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A feeling of real fear cramped my stomach. Where was everybody? Why was everything a mess, and why had the fire gone out? There should have been food cooking and drinks brewing. But there was nothing.
At the far end of the kitchen, a second door lead to the outside. I rushed over and flung it open, dreading what I might find. A stream flowed swiftly past the tavern, edged with grass and wild flowers. To the side was a large herb garden with some plants I recognized. Sage, rosemary, thyme, plus a whole more I’d never seen before.
I’d feared to find bodies, signs of struggle, or puddles of blood. But no, the birds were singing, and the scent of Mistress Olwen’s herbs wafted on a soft breeze.
Shaking my head, I closed the door and went back inside. All I could do at this stage was wait and see what the day might bring.
I’d barely sat down on one of the chairs, wringing my fingers and rubbing my hands in an effort to still my anxiety, when four Fae guards entered the tavern. I sat up taller, knowing they’d come for me.
But they took no notice of me. Instead, they positioned themselves on either side of the door, waiting silently. The minutes stretched while I tried to figure out what they expected me to do. Was there a leader? Or were they expecting Bleddyn?
It took me way too long to understand that they wouldn’t move until I did. I got up, and with the pathetic cloth bundle in my hand, left the abandoned tavern. The Fae guards followed me to the outside, and before I could even think about getting away from their intimidating presence, they’d surrounded me.
“We’re doing this, then,” I said, more to reassure myself than to communicate with the men. The broad back belonging to the guy in front of me moved forward, and something prodded me from behind.
Finally, we were off on our way to the royal court of King Rhys.
Chapter twenty
BETH
As we marched toward our destination, the crowd parted like water before a ship’s bow. The leader of our group was so tall, I only saw his shoulder blades. Watching his muscles move under the intricate black leather uniform entertained me for a while, but soon, I glanced at the men next to me. Their profiles were haughty and aquiline, very different from the ordinary Fae selling goods in the marketplace.
Were there different kinds of Fae? The guards were tall with aristocratic features, broad shoulders, and imperious bearing. The vendors in the market seemed stunted in comparison with skinny legs and protruding bellies. They might be starved, or maybe they belonged to another distinct Fae race. There was no way for me to tell.
What they all had in common were their pointed ears and silver eyes, just like myself. My thoughts went back to the man with the fiery eyes. He’d never told me his name, but he’d looked different again. Not as tall, but with a lean physique, his arms corded with muscles.
When he’d cornered me in the alley, lust had torn through me like an unstoppable force, and the wetness between my legs had dampened my underwear. I’d never reacted like that to a man. Never.
And his eyes. They’d been flickering and alive, as if flames lived inside the sockets. Just thinking of him raised the heat in my tummy until I had to focus on counting my steps to calm myself down.
I was about to face my grandfather, the King of the Fae. It wouldn’t do if I stepped in front of him, aroused by some stranger I’d met for all of five minutes.
The market clamor receded as the path inclined. By the time we reached the top, I was wheezing. My legs were shorter than those of the men surrounding me, and I’d been forced to jog to keep up. Bending over to catch my breath, I huffed and puffed while they were breathing regularly.
The Fae to my left threw me an amused glance, as if to say, “I’m not surprised you can’t keep up. You’re only half-Fae, after all.”
But how would they even know? I didn’t look any different from anybody else around here. Well, other than rounder hips and red hair. But both those were covered by my clothes.
“Open the door,” the commander demanded.
A silver gate adorned with intricate swirls swung wide, and then I was inside the royal palace. I had barely any time to look around when Prince Prys approached us, smiling broadly.
“Beth, my dear! You must be so excited. If what you claim is the truth, the king is delighted to meet you.”
I returned his smile tentatively, but it froze on my face like a rictus when he continued, all pretense of congeniality abandoned. “Of course, you will not survive this morning if you are an imposter.”
From one moment to the next, his mask of friendly enthusiasm disappeared to reveal his true nature. The guy was a sociopath. My stomach dropped, and pure fear streaked through me.
A second later, the mask was back on. “But we will not know until the king assesses you. So let us lose no time and proceed.”
It wasn’t a question. It was an order. I swallowed drily before whispering, “What about Bleddyn?”
Prys tilted his head like the bird he resembled. Then he waved his hand, answering my question with a haughty dismissiveness.
“Oh, he is awaiting you. Fear not, my dear. He would take liberties with you only on my command.”
If that was meant to calm me down, it had achieved the exact opposite. I was even more terrified than before. The prince waited expectantly, offering me his arm. As I took it, his words echoed through my mind.
