Page 37 of Treasured By the Fae Royal

“I’ll hold on tight.”

I place a finger beneath her chin and give her an intent look. “I would never drop you, sweetling. You know that, right?”

“I know.” She exhales a long breath, and to my relief, her trembling finally lessens. “But I’m still going to hold on tight,” she adds with a hint of laughter, and gods how it warms my heart to see her smiling despite her fear.

“Fair enough. Just please try not to choke me.”

She laughs again, and I place a lingering kiss on her forehead as I inhale her sweet fragrant scent. Whether she realizes it, she’s started absorbing my magic already. Her eyes hold a glimmer of fae-ness, but most noticeable of all is her scent. She smells like honeysuckle and jasmine and a variety of other summer blooms, and sometimes I even catch hints of a sun-kissed beach.

“You said we were going where the concentration of ussha is at its highest,” she says with a glance toward the balcony. “Where exactly is that?”

“In a fairly new fae settlement called Giarrla. It’s located in a small orc territory that lies between the Summer and Spring courts. I’ve been there before, and I’m pleased to tell you it’s not even a full day’s journey from here. By sky, that is.”

“What will we do once we arrive in Giarrla? Oh, Lucas, I’m worried about Mama and Aunt Heather and the rest of our wedding guests. Perhaps we should warn them before we leave for Giarrla.”

“The soldiers and highborn fae who attended our wedding have already departed, and most have probably reached the Summer Court army by now, while your aunt and mother are likely at your aunt’s cottage,” I say. “I entrusted their travel to my most loyal soldiers, two of whom are highborn.”

She nods and some of the worry leaves her face. “All right, but I hope we can check on them soon. What if the person who’s threatening us decides to go after our family members as well?”

I turn her around and quickly plait her hair, tie it off with a ribbon, then turn her back to face me. She gives me a shocked look as she reaches back to touch the plait.

“You’ll thank me when your hair isn’t tangled in a knot when we arrive in Giarrla.” I reach back and fashion my hair in the same way, also tying it off with a ribbon. “Now, about the threat to us. I don’t think we need to worry about the criminal coming after our families, though I intend to send a missive to the Spring Court, and I will send another missive to the soldiers who escorted your aunt and mother home. I will ask the soldiers to remain at the cottage until I say otherwise.”

She glances around as though looking for someone. “And how are you going to send these missives of yours? No one is around. All the wedding guests have departed.”

I shoot her a grin as I stride to a desk in search of paper, quill, and ink. After quickly drafting two letters, I place them in envelopes and add my family seal with a wave of magic. Then I step onto the balcony and hold the missives up, one in each hand. I stand on my toes as I hold them to the sky, and I don’t move out of position even when my arms start to ache. I sense Yvette close behind me. She draws in a breath and starts to speak when suddenly a large black bird swoops down from the sky and snatches up one of the letters. A few moments later, a second bird swoops down and takes the remaining letter. The birds fly in opposite directions, one headed for the heart of the Summer Court, the other aiming for Aunt Heather’s cottage.

I turn to face my bride, and I don’t bother concealing the smirk that pulls at my lips. “When it comes to my fae magic,” I say in a haughty tone, “the ability to summon messenger birds has long been a favorite skill of mine. One that neither of my brothers has mastered, I might add, much to their fury.”

“What other skills have you been hiding from me, husband?”

I grin wide, then disappear in a flash of light, only to reappear on the other side of the room in another flash of light. I perform this feat several times, until at last I appear directly in front of a giggling Yvette and take her in my arms. I kiss her soundly, and I revel in the moan that leaves her. Gods, I wish I could claim her one final time before we depart the tower, but I won’t risk her safety.

We must leave. Now.

I break the kiss and sweep her into my arms. Beckoning a warm summer breeze, I carry her to the balcony. She wraps her arms around my waist and holds on tight, just as she promised she would.

I stare across the forest and release a thunderous growl, knowing whoever left the blood warning is likely still in the vicinity. I hope they’re afraid. I hope they’re second guessing their stupidity.

A small but deadly creature slithers out of the forest. An orange vennba. The first of many deadly creatures that will follow the scent of the blood warning. The vennba lifts its terrible head and peers upward. It takes off suddenly and starts slithering up the tower. Fucking gods, we’ve got to get out of here. Vennba are notorious for breaking through wards.

I summon my wings, clutch Yvette more tightly to my chest, and shoot into the sky.

CHAPTER21

YVETTE

We arrivein Giarrla late in the evening under an expanse of glittering stars.

Lucas lands outside a bustling inn and immediately vanishes his wings.

Drunken fae stumble out of the inn singing bawdy songs at the top of their lungs, and the sight brings a smile to my face. I can’t help it. It’s so… normal.

The regular faefolk, or lesser fae as they’re sometimes called, could easily pass as human if not for their pointed ears. I watch as a male and female kiss one another passionately on the porch of the inn, though I quickly avert my eyes when the male unfastens his pants and the female drops to her knees.

“Gods, the settlement has doubled in size since I was last here,” Lucas says with a glance up and down the street. “But, I suppose that’s to be expected since there are high levels of ussha here.” He sets me on my feet and watches to make sure I don’t sway.

“I’m perfectly fine but thank you.” I give him a questioning look. “Why am I perfectly fine? You flew so fast, I ought to be hurling my guts up right about now. I should at least be unsteady on my feet. But I’m not. I’m also not very tired despite having slept so little lately.”

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