Page 19 of Spring of the Cursed Fae

Prince Ashe had long been accustomed to battles and riding to victory. Luckily, there hasn’t been a war in the Land of the Fae for three decades.

After I hopped off his back, I bounded up the stairs and into the castle. My father would be training with his warriors, but I had a feeling I knew exactly where I’d find my mother. As I strode through the corridors, people bowed to me reverently.

When I stepped into a long hallway lined with windows, I spotted my mother just outside, donned in her leather warrior suit and braid of red hair. Her bow was drawn with an arrow pointed toward a target. Although our archery sessions were few and far between nowadays, she was still a master of her craft. The arrow released from her bow and hit dead center as soon as it left her hand.

Smiling, I stepped outside and gave her an eager applause. “Nice job. I bet you can’t do it twice.”

My mother rested her bow and arrow on the ground and put her hands on her hips. She had a wry smile on her face that I knew all too well.

“Are you sure you want to go there?” she challenged, referring to the inside joke we’d shared between us since I was a young girl.

She was an excellent archer and loved to prove me wrong every time I challenged her accuracy. I couldn’t help but laugh as my mother stepped closer and wrapped her arms around me.

“You seem happier today, Lia,” she said, pulling back to look me in the eyes.

“I am,” I replied. “Bayleon is healed now. At least for a little while.”

Her smile faded a bit. “When I invited him and his brother to live in the Spring Court all those years ago, I never expected them to end up being my daughter’s lovers.”

She started walking slowly toward the weathered archway that led to a field of golden sunflowers. I followed her, feeling her fear and worry in the air. Her eyes were trained on the ground as if searching for answers in the dirt.

“I know you’re afraid for me, mother,” I said as I came up beside her. “But I’m here to tell you there’s still hope.” I stepped in front of her and smiled, but her face remained apprehensive.

“Do tell then,” she said.

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and tried to convey my excitement with my words. “Elvena used her magic on Bayleon and Bastian last night to try and uncover information about the curse,” I started, “and it worked! She was able to gain insight that it was originated by the elves.”

My mother’s eyebrows rose in surprise as she processed this new information. “I don’t know what to say—they’re the last people I thought would be responsible for this curse.”

“I thought so, too,” I agreed. “But now that I have this information, I want to travel there tomorrow to learn more about it. That’s why I wanted to come here and see if I could get Fawn’s help. Things would go a lot quicker.”

My mother nodded. “I understand. I’m sure Fawn will be happy to help. I’ll walk with you part of the way.”

With their magical port-traveling ability, the imps tended to stay away from people who would take advantage of them, so most of them resided in the Mystical Forest. However, some also chose to live in the courts. If we sought out a favor from them, an offering was always made in return. I would never ask for anything without giving something back.

We set off toward the sunflower fields, where I knew the imp village was just beyond it.

My mother linked her arm with mine. “Please be careful, Lia. The curse was put in place for a reason. I don’t know what kind of darkness you will find.”

The sunflowers rustled in the breeze, their petals brushing against our arms as we walked beneath them.

“Do you think Aelfric and Rhoswen will know anything?”

My mother sighed. “It’s hard to say. They weren’t even a glimmer in the eye of their parents when the Tyvar were cursed. However, if there’s anyone who may be able to help us, it would be them. They possess archives of ancient historical events in their castle, some even beyond memory. I’m sure they’d be willing to let you take a look through them.”

Aelfric and Rhoswen had always been our family—ever since they’d taken the throne of the elvish kingdom, they’d been hoping for an alliance between their family and the Royal fae, but it hadn’t worked out yet. It almost did recently with my cousin Ella. The eldest elvish prince, Iston, had loved Ella for a long time, but when she met Kai, she chose him instead. There was still some tension between our people, but I hoped it had lessened some.

As soon as we reached the edge of the sunflowers, my mother stopped and hugged me. “Be careful, Lia. Is anyone traveling with you besides Bayleon and Bastian?”

I met her gaze as I let her go. “None of my warriors, if that’s what you’re asking. But Elvena told me Aidan needed to be there. I don’t know why, but that’s one of the reasons I need Fawn. I need her to send him a message quickly.”

My mother cocked her head to the side. “Now I’m really curious. But if Elvena says he needs to be there, then he needs to be there.”

“I agree. I just hope he can meet me there tomorrow. I’m ready to get started.”

She embraced me once more. “When you have finished speaking with Fawn, there’s something I want to give you before you leave.”

“Okay,” I said. “I won’t be long.”

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