Page 67 of Fairies Don't Fall

“Then come with me.” She tugged on my hand.

“I’m pretty sure I’d just make things worse.”

“Then take Max with you.”

“I can’t take him anywhere. He has to choose. Also, I don’t know if he’d be any help. He’s a lupin sorcerer. He might look at the rising chaos and decide to rise with it, maybe take over a world or two while he was at it.”

She leaned forward, her eyes intent, trusting. It was a terrible combination. “You have the power to make a difference. It’s your responsibility to make choices based on your own conscience instead of external influences.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Max said that to you one of those times you took a stupid dare. And he thought you weren’t paying attention.”

She shrugged. “I get that lecture a lot. It would be really hard to miss it completely. Please, Princess Sparkles? Save the pack. Take me home. Get some pizza.”

I hesitated, but her eyes were so sad, and she was right about Fairyland not being good for her. Earthland was a big place. We could find somewhere safe for her to stay with people who would take care of her. Maybe. At least I had to try.

“Fine, but you have to stay with Felix while I try to wrangle a monster. It will not be easy.”

“You just need practice. You’ll be having him eating out of your hand in no time.”

I shivered, because I was pretty sure I could get him to do that easily. He’d had no problems licking me. The trouble was if he’d end up eating my hand entirely.

I tracked him down using Vervain’s familiar mind. They were in a place he considered the training court, a large stone square on the north side of the structure where the garden flowed around the training area. Vervain was fighting fiercely with the newly winged Max. I skimmed over his thoughts, watching Max swing his weapon at him, whirl away and dodge with excellent use of his terrifying stretch of jagged abyss wings, like a black hole he dragged behind him. He was impressively beautiful like that, fighting the silver and green fairy, like night and day. Max was such a beautiful night.

I shook my head before Vervain got a glimpse of my thoughts. He didn’t need to hear what I thought about Max. Particularly when I didn’t want to know what I thought about him.

When I got to the court, I stepped in, and Vervain dropped to his knees, ignoring Max’s swing, so he had to throw his weapon to the side to keep from chopping off Vervain’s head. The fairy did that on purpose. Did he want Max to chop off his head?

“My Queen,” he said, bowing lower. “How may I assist you?”

I walked slowly over the stones to where Max was breathing hard, skin shimmering with sweat while those wings arced behind him, framing his head. He’d shaved that annoyingly attractive jaw so it was bare. I couldn’t talk to that jaw.

I turned resolutely away from the wolf and smiled at Vervain. “Would you do me the honor of conveying a message to the Queen’s Consort?”

He rose smoothly to his feet with a polite court smile. “It would be my pleasure, my Queen. What missive would you have me deliver?”

I glanced at Max. His face was impassive, eyes glowing slightly as he tracked me. I looked away. “Inform him that I will soon be leaving for Singsong City, and that I request his company if he is inclined to join me.”

Vervain paused before he turned to Max. “The Queen is leaving Fairyland for Singsong City. You will accompany her as bodyguard and protector. Just a moment.” He turned back around to frown at me. “You can’t go to Singsong City. Not only is it dangerously unstable, you’ve just accepted the title of Queen. You have your position here to cement after your choice of consort is making people question your sanity as well as your autonomy. You must rally your people when they are still confused as to whether or not you are the death fairy. You also have your court to establish. Not to mention your country to defend. The traitor wouldn’t have openly challenged you if she wasn’t confident in her backers. They’re waiting for you to show any weakness.”

I frowned at him. “And what does the Queen’s consort have to say about it?”

Vervain frowned back at me. “Be sensible.”

“Relay my consort’s words, if you would be so kind.”

Vervain narrowed his silver-green eyes at me and then turned to face Max. “What is your response to my Queen? She will have your answer.”

Max gave me a cool look. “If you would ask my mate what purpose she has in travelling to Singsong City, I would be most grateful.”

“My Queen’s reasoning is hardly your concern. Your duty is her protection and pleasure,” Vervain responded, sounding like a pompous idiot.

Max murmured, “My Queen’s pleasure is certainly more than my duty.” His eyes were so horribly warm and delicious. And those words… He continued, “I have difficulty responding when I lack knowledge regarding her motivations and desires.”

“Ruin wants to go home,” I said, still not looking at Max and his gorgeous black velvet wings. “I also need to protect the homeless fairies. I also want pizza.”

He blinked at me. “Does my Queen object to my answering directly?” he asked Vervain.

“Does she?” Vervain asked me.

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