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“She’s okay.” Callum carefully took the child from me.
“Are you well enough to walk?” he asked the girl.
She nodded.
“Good, stay close, I’m going to help my friend.” Callum’s jaw clenched. “You don’t look well.”
He slipped his hands under me and lifted me into his arms. I laid my head against his chest.
Alisha ran up. “Not as durable as you thought, but you did manage to help us kill the subspine and that monster is not easy to break.”
“Take us back to the palace,” Callum said.
Alisha opened the portal. “Go.”
Her gaze paused on the child. “Mab, what are you doing here?”
Mab sniffled. “Is Nan fighting? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, go with them. The queen is not going to be pleased.” Alisha grunted.
Did we win? Was that the battle? Every muscle in my body strained. I spent too much magic. The tingle of the portal tickled my skin. I wanted to sleep, and I hoped I’d be able to.
Footsteps clamored down the hallway.
“Damn,” Callum whispered. His grip on me tightened as he hugged me closer to his chest.
Turning my head, I saw the reason for his discomfort. The queen stomped down the hall, flanked by guards and very sharp swords, her face fuming and the hallway behind her filled with shadows, the temperature dropping with each of her thundering steps.
“Your majesty,” Callum said and gave a bow with his head.
“Get out of my way!”
Callum stumbled to the side while the queen set her fury on the child.
“Foolish child!” the queen yelled. “You were ordered to stay inside the palace. You dare defy me!”
Surprisingly, the child did not cower, but pouted. “But Nan is missing. She wasn’t here. I heard the servants talk.”
The queen threw her hands in the air, completely exasperated. “How am I supposed to keep you out of trouble if you insist on finding it. Your nanny is fine and fighting like everyone else.”
Callum cleared his throat.
The queen shook her head. “Callum, Kelia, meet the prodigal child, Mab.”
No.I forced Callum to let me go. “She’s so young.”
Queen Merelda glared at me. “You came for a prodigal child. We did not hide her age.”
“But.” My heart raced and for the first time in many years, tears burned my vision. “The Borderlands is no place for one so young.”
Mab smiled at me. “I’m not afraid. I know about the big bad monsters.”
“What about child did you not understand?” the queen said.
I clenched my fists, fighting back the emotion. Queen Merelda was right. I knew we were coming for a child but seeing her . . . emotions bubbled in my chest, and I was too drained to fight them back.
Mab twirled one of her white braids, the coloring almost a soft pink. “Are you taking me to the surface?”
Regaining my composure, I stood. “Yes, but not now.”
“Take Mab to her room. You two need to get cleaned up. Take them to one of the suites. This war is just getting started.” The Queen shook her head and stormed off.
Callum placed a hand on my elbow, guiding me to follow the guards. “That was interesting.”
I couldn’t speak.
If I did, the tears would cascade like a waterfall until I drowned in them.
