Page 168 of The Fallen Fae King

I fucked her hard enough, and multiple times throughout the night, that she is likely to sleep through my meeting with the Frost Clan anyway.

When I whistle, three ravens swoop down to join me like fragments of the night.

“The King of the Ravens greets you,” I say, politely. “Two of you do me the honor of leading the guards away, aye? One of you stay by my side and become my sight. I need to reach our Frost Clan friends in their dorm in the barracks.”

My ravens caw, deep and guttural.

One of them lowers his head, before jerking it sideways, quick and deliberate. His brother next to him snaps his sharp beak.

“Get ready,” I whisper.

The two raven brothers open their broad wings and disappear back into the dark.

I grin with delight when I hear wild flapping, followed by cries of pain and vicious cussing from around the corner.

“Good boys.” I open my wings. “Now.”

I glide over the wall.

My heart leaps, when my wing with the freshly grown pinion feather doesn’t hold, swerving me too far to the left.

I can’t quite fly yet.

Yet it is still thrilling to fall elegantly, before crashlanding with a grunt of pain on the stone ground, while the guards are under attack by my ravens.

My raven guide brushes her tail feathers over my forehead. I push myself to my feet with a grimace.

I follow my raven’s lead, sprinting through the silent streets.

Excitement rushes through me.

I haven’t seen my family since I was paraded through these streets in a cage.

Did they see my humiliation?

I bloody hope not.

I have only managed to send brief notes back and forth between myself and the Frost Clan. The ones that I have received have been written by Elatha.

I’d recognize my best friend’s writing anywhere.

Bai has never been good at learning his letters anyway, although I bet he has been dying to send me a note. Although, his poor handwriting is my fault. I didn’t have the time or skill to teach him in the middle of leading a war.

As the most educated amongst us, Wren should have become Bai’s tutor. Yet Wren’s fanatical nature means that he’d have been a more frightening tutor than the elders who taught me.

Once, Wren was my rival.

I understand now that he resented me because I was loved by my parents, while he was alone as an orphan who was strictly raised by the Druids. He was also jealous that I enjoyed more freedom than he did. The Druids controlled everything that he did, holding him to impossible standards because of his magical abilities.

I spent as much time as possible running away from the elders that he couldn’t escape.

Aurelius would tell me that I was irresponsible and failed Bai. I can hear his judgmental voice in my head like he’s my tiny dragon conscience.

Yet Bai, my Bug, would never say that.

The little idiot hero worships me.

I run my fingers along the rough stones of the houses, following the raven as she branches off at a crossroads. The air is thick with the scent of spices, figs, and incense. I must be close to the shops. But it’s early. The streets are still quiet.