Warrior Fae Princess (Warrior Fae 2)

“How old are you?” Penny asked incredulously.

“Old as dirt, and about as clean. Most of us die in battle. Or did. Lately, no one dies at all. I haven’t had a funeral cake in years! They’re my favorite, too. The cooks think it is in bad taste to make one without someone dying. Our population is bursting at the seams. Many of us have left, trying to find a little excitement. No one told you that, did they? No one talks about those who leave. They are shunned, much like outsiders. You’d know something of the latter. But our people are out there, waiting for the guardians to leave the Flush. The tides are turning. The magic holding everyone hostage has been pierced with holes. Soon, it will be broken.” She held her hand to her ear and cocked her head. “Can you hear it?”

“She’s a nutter and my mother is going to hate her,” Penny said, backing away.

The Red Prophet cackled.

“Whatever. Let’s go. This isn’t our problem anymore.” Devon met eyes with Steve, wondering why he was slow to change.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Steve asked quietly, turning his back to the others.

Devon stepped away with him, feeling Charity’s magic seep through their link, starting to change his mind. He wondered if he’d still feel her even when he wasn’t in the Realm. He hoped so.

“You sure about this?” Steve asked quietly, like a beta would question his alpha. “Karen has been wrong before. I heard about a pizza incident, for example…”

Devon’s guts churned for a different reason. He’d have to make adjustments when he got back. He’d taken big losses on this trip. Life-changing losses.

“Yes,” he said. “This is the right decision. We don’t belong here. They made that clear to us from the start. This is her shot at a good life, Steve. I’m not going to take that away from her. None of us are.”

Respect shone in Steve’s eyes. He nodded. “I just wanted to make sure you’d thought it through. She’s going to be as mad as a hatter, and it’ll be your fault if she blows shit up.”

Devon’s gut kept churning. “I wish she’d blow stuff up, but I have a feeling she’ll react differently. You didn’t see her in her mom’s house. But she’s a survivor. She’ll pull through, and she’ll rise to the best she can be.”

“Her future starts in”—the Red Prophet looked at the gold-crusted moon—“some time.”

Steve changed shape, and Devon followed.

Her future started now.Chapter Thirty-SixCharity reached across the bed, only coming completely awake when she felt the coldness. She frowned and rolled onto her side, glimpsing the empty space that felt like it had been vacant for hours. Where would Devon have gone? She didn’t know of anything going on in the village, and it only would’ve taken a moment for him to order breakfast.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes before stretching. Her body felt so gloriously sore. He’d given her all he had last night, and she’d lapped it up like a thirsty dog. She could go for another round this morning.

Kairi waited outside, and though she stood straight and tall, her eyes were lined with fatigue.

“Hey,” Charity said as Hallen walked up. If he weren’t too buttoned-up to grin, she got the sense he’d be beaming at her. “What’s the good word?”

“What word?” Kairi asked.

“What?” Hallen said.

“Never mind. Hey, did you see Devon leave?”

“Yes.” Kairi stared straight ahead. “He walked toward the shifter cabins earlier this morning.”

“Cabins…” Charity murmured, staring off in that direction. “Did he say…anything?”

Kairi set her jaw, but didn’t comment. Hallen practically glowed with satisfaction.

A dark premonition crawled up Charity’s spine. Before she knew it, she was jogging down the cobblestone path.

Turning the corner, she caught Kairi and Hallen out of the corner of her eye, following her silently. They were nearly as slick as shifters.

“Third, hello!” a man called from his front door as Charity passed. “I look forward to your—”

She didn’t politely stop to hear the rest of his words.

She really hoped she was overreacting. That the past was throwing shadows where there were none. She really hoped there was a good reason for Devon to have left her bed in the middle of the night. So why didn’t Kairi feel comfortable talking about it?

“You have my best interests at heart, don’t you, Kairi?” she called out as she jogged.

“Of course, Third.”

“If a big mistake was in progress, you’d say something, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, Third. That is my job.”

“A big mistake is in—” Hallen started.

Charity didn’t bother glancing back. She wasn’t asking him. She still didn’t know why he kept hanging around. He didn’t make himself useful like Kairi did, nor was he on the same fighting level as either of them. She no longer needed his help with her magic.