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She had learned so much, and if she came face to face with that dastardly Wolven King, she would know exactly what to do.
Another jiggle of the knob, and then she gave up, knocking on the door.
“Who’s there?” Ainslee’s voice was barely audible through the thick wood.
“It’s me, you silly fae. Let me in.” She laughed, but it came to an abrupt end when her friend opened the door.
“Keep your voice down, Duchess.” Ainslee was as brown as a dead leaf that had spent the winter decomposing in the garden. Her wings drooped like they were the heaviest part of her body. Phillipa had no idea how she was airborne. And her eyes were black, almost lifeless.
Phillipa gasped and closed the door behind her quickly. “What happened to you?”
“He’s here, my lady. And he threatened me.”
“Who?”
“The Wolven King.”
Phillipa’s lips parted. She sat on the bed and motioned for Ainslee to land beside her.
“Tell me everything. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“Yes. No.” Ainslee hugged herself and shook her head. “I was sitting on the bookcase, watching the festivities. It was a safe spot, I figured, because if anyone noticed me there when they passed, I could pretend I was a statue. Oh, it was such a grand affair, and no beast in the room could take his eyes off you—”
“Tell me about the wolven.” Heat rose in Phillipa’s cheeks. “We can talk about the Ball later.”
“I was watching you dance, enjoying the revelry, and the next thing I know, this feral beast stalks up the stairs. On all fours, like he was out in the wild. It was so vulgar, my lady. I knew it was the Wolven King. I’d smelled that stink on the bodies of fae who he didn’t manage to best. It burned my nostrils, and it took everything I had not to scream. He saw me, of course, and because I was so aghast, I’d forgotten to spell myself to make it look like I was made of stone. He had the audacity to demand magic from me. I asked him why he thought I would justgivehim magic. And he said he wanted to charm you.”
Phillipa gasped. “No.”
Ainslee nodded. “I was so worried that he would approach you, but I had no way to contact you without revealing myself to everyone at the Ball.”
“I never saw him, at dinner or while we were dancing.” Phillipa took a moment to recount the night. The details were fuzzy, and she had a few unfamiliar creatures that she had to ask someone what they were, but she was certain she had not seen a wolven. Especially one acting so beastly.
“He must have seen us arrive, my lady. Or he’d seen you come out of the room. However he found you, you’ve enchanted this beast as well.”
“He’ll never have me.” Phillipa shuddered. “How did your encounter end?”
Ainslee grinned. Some of her color had come back. Not as brilliant as usual, but she no longer looked wilted. “I sent him dark magic, which will hopefully prevent him from making a match at the Ball. No lady deserves to be paired with a beast as dreadful as he.”
“But he didn’t hurt you?” Phillipa asked. The fae who’d encountered him in the woods mostly survived the initial encounter. But drained of their magic, their bodies soon expired.
“No.” Ainslee bristled. “The Wolven King appears to be on his best behavior at the Monsters Ball. But enough about that awful wolven. Tell me about the handsome monsters you met tonight.”
Phillipa’s sigh turned into a yawn and ended with a giggle. “Oh, Ainslee, I can barely think about that until I know you are out of harm’s way. How will I make sure you are safe for the next two days?”
“I have my magic, and I’ll be better at hiding myself. While I was sitting on the shelf, I heard so much delicious gossip. Tomorrow night will be enchanting, by all accounts. Do you have your eye on any particular monster?”
“Ainslee, you know why I’m here, and now we need to put our plans into action.” Another yawn. “Our plan will be much better after a good night’s sleep. But right now, I can tell you I spoke with a minotaur, a serpent, and an orc. All of them gave me ideas of how I could attack the Wolven King.”
Ainslee’s eyes widened. “Duchess, you can do no such thing.”
“Why do you no longer believe in me, fae? We’re closer to him than we ever had been. He never was so open in the forest, so forward. We need a plan. Maybe I shall dance with him, and sink the silver dagger right into his heart.”
“My lady, you can’t go through with this. You’ll be ruined.” Ainslee put her hand on Phillipa’s thigh. “The plan was perfectly acceptable when we assumed that you would encounter the wolven in the woodlands. But if you do it here, you’ll be charged with murder. The Royal Hospital will seem like a vacation compared to where they will send you.”
“Who have I become?” Phillipa wondered. “I’ve never harmed another living creature in my life. But this wolven enrages me, Ainslee. I despise what he has done to your kin. Fae fill the world with magic, and he seeks to steal it for his own use. It’s abhorrent what he’s done, and until now, I never considered that such a beast could be reasoned with. Being at the Monsters Ball has changed my perspective on that. But still, he must pay for what he’s done to you.”
“He will, my lady, even if you’re not the one to make him do it.” Ainslee’s color brightened. “Tell me about these magical monsters that you met. None of them caught your eye?”
