AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I know,” I groan, frustrated with the lack of control I’ve maintained with Dreyden being gone.
The lost fae are deeply troubled by their memory loss, and they’re acting out in response to the confusion. Most of them are doing fine and haven’t been in any trouble, but there are too many beginning to create chaos.
“Brina hasn’t left the garden since they trampled through it,” Lyra sighs.
She’s just as exhausted as Izan and I are. We’ve barely slept since Dreyden left. We’re trying to keep over ten thousand lost and confused fae confined, happy, and fed while also maintaining peace with the Fire Court people.
It’s tough, and right now it’s feeling next to impossible.
“The broken windows should be fixed before Dreyden gets back, but we’re going to have to tell him,” Izan says. He’s looking at me with a sternness in his face, and I know there’s no arguing with him.
I nod slowly, not wanting to agree. “I know. I don’t know what else to do with all these people.”
Izan’s voice is stone-cold and serious. “They’re going to have to leave. There isn’t another option. We do not have the resources to keep up with ten thousand fae, and if they’re causing trouble then they’re not adding any value to Fire Court. The Fire Court people do not want them here, and for good reason. They’re breaking windows, starting fires, and stealing food. What’s next?” He throws his hands in the air. “Muggings? Murders?”
“No,” I snap, matching his icy tone. “There will be no muggings or murders. I’ll be sure of it.”
“How can you be sure? They’re impossible to control.”
Tears form in the back of my eyes and I choke down spit as I swallow the lump caught in my throat. I don’t know whether I should be excited or worried for Dreyden to get home in a few short hours. Perhaps he can help get things under control… but he’s more likely to side with Izan, and he already strongly dislikes the lost fae.
Chapter Fifteen
DREYDEN
Ihuff as walk down the halls of my castle. Adeena is going to be so pissed off when she sees the deep gashes in my face and neck gifted to me by the sphynx, and I’m not in the mood to deal with her lectures about being safe.
Perhaps it’s a bit hypocritical, but I can take care of myself. I did what I had to and it was a stupid slip in judgment when the sphynx had me pinned to the ground. I should have known he would be fast as fuck, but in the end, I’m the one who walked away and that cat bastard burned to the ground as a pile of ash.
Adeena doesn’t know I’m back yet, and I’d like to keep it that way until I’m finished meeting with Izan about Fire Court business. We need to discuss our food supplies, water resources, village politics, and everything else we’ve been avoiding like the plague.
I don’t know how much longer we can keep feeding these people. I don’t have an exact count, but we estimated around ten thousand lost travelers the day they arrived. Fire Court is self-sufficient for its own people, but ten thousand throws us off balance. Our numbers nearly double in size with the addition of that many people. There’s a secret reserve very few people know about, but I refuse to tap into it for anyone other than the Fire Court people. We’ve been building it for years, canning and preserving food items with magic to last us as long as possible if a crisis were to occur. Something like what’s happening in Tartarus, but Tartarus did not have a backup plan.
Izan waits for me in my office, patiently seated in the large leather chair across from my desk. His enormous binder full of notes and important information is in his hands, and he’s scanning through it with his leg crossed over his knee.
He hears me walk into the room, and glances up from his binder. “What happened to you? You look like you got into a fight with a cat.”
I scoff, quietly laughing as I cross the room to my desk. He’s not far off. “A sphynx.”
His back straightens and he slams his binder shut as he sits forward. “A sphynx? I haven’t heard of anyone running into a sphynx in hundreds of years.”
“Well, there are all sorts of creatures that no one has seen for hundreds of years freely running around Tartarus right now. I took care of the sphynx as soon as I heard it was spotted near town.”
“We need to do something about that,” Izan says as he rubs his hand over his chin. “They can’t take over an entire kingdom.”
“I’ve already tried getting the other courts on board, but no one wants to use their resources on a fallen kingdom.”
Izan sits deep in thought, mulling over some options. “There has to be a way to change their minds.”
I sit at my desk across from him, picking up a pen and straightening a pile of papers. “Let me know if you come up with anything. I’ve been through it a thousand times in my mind.”
* * *
After my meeting with Izan,I find Adeena standing outside with the lost travelers, mingling among them. She’s wearing her usual black trousers and black tunic. I secretly love how similarly she dresses to me.
I approach her from behind, following the sweet vanilla and jasmine scent I love so much. She jumps in surprise as I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close to me. Her hand lands on my forearm as she prepares to tear free of my grasp.
“It’s me,” I whisper into her ear as I bury my face in her long blonde hair, inhaling her scent.
