Frankie shifted, but did not go anywhere near Tir Palace or the Queen’s chamber.
She shifted to the Highlands in the heart of the Grampian Mountains, just outside Queen Morrigu’s Castle grounds. She put her hand to the earth and softly asked, “Tell me.”
“What do you think grass and dirt can tell you?” asked a beautifully accented voice at her back.
Frankie jumped up and nearly fell on her butt as she tried spinning around at the same time. It was done in all one movement. As she righted herself she stared.
Before her, more handsome than Trevor, with black glistening locks blowing about his exquisitely good looking face was a Dark Prince.
He was naked to the waist and Frankie gulped. She should shift. She needed to leave immediately, but her curiosity made her stay.
His shoulder carried a tattoo of a Celtic cross. One bicep was banded with Celtic runes. Down one arm was a tattoo designed to protect him against the forces of Dark Magic and Frankie took it all in.
He was bold, yet she did not feel evil emanate from him. She watched as he strode forward wearing only dark leather pants and sandals.
She remembered him from the Dark Realm. She had noticed him at some point when she had been hiding behind Jazz. This one was called Graely.
Some instinct kept her from shifting away.
“I was not being sarcastic child. I was interested. What can the earth tell you?” he asked again.
“Ye be Graely. I remember ye from the Dark Realm,” she answered.
He cocked his head. “I am. I mean you no harm. You can shift away anytime you like.”
“Are ye going to sound the alarm? I know ye can do that in yer head. Are ye going to tell them I am here?” she asked warily. She prepared herself to escape. At the least sign of a Dark Fae, she would shift.
“No, you are but a child. Why would I do that?” he asked and took a step toward her.
She hopped back and away from him. “Because ye be evil,” she answered in her pretty Irish lilt.
“I have done wicked things, I know. Lately I have been wondering if I truly am evil. My father says I am not. Crystal says she believes I have redeeming qualities. I wonder. If they are right, then what am I doing here with my brothers?”
“What do ye want from me?” Frankie got to the point. She didn’t have time or patience with riddles. Frankie preferred to say what she felt.
“I am not sure. I know when I saw you touching the earth with such purpose, I was curious. You have not yet answered my question,” Graely said, spreading his hands out imploringly.
“Why is it so important to ye?”
“Because, you intrigue me. You are but a child, and yet I sense immense power in you. I can feel it growing inside of you, child. Tell me just what you are, for you are much more than a Royal Fae.”
“Which shows ye that ye know nothing,” she answered pugnaciously. “Not royal at all and I think I should leave now,” Frankie said.
“Did you get what you wanted from the earth outside our castle?” Graely pursued.
“I did.” She gave him a bright stare. “Ye have no idea what that is and ye won’t. I hardly know m’self,” Frankie said once again moving back and out of his physical range.
“They call you Frankie,” he said softly.
She snorted, “Tis m’name, but I’m wanting to know how ye know that.”
“Will you tell them of this meeting between us?” he said ignoring her question.
“Perhaps.” She was in a quandary over this already. If she told them they would sanction her for coming alone to Morrigu’s Castle and she would be even more confined than she already was.
At that moment, she felt her father in her head demanding she show her location to him at once. She blocked him out, because she could. A talent she had discovered only in the last few hours and she smiled to herself. “I’ll be saying goodbye to ye now.”
“Frankie—wait,” he called desperately.