in the middle lifted his right hand and pointed. I bypassed the way it trembled and swung my attention to the door on the right. He cleared his throat and finally spoke, “We were fixing the king a snack. He’s in his study.”
“Open the door for us,” I ordered. “Immediately.”
The staffer’s feet pedaled swiftly to do as told.
Penelope trotted as fast as she could on the tiles, her clopping hooves obscene against the stillness of the royal castle. Not once did she buck as I turned her down different halls, loyally doing as I bid.
My heart hammered in my chest as we stopped next to the study’s grand oak doors. I used the side of my left fist to bang on them, the bolts rattling on the doorframe from the strength of my blows.
I bellowed, “Father!”
King Traevon Towers threw the doors open seconds later. The emerald green of his eyes, identical to mine, stared at me in quiet calculation, the way my chest heaved with adrenaline and the death grip I had on my Fae-gift’s mane. Not to mention, Penelope was inside the castle—most certainly against the rules.
My father pulled his dark red, shoulder-length hair up into a small knot at the top of his head, already preparing for battle. His small fangs flashed in the light. “Tell me what has happened.”
“Grandmother had a vision, and, after, she ordered me as a family elder to leave her and get you.” I honored my grandmother too much not to listen. “There’s something wrong, Father. I’ve never seen her so serious.”
King Traevon nodded his head once and maneuvered around Penelope’s body. His march down the tiled hallway was silent, unlike when he barked, “Stay here and don’t let Penelope shit on my floor. And if you see your mother, keep her inside, too.”
“Father!” I argued.
“Do not disobey me, Trixie,” he growled.
The king disappeared around the corner, small sparks of fire already dancing from the tips of his fingers. He hardly ever let his power show, always so in control. He was absolutely ready to use his royal elven firepower if needed.
My right fang bit into my bottom lip hard enough that a drop of blood pooled around my tooth. I whispered under my breath, “To Fairy with that.”
I jerked on the mane twisted between my clenched fingers.
Penelope didn’t move.
Not now!
I leaned over and spoke harshly near her twitching left ear, “If you don’t do as you’re told, I won’t give you a blue apple for a full year.”
My pegasus snorted and turned her head to stare back at me with one fiery red eye, her mutiny obvious.
“I am your owner, not him. He has Javon. I don’t care what the king said. My grandmother is scared.”
Her nose twitched…just a smidge.
I had her. “That’s right. Grandmother. Now get your stubborn pegasus ass moving.”
Penelope’s ears twitched again—this time in agreement. I held on tightly as I led her the opposite way my father had gone, not wanting to bump into him if he was still inside. I had to get down a few times to open doors, but we were swiftly racing over the field of flowers separating Father’s castle from the heir’s castle. Her hooves beat a swift tempo that was coordinated with my heart, my nervousness ratcheting up as my father’s shadowy silhouette came into view in the dark of the night.
The King of Elves was on his knees, his head bent as if in prayer to the Fae. Silver hair glinted in the moonlight on the still form lying on the ground next to him. My grandmother’s injuries should have healed by now. She should be moving. Did another vision hit her while I wasn’t there?
My father’s attention snapped in my direction when he heard my Fae-gift’s hoofbeats, fire once again twirling on his fingertips, but he immediately extinguished his power, recognizing me. He lifted his left hand, throwing it up in a stopping gesture, and bellowed an anguished order, “Don’t come any closer, Trixie! Stay back!”
I didn’t listen.
Fairy! Penelope didn’t even listen.
We sprinted faster.
My father was never…sad?
The king’s hand dropped to his side in defeat.
Penelope whinnied and reared up as we stopped, her call bereft in the night air at what we viewed—calling her father, if I wasn’t mistaken, even when she tried to be tough every other day with him.
When her front hooves landed, I dismounted on stiff legs.
I didn’t understand what I was seeing.
I…did. But my brain refused to believe it.
Why was there a hole in my sweet