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“I thought you all might wish to freshen up before presenting yourself to our queen,” said the Orb.
Frankie stared at the crystal and asked, “Be ye a girl or a boy? I can’t tell.”
“Neither. I am the Orb of Time and once belonged to the Dark King,” said the voice, which was indeed genderless.
The prince said, “I have a bit of a problem, Jazmine Decker.”
“What? We are in the present, I mean, I know we are in Faery, but it is the present, right?”
“Aye, but we have left the Dark Prince in the past. That won’t do. I shall have to go back and—”
“Be at rest,” said the Orb. “When you took me in hand, Prince, I had the power to correct my error, and I returned him to the Dark Realm where he belongs.” The voice, though genderless, sounded proud as it added, “I did this while I brought us home.”
The prince grinned and kissed the Orb. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Jazz was clothed in a close-fitting gown of soft blue silk, much in the Grecian style, and Frankie wore a lovely little yellow schoolgirl’s dress with Fae-styled sandals.
Jazz looked down at herself and then touched her blonde hair, which his flicking wrist had piled high on her head. She looked at Frankie again and saw that Frankie was pulling her hair out of the ponytail Trevor had put it in.
Jazz laughed. “Why so formal?”
He took her hand, she took Frankie’s, and he said as he looked them over, “We are off to see the queen.”
Jazz laughed. “As long as we aren’t taking the yellow brick road.”
“What is that?” A puzzled expression flitted over Trevor’s face.
“Never mind, Trev … lead on.”
He shifted them to the inside of the castle, and before Jazz could take in their surroundings, she turned her head to the sound of a deeply sensual male voice that said, “Well, well … what have we here?”
Jazz’s mouth dropped open as she stared at a huge, incredibly sexy hunk. He wore his dark blonde hair slicked back and tied at the nape of his neck with a string of leather. His silver Fae eyes glittered with humor and warmth. Intriguing tattoos banded his biceps, and a torque of gold around his wide neck made her wonder just who he was.
Trevor grinned like a boy and went forward. Jazz and Frankie watched the two Royals grab one another’s shoulders to give each other a warm, comradely shake.
“Breslyn … it is good to see you—better than you can imagine,” Trevor said with a gusty laugh.
“Aye, I heard you were stuck in the past with Pestale’s brother Hordly. How did you get out, and where is the devil now?”
Trevor held up the Orb. “We managed to get this. It is what sent him into the past when he tried to enter the Human Realm. The Orb realized he was Unseelie and retracted its spell, hurtling him into the past. We were in its sphere and ended up there with him, but now he is back where he belongs—in the Dark Realm with all the other abominations.”
“Aye, then, but not for long. There is a small portal that repeatedly tries to open. Ete and I have just come back from the Highlands. We shut it down, but there is no saying when he will get it open again,” Breslyn said grimly.
“Who—it can’t have been Hordly?” And then dawning lit in his eyes. “Pestale? Pestale is at it, isn’t he?”
“Aye, and he is stronger than ever and even more determined,” Breslyn said and then stopped to return his attention to Jazz and Frankie, who were both watching him with their mouths open. He laughed and said, “W
ho do we have here, Trev, my boy? It seems you have been busy.”
Trevor had just managed to make the introductions when the queen opened her door and raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning to talk all day out here in the hall for anyone and everyone to eavesdrop on?”
Chastised, Trevor lowered his gaze, but Breslyn threw back his head, laughed, and pinched the queen’s chin as they entered.
Jazz felt Frankie clinging to her and gave her a warm, reassuring smile, which helped to dissipate her own fears. Here was the Queen of the Seelie Fae.
She was tall, ethereal, graceful, and almost too beautiful to behold. Her eyes glistened with a hint of rainbow colors, ever changing. Her skin was exquisitely soft in appearance, and the radiance surrounding her was both seductive and reassuring. And when the queen tempered her alien eyes, donned human Glamour, and came to stand before her, Jazz had a moment’s urge to drop to her knees and kiss her hand. She was so much more than the vision she had presented when she appeared through the magic of the pendant. So much more!
Aaibhe held her chin and said in a voice that enticed and bewitched, “Ah, my Fios, Jazmine Decker. How pleased I am that you are here.” She turned to Frankie. “And you, my little one. I hope that you will not be frightened. You are very special to me, so be at ease.”
Jazz felt Frankie’s hand relax in hers and realized the queen had indeed calmed Frankie’s fears.
