Page 100 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
I smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I am Prince Kalle of the Northwest Forest.” I bow.
The lyktgubbe bows, too. “I am Linus.”
“Are you having a pleasant evening?” I ask.
Linus shakes his head. “I am looking for the boundary to my property.”
“Do you know where it could be?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. I moved the boundary sticks, and now I am doomed to walk the wrong property.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there any way I can help? Perhaps I could move the boundary sticks to make it right?”
He lights up. Literally, he is glowing. “Yes, you could.” He points, and I see a rough stick shoved in the ground. “That is the boundary marker. It’s in the wrong place. I can’t rest until it’s in the right place.”
“Where should it go?”
“A few yards to the north.”
Striding over to the stick, I pull it up out of the ground. Then I point in the direction I believe is north. “This way?”
Linus claps. “Yes, absolutely. Oh, this is delightful!”
If only all land disputes could be resolved by moving a few sticks rather than marriage alliances.
Once I plant the stick again, following his directions, his light fizzles and disappears. I look around. Did he leave us? Or did we just get tricked into … I don’t know what?
I glance at Hazel. “Do you have any idea which way we should be going?”
“No more than I did before. You think he’s not going to help us?” she says.
And then Linus reappears, his light right next to me. “Come, travelers. Now that you have helped me, I am in your debt. I will show you the way you want to go.”
While I suppose we could ignore him—he could be leading us into a trap—I feel as if I may, this once, have the upper hand in a fae bargain. That is to say, I gave something that the fae needed first, rather than the reverse.
So maybe he will lead me to Justice. With a wary step, I follow Linus down a fae path, Martin and Hazel at my sides.
I keep my hand on my sword hilt. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
JUSTICE
The Fae Realm sucks. Why have I been trying to get here? Particularly now that Kalle and I are together, I should’ve left well enough alone. My memory of my first kiss with him is enough. I can live without knowing my past.
Whining isn’t going to get me out of this predicament, though.
The fae guards who found me marched me over to this fairy circle, where fae are mingling, dancing, and showing their true forms. The fae who tricked me before appeared as humanoid, but here they are more luminous, in varying sizes, and some have wings.
The circle is in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Fae forest, so everything is Technicolor. Ribbons hang from trees, and fae twist them into flowery shapes—that then turn into flowers. Fae are sipping bubbling, opalescent drinks and eating tiny pastel cakes that look like petits fours.
I’m not tied up, but I can’t move more than about five feet in any direction. Magical bindings are keeping me in place better than any jail cell. Why they brought me here and not to a jail cell, I’m not sure. So far, this seems preferable. But I’m on guard.I don’t want them stealing my memories of Kalle. Haven’t they taken enough from me?
And how am I going to get back to Kalle and the mortal realm? How long have I been gone? It seems like I’ve only been here about two hours, but have days passed there? Weeks? I’m not going to eat or drink anything, no matter how pretty or tempting it is. Beyond that, though, I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to say the wrong thing.
But I came here for a purpose. Might as well be brave and try to get on with it.
As I watch the fae flying around me, I square my shoulders. “Excuse me.”
