Luna smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “My sister believes she is entitled to everything. I will show her that’s not the case.”
“But how?”
She turned to me, a frown on her face. “You ask too many questions, Prince. Some things, as I’ve explained before, are better left unsaid.”
A red haze glazed over my vision. My hand reached out for her as she stood. I didn’t know why it latched onto her forearm so forcefully, or why it felt like I was dreaming. My mind felt foggy and confused. All of a sudden, something snapped in me. I’d taken hold of her, bared my teeth, and wanted to tear her apart, limb from limb.
“Turn me loose before I rip your arm off!” she warned in a low tone.
I finally regained control and let go of her. Swallowing, I tried to fight the feeling of rage settling in my heart. What was happening to me? I felt tired, like I’d just woken from a nightmare and was still disoriented, the fog still settled over me.
“You’re sweating. Are you well?” she asked, looking me over.
I tried to stand, but fell onto the porch planks. She cursed and hooked her hands beneath my arms. “Probably some side effect from the potion. Let’s get you inside. I thought you’d be well enough to leave tomorrow, but we may need to wait another day.”
“Is it fever?” I asked as I stumbled through the doorway with her help. I’d seen people die of bone fever, shrieking from the pain. I didn’t want to die that way. I had my dagger. If worse came to worse, I could end my pain before it consumed me whole.
She slung my arm over her shoulders. “It’s not fever. Your body just needs rest to heal.”
“Did you poison me? Did you kill William?” I slurred. My voice echoed in my head, soft and fuzzy, and then I sank onto something plush as soothing darkness surrounded me. In the distance I heard the sweetest voice, singing something lilting and dark and beautiful.
chapter seven
LUNA
The second night of autumn brought with it the promise of storms. The wind gusted outside, howling against the house. I stepped onto the porch where Phillip was sitting.
“You shouldn’t be out here.”
“I needed fresh air,” he answered. “A storm is coming.”
I smiled. The silver bottoms of the leaves that were still green turned and showed me their bellies. The ones that had turned colors and were dry enough to be plucked by the wind from their branches rained down around us. Breathing in the rain-scented air, I closed my eyes. This would be the season for the spell to end. I could almost taste it.
I stepped back inside and changed into a dark purple, cotton gown. It showed more cleavage than the dresses I usually wore, but Malex was male, even if he was a strange male. If the top of my breasts would help persuade him to play nicely, I’d certainly use them to my advantage.
Finding Malex might be a challenge. The fae Prince could be anywhere. In his palace, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling black marble, in his cave, or making trouble in various surrounding human villages.
I grabbed my broom and stepped outside again.
Phillip raked his eyes over my dress and settled on the flesh it exposed. My body warmed in response. This is William’s baby brother, I reminded myself. I focused on my broom, noting with irritation that cobwebs were clotted on the bristles. Looking at Phillip, he shrugged as if to say he told me he’d cleaned. “Don’t touch my broom again, Prince,” I warned with a growl.
He simply chuckled. “You actually ride it?”
“Of course,” I said dismissively. “It’s the fastest means of transportation through the forest.”
He clapped his hands. “Where are we going?”
“We?” I laughed. “No. I’m going to a clandestine meeting, and you will stay here tucked safely inside the house. I’ll lock it with a spell. Where I’m going, you would be slaughtered. I’ll be back by dawn.”
“What if something happens to you?” He stood, his fingers flexed around an invisible hilt. He wasn’t afraid for himself, but for me. No one had ever defended me before, mostly because I didn’t need anyone’s help.
Fighting back a grin, I told him, “I can take care of myself. You stay here and guard Ember.”
He glanced from me to the cat, frowning when she purred at his legs. I held in my laughter.
“Stay inside, no matter what you hear or see. Remember what I said. The forest isn’t safe tonight, but the house will be protected. I will step back inside the door at dawn, and not a moment before. If I arrive while the sky is still dark and ask you to come outside, it’s not really me.”
His mind chewed on that possibility and he finally agreed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Fine.”
I motioned for him to turn around and go back inside the door. He did, but refused to close it. Closing my eyes, I spelled the cottage with protection. I had already bound my sister to the palace grounds, but soon, I would seal my sister into the palace itself, away from her precious garden. It was a small step, but one that would make a huge difference to her. She loved her roses, and my plan would keep her away from them. Being bound to a smaller place would also make her angry, and anger was a diversion in and of itself. While she raged about being confined, I would work to set us both free. Soon, but not soon enough.
Right now, she would be about to succumb to sleep. But I hadn’t heard from her since our last sleep walk during my summer slumber. She didn’t reach out to me on the equinox and I hadn’t sensed Pieces since waking. Neither had Ember. That only meant one thing…my sister was up to something. They say it is when your enemy is quiet that they are preparing to strike. My sister was no exception.
I called an owl from the wood. It landed on a nearby branch and let out a hoot, ruffling its white and brown feathers. A few of them fluttered to the ground. The bird’s large eyes fastened on me expectantly.
“Watch my sister,” I commanded. While she couldn’t come here at night, that didn’t mean she couldn’t glamour someone and send them in her place, or send some creature to my doorstep. I didn’t trust her, and I didn’t want to leave Phillip without knowing where she was and what was going on around her palace.
With a tick of its head, the owl flew off toward the castle.
“You talk to animals?” Phillip yelled from inside. “You can actually control them?”
“Only nocturnal ones,” I replied with a smirk.
I called more owls. They landed in the trees all around the cottage. “Spread yourselves through the woods and keep watch. If something or someone comes near the cottage, alert me immediately.”
Most took to the air, spreading themselves into the forest in every direction.
Phillip was in awe. His mouth gaped open as he watched them from the door. “Be careful, Luna.”
Hmm. It almost sounded like he cared.
Gripping the broomstick, I took off into the dark, through the churning, angry autumn air. All he cares about is getting home, I chided myself. I was merely his ticket there.