need to do as I say right now.”

I whipped his way. Pain shot along my back, nape, and collarbone. I funneled it into my glower. “If you think I’m leavingmy motherbehind without ever getting to actually lay eyes on her face, then you’ve got a shock coming.”

“There’s no time for that nonsense.”

“Nonsense?” I repeated, as dangerous as a dragon about to launch fire from its mouth. “Nonsense?I’ve never met my own mother, even when I shared the same room with her. Clearly none of you pricks think my getting to meet her is a priority. If I leave without seeing her now, odds are I’ll never get to see her. So, you want me to go … wherever, somewhere, any-fucking-where, since you couldn’t care less about me? Then you’d better get to arranging our meeting. AmIclear?”

Dashiell stared at me hard for several long moments. “You’d endanger your own mother like this?”

His lips puckered with distaste, as if I were the despicable, uncaring bitch here, not any of them—certainly not my absent father.

“Well, would you?” Dashiell pressed.

No, I wouldn’t, and the thought that I might never see the woman again smarted.

“I will see her,” I insisted regardless. “And I’ll also have the story of how the king impregnated a woman, who by all accounts had lost her mind and had no agency of her own.”

“There’s no time for that,” he snarled.

“No, there isn’t. But I have to dress before I’m thrown out to go dragons know where, and since I’m still torn up to hell and back—not that you orHis Majestygive a single fuck—you have just enough time to tell me if you do it fast. And if you don’t, I’ll just wait till you’re finished. So get to it.”

---