
Cobblestone Press www.cobblestone-press.com
Copyright ©2007 by Yolanda Sfetsos
First published in 2007
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Shay Lee lowered her slender legs off the side of the throne. The position filled her mind with too many bad memories of the previous Faerie Warrior Queen, Rhiannon. Although for once, she could actually understand why her old friend had always seemed to be surrounded by an air of boredom.
No wonder Rhiannon went out of her way to create mischief, she thought.
Shay yawned. Her turquoise gaze stopped at the large oak tree, which was now a permanent feature in the middle of the castle. It towered upward, high enough that its top branches ended a few centimeters from the glass ceiling above. The leaves were green and lush, full of life. Its beauty and strength captivated Shay.
If she closed her eyes, it would only take seconds to tap into the life that coursed through every leaf and branch ... even the one that embalmed the previous queen. Shay didn't feel any regret for what her connection to plants and flowers had done to Rhiannon.
She got what she deserved.
The air was cool inside this large room that looked more like a hall. The smoothness chilled her, rousing goose flesh along her exposed arms. Only the density of the watchful guards weighed heavy on her shoulders. She didn't want them here, but they came with the job. Her place within Breena now was to help lead it into the potential Shay knew it had, not the dictatorship Rhiannon so casually had gotten them used to.
She still had a little trouble with the transition into her new place within faerie society. Since Mai announced to the fae that Shay would become the queen of the soon-to-rise King of Breena, Glen Row, she hadn't left the confinement of the castle walls.
It wasn't from lack of trying, though.
Shay had tried to leave several times, but with every assignment she attempted to take on herself, a group of guards followed behind. A faerie could easily slip into Sydney and back undetected, but with an entourage of beefy guys with wings close behind, it was near impossible. Sure, the wings wouldn't be visible in the human world, but the guards' pesky presence would. How could Shay hide in the shadows as she stalked potential hunts with at least three guards after her?
So instead she spent most of her days giving assignments to everyone else. Shay continued to send the fae-hunters off with their magical dust and weapons into Sydney, ready and eager to find more of their people lost amongst the humans.
Shay sighed. Maybe if she had Glen by her side, she'd be able to deal with this non-active role. There were a few things she could think of that would keep them occupied with each other for hours, maybe days. But Glen wasn't available. He was off with Mai and the Circle of Elders. The old sprites had changed their minds at the last minute. Instead of allowing Shay to answer his questions and teach him about their ways, Mai and the others would explain it all. Teach Glen about his origins, and no doubt make him pass several trials before he could take his place at the throne. At least he'd missed out on the intensive stay at the institution, which the other changelings had to endure.
Now Shay was all alone. Left to take the reigns of royalty until her king returned.
"My Queen, are you sure you'd like this notice to be posted for everyone to see?"
Shay looked up to find one of the guards on bended knee before her. She couldn't understand how Rhiannon could take this much attention all day. Then again, the former queen always had thrived on it and was probably in some sort of sexual entanglement with each and every one of these males.
"Positive."
"There could be some ... backlash against something so---"
"I've already discussed this with the king, and he agreed it's time to free Breena from the 'no love' policy," Shay said with a smile. She had spoken to Glen about the situation, though very vaguely. They were allowed to speak to each other via mirror scry once a day. It seemed like so many moons had passed since the first time they'd touched.
Glen had been whisked off instantly. The threat of goblins so close to their borders was serious enough that Mai found his orientation urgent.
The thought of how it felt when Glen's large hands caressed her back made Shay shiver. They'd only shared their bodies one time, but it had been enough to awaken the true nature inside him and confirm the emotion of love in her. Shay couldn't wait to be alone with him again.
The guard lifted an eyebrow; his gaze swept down the front of her body.
"Just put it up," she whispered. Shay made no attempt to hide her pert nipples from him. Just the thought of Glen teased her body into a frenzied desire, and her orchid-petal outfit was too sheer to hide the effect.
"Very well." The guard nodded and turned away. He headed toward the door at the end of the room, his boots echoing against the marble once he left the newly grown grass.
"Thanks," Shay called out after him. There was no need to be rude. She'd watched Rhiannon treat these guards as if they were slaves, but she wanted to show them some respect. Well, as much respect as she could give a bunch of faerie guards who acted more like pesky flies.
They always stayed close to her. Even when she retired at night to sleep in the queen's chamber alone, at least two guards were posted outside the bedroom door. If she'd allow it, at least another two would stand at the end of the bed and watch her sleep. But Shay had put a stop to that before they had a chance to cross the threshold into her new room.
She didn't like the new bedroom. There were too many ghosts from the past within those walls. The mere thought of lying down on the same bed Rhiannon had occupied for so long kept Shay awake almost every night. She desperately wanted to go back to her apartment. There was no need for her to stay inside the castle without the rightful faerie to the throne being present.
Shay had inherited the title of queen only because Glen had asked her to stand beside him. Otherwise, none of these guards would bother to give her a second glance. Or maybe they'd still eye her with the suspicion they all had adopted during Rhiannon's too-long reign.
She pressed her elbows against her knees and sighed as she stared into the room. Her thoughts turned to what would happen the next day. By then everyone in Breena would have had the chance to read the bulletin she'd ordered posted in the town square and every community notice board. Although she hadn't really discussed the situation with Glen in the depth it probably required, she knew he'd agree. After all, they were in love with each other, weren't they?
Rhiannon had kept in place the harsh law that made love illegal in Breena. Anyone who had fallen in love was captured and the loss of dust and wings resulted. To a faerie, that pretty much meant the loss of life.
Of course, the idea hadn't been Rhiannon's. The policy was put in place centuries before, but Shay knew things in Breena weren't always like that. One day, some faerie with enough power had decided that allowing love in their hearts and souls rendered their kind weak and made them a target to the goblins so eager to get their claws into their world.
Focus and strength were the traits taught to the fae. Love provided not only a distraction, but made them weak-minded fools. Faeries were warriors who fought in order to save their world. They used their skills to release the bondage placed on so many of their kind lost in the human world.
Shay understood, on some level, why it was easy to think of love in such a negative way. Even now as she sat filled with the boredom she was forced to endure, Shay missed Glen more than she'd missed anyone else in her entire life. Well, except for her mother, Tien. That thought made her gut clench as she remembered Rhiannon's confession of how she'd manipulated her own mother to kill Shay's. It drove a wedge into her heart and reminded her of Flee. Her friend and companion had been alone since she'd been trapped in here.
She sighed. She was convinced it was time to trust the fae people with the freedom to use their own hearts. She believed they could keep their jobs and responsibilities intact even if they did allow their hearts to get involved with another. Shay knew no one married in Breena. They simply kept breeding partners to expand the population, but none made real commitments.
Shay wanted that to change, and it had started with herself.
A new chapter was about to dawn in Breena, and she would be responsible for the start of it. Not because she wanted the credit or to rule with an iron fist, but because faeries deserved the freedom of love.
"I don't think so; you're staying out here," Shay said as she pushed the guard closest to her with one hand, and held the door open with the other.
"But, my Queen, we need to stay with you at all times!"
"No, you need to stay out here!" She kept her right hand up, ready to push him again if she had to. There was no way she would allow any of them to invade her privacy this severely.
"We're the queen's guards." His light blue eyes pleaded for her to understand his predicament. Beyond the need to protect her, these poor, muscled faeries didn't seem to have any other purpose in life.
She was prepared to change that too, especially if it meant she would get a moment's grace. "And please, stop calling me Queen; my name's Shay."
"We can't---"
Shay slammed the apartment door in his face. She pressed her back against it, closing her eyes for a few seconds. To be able to count to ten without someone's constant watch felt good. Except ... there was someone else in here.
Her heart sped up.
She opened one eye then the other. "Oh, Flee, I'm so sorry."
The smile on her friend's pixie-like face extended wider. Flee originally was supposed to have evolved from caterpillar into butterfly, but something had happened to her along the way, and Shay had found her cocoon smashed on a path. A little faerie magic had helped her become what she was now---a hybrid with shimmery wings.
"Should I bow down to you, Queen?" The smirk cut her wide smile, thinned her lips.
"Oh please, not you, too."
"I'm only teasing."
"That, my friend, is a wonderful change of pace."
"Aren't they treating you nicely at the castle?" Flee hovered in midair, golden wings fluttering softly behind her.
"It's not that; I feel more like a prisoner than a leader."
"I thought this would make you happy."
"Becoming the Queen of Breena is not what I've aspired for," Shay said with a shake of her head. She pushed herself off the door and headed farther into her apartment. This was what home felt like, not the empty chamber she'd been trying to sleep in for so many nights now. There wasn't an ounce of her in that castle. Well, except for the live oak tree and all the plant growth it allowed inside the hall. Even now, she could feel her breath move in sequence to the rhythm of the ancient tree.
Flee turned her face to stare at one of the shelves embedded into the wall, and Shay followed her gaze. Several daisies had bloomed since she'd stepped into the apartment.
Shay sighed. She hadn't felt useful since she stopped Rhiannon's reign.
Flee turned back to Shay. "But you've always thought someone stronger, and with the right intentions, should lead the fae-hunters."
"That's true." Shay reached toward the shelf and held her left hand out to the newly bloomed daisies. The warmth emanated off their yellow glow and caressed her fingertips. It was therapeutic. The way plants reacted to her was an incredible sensation Shay also felt. They empowered her as much as she them.
"So, the one who leads the hunters is always queen."
"Yeah, but I never claimed I wanted the job," Shay answered. And although what Flee said was true, and had been for several centuries, it didn't stop the status from being a burden. Shay's great-great-great-grandmother had helped form the organization of hunters, and she hadn't been of royal blood. The system had just gotten all messed up along the way.
"Well, I think you're perfect for the role."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but being locked up in a castle doesn't allow me to do much more than hand out assignments to others." Shay touched the petals lovingly one last time before she turned back to Flee. She crossed her arms in front of her stomach, enjoying the comfort and familiarity of her own place. "I think I'll sleep here tonight."
"Will the guards allow that?" Flee asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't care. They can stay outside the door all night if that's what they want to do."
"You know they will."
"Good."
"Will you be in better spirits once your king returns to you?" Flee offered her a small smile.
It was Shay's turn to lift an eyebrow. "How much do you know about that?"
"I've heard things through the grapevine."
"Oh really, and what grapevine would that be? Are you still surfing the mirror waves?" Shay couldn't help but tease her friend. Flee was free to come and go as she pleased; Shay never treated her like a lesser individual. She was her pet, but more importantly than that, a friend and equal. Due to the lack of arms to her small frame, Flee tended to stay inside the apartment most of the time.
"I've been to the garden out back several times."
"Really?" Shay hadn't meant to sound so surprised, but her eyes widened and a slight shrill edged her voice.
Flee nodded. A pinkish hue colored her cheeks.
"That's great, Flee! I've been trying to get you out there for ages. What changed?"
"It got a little lonely around here," she answered with a sensitive look deep in her eyes. Her antennas twitched a little. "But don't feel guilty, okay? I'm used to being alone. You are a hunter, after all, but lately it's been too quiet. And I didn't know what was going on with you. You've been so secretive lately. Our last conversation was about Tien, and even then you didn't want to share much."
"I'm so sorry, Flee. I was falling in ... It was all too complicated with my heart and soul. I was afraid to admit it. Oh, I don't know. There's really no excuse for keeping such a big secret from your best friend, is there? You know that's what you are, right?"
Flee's eyes shimmered with tears. "If it makes you feel any better, I guessed that love had touched you somehow. You'd been stuck on the same hunt for over a month. You usually polish them off within days!"
Shay shrugged. "I didn't realize it had become so apparent to everyone else but me."
"So, what's he like?"
"Glen's great."
"I knew if anyone could find themselves a king or a prince, it would be you."
"Yeah, what are the odds?" Shay had asked herself the same question quite a lot lately. After she had spent over a century of her life as a hunter who stalked men in the human world to release them into their true existence, Shay wondered why she'd ended up with a destined king. Not that she regretted Glen Row. He filled a piece of her heart Shay hadn't known was vacant until he had crawled inside.
"With you, I'd say pretty high," Flee said with a smile. "What are you going to do about the guards out there?"
"I've already told you. They can stay out there if they want, because tonight, I'm going to enjoy a night of gossip, chatter and food with my best friend," Shay said with her own smile. This move probably wouldn't bode well with anyone back at the castle, and she'd no doubt get a visit from the head of security in the morning. But by then, the announcement of love being acceptable within Breena would be out.
"I can call for takeout."
"Sure, you do that," Shay agreed.
Tonight, she would pretend that everything was the same way it always had been. And with a little luck, she could also assign herself a case the next day.
Shay was awakened by the feathery touch of warm fingertips along the length of her exposed calf. She turned onto her back, extended her legs along the comfortable sheets and rubbed her sleepy eyes with the back of her hands.
"Do you always sleep naked?" the familiar voice whispered.
She sat up, her heartbeat like a jackhammer against her chest. The comment was enough to force her fully awake.
Shay stared at his long, muscled body, glossy with the moonlight that filtered in through her large window. Curtains of webbed vines stirred with the breeze.
She shivered, but not from the cold. The soft breeze actually felt heavenly along her body. It was his sudden presence that stirred her.
"Do you make a habit of appearing naked in someone else's bedroom?" she returned as she propped herself up on her elbows. A lazy smile curved the edge of her lips. Her vision was clear from slumber now, free for her to enjoy the brilliance of his muscled arms and legs and the flat stomach ridged with muscles that contracted with every breath he took.
"Technically, this isn't your bedroom anymore," Glen answered.
For a second, she wondered if this was some sort of dream. She'd been dreaming about him a lot lately. "Yeah, so how did you find me?"
"You know, I think you've spent too much time in Sydney. I haven't heard anyone else in Breena say 'yeah' instead of 'yes'." The teasing glance made her realize Glen might be guarded about how much he was able to reveal to her.
"Answer my question."
He shrugged. "They keep telling me I'm king, so I thought I'd start to test the theory. When I didn't find you in the castle, I used some of my 'talent' to track you down."
"Why didn't you find me sooner?"
"Do you know how hard it is to get past the security at the castle?" Glen took a step forward. His quadriceps caught her attention as the muscles shifted beautifully with every stride.
Her gaze naturally moved to his groin area. The obvious arousal affected her, even if it was temporarily hidden behind his silky, gold-colored shorts. Shay felt the wetness build between her legs as her nipples tightened. "You don't have to tell me about the pesky guards. They won't even let me go into Sydney on my own. I've been itching to get back into the hunt, but they insist on coming with me."
"What else have you itched for since we've been apart?" Glen asked with a glimmer in his green eyes. He dropped his gaze to her breasts with an intensity that further turned her on.
When he looked up again, Shay met his gaze.
She nodded then leaned back and lifted her arms above her head to stretch out her petite frame so he'd be able to read what she'd wanted more than anything else. "Come here and find out."
His golden wings glimmered against the moonlight that caught them as he moved closer. One knee after the other pressed against the soft mattress. Her body reacted to every inch he gained toward her.
Glen crawled his way to Shay and collapsed on the bed next to her. His wings faded instantly.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. If he was able to make his own wings fade at random, Glen's control over his faerie power was stronger than she'd suspected after so little time.
His fingertips skimmed the top of her arms as she turned on her side to face him. Her own wings shimmered behind her as she willed them to reappear once she was off her back. The ability to control the appearance and disappearance of faerie wings was a neat talent. One that took most fae years to master, even though sleeping with wings sprouted was an uncomfortable and sometimes impossible situation.
"One of these days, I will make love to you under the light of the sun," she whispered with a smile.
"I hope that's a promise." His smile widened as his fingertips trailed down her forearm and fell to her hip, only to slide up to rest on the scar between her ribs, the one Rhiannon had given her. Glen touched it softly, gazing on the once damaged skin that had fully healed.
"Are you almost done with the training, Glen?"
"Not sure, but I do know I can't talk about it with anyone," he whispered as he avoided her eyes.
"Not even me?"
Glen shook his head. "No, but I didn't sneak out from the watchful eyes of the elders so I could visit you to chat about my learning curve. I'm here because I couldn't resist the urge to hold you in my arms any longer."
Shay leaned closer to press her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and swiveled her small frame so she was on top of him. She straddled him, their lips still connected, and her wings fully spread out behind her.
With every sweep of her tongue inside his mouth, Shay felt the ball of desire grow inside her like a balloon filled to maximum capacity and very much ready to explode.
"I haven't had the chance to tell you this yet, Shay, but I love you. The way I feel about you makes the distance between us so much harder to bear."
"That's great to know, because I love you too, Glen," she whispered against his full lips. "You have no idea how much I've wanted this again."
"Oh, I think I do." His silky laughter filled her bedroom; it washed over her body. "Kiss me."
She obliged his demand, pressing her breasts harder against his chest. Shay crushed her lips against his, finding their groove. The fire of desire burned deep inside her. Even the soft touch of her nipples against his hairless chest made the arousal rise further.
Shay moved her hips lower, eager to find his erection and feel him inside her again. But he stopped her, forcing her higher along his body until her legs were spread above his face. She looked down into his eyes and read exactly what he wanted from her. Glen wanted to taste her, wanted to know her in every way possible, as much as she wanted to know him.
He wrapped his hands around her buttocks, and her pelvis fell over his mouth. Glen held on tighter. He planted one soft kiss after the other on the inside of each thigh, followed by one in between her legs.
Shay shivered with anticipation. She'd never engaged in this part of sex. The opportunity had risen many times while in intimate moments with those she'd hunted, but she usually stopped it. The best way to bring on their change was to directly release her faerie dust over their bodies at climax. Yet, she hadn't thought about doing it this way before. Her dust would have surely fallen over them enough to enhance their release. Still, Shay was glad the first time was with Glen.
At least they could share a few first times together. The first time she'd ever fallen in love, and the first time---
A shot of pure ecstasy cut every thought out of her mind. Glen's tongue was in between her legs, finding her pleasure point instantly. The swirls of his tongue made her back arch. With his mouth pressed between her legs, Glen opened her folds and reached an intimacy no one had ever given her before.
Shay moved her hips in a slow motion that enhanced his articulate rhythm, helping his tongue delve deeper. Her wings fluttered softly. The excitement beneath her skin shot her with electric shocks that threatened to tear her apart. As his tongue swirled faster, she felt the first tug of the orgasm sweep through her.
A little cloud of dust tumbled from her arms.
Glen's big hands held her buttocks tight, making it easier to keep her wings spread out so she could enjoy every second of pleasure he had to give. He licked her so deeply and thoroughly that Shay's eyelids closed. All she could concentrate on was her body; everything else faded to black. The room, the bed, none of it mattered. The sensations of desire and love intermingled with each other.
On her next hip thrust, the sensation was so strong she nearly doubled over. There was no holding back now. As much as she enjoyed this situation and wished she could prolong it, Shay was about ready to explode.
The scream tore out of her throat, shaking her body to the very core. The climax grabbed Shay so hard her body felt light, as if she had temporarily left her shell to become nothing more than a cloud of pleasure. The sweet warmth ran up from in between her legs and chased goose bumps along every bit of available skin. It enticed the glittery dust to spray out of her pores in all the brilliant colors she possessed.
"My Queen, are you all right in there?" The voice of one of the guards followed a knock on her bedroom door. "We're coming in."
"No!" Shay yelled as she caught her breath. "I'm fine, just a bad dream. That's all."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"I'm so sorry, Shay, I tried to stop them," Flee's small voice added.
Shay took a few deep breaths to allow the last of the dust to shimmer off her arms and onto Glen with a shiver. "It's okay, please. I just need to get back to sleep."
"I'll get them outside," Flee said.
Glen smiled at her when she lifted herself off his mouth with the aid of her wings. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"What do you think they'd say if they knew the king was having his way with you, and they had no bloody idea?" He lifted his body upright. The residue of faerie dust fell off his limbs as some seeped into his skin.
"I don't care what they'd say. But I do want to know if there's going to be more to follow that wonderful display of affection." She willed her wings to fade and collapsed beside him.
"You enjoyed it then?"
"Couldn't you tell?"
"I've wanted to taste you since the first time I noticed you." Glen licked his lips. "You're such a sexy little thing. And what I'm going to do to you now might make you scream some more. Will that be a problem?"
"Oh no, make me scream. Make me come again if that's what you want," Shay said with a wink. At the moment, her body still buzzed with the orgasm and wanted more.
"Your wish is my command." He saluted.
"You do realize that you're the king, right?"
He didn't answer. He pushed to his knees, made his way above her and looked down the long length of his chest. The shorts disappeared.
She was distracted by his erection. Her small hands encircled it as she ran her palm along the underside. He had both hands on his hips, eyes closed to her motions. Shay could've continued to stoke him all night, but he stopped her with a sexy smile.
He lay above her and parted her legs slowly. He ran those big hands up and down the lines of her thighs, teasing her some more.
She moaned and licked her lips.
"Do you like this?" he asked.
"You know I do."
"Then you'll probably like this." He pressed his erection between her legs.
She quivered with want.
He pushed farther inside her until he was firmly planted within her. Glen pulled out enough to lean over and clasp his mouth over one nipple at a time, teasing each to points.
"Get back in there." She panted.
He shoved the entire length inside with a hard thrust.
Shay moaned again when his erection pressed against the back wall within her. Her very soul felt as if it were being caressed by this gorgeous faerie.
"Is this better?" he whispered in her ear.
"Give me more." She spread her legs farther to accommodate the invitation, thrusting her hips against his every time he moved forward.
He plunged in and out of her at a rapid rhythm that made her breath catch and her breasts jiggle. Glen lifted both of her legs up in the air to press them against his chest. He used them as leverage to pound flesh against flesh. His emerald gaze never left hers. His fingers caressed the back of her legs as the tease of another orgasm wove its way around her body. Glen shuddered above her as he hugged her legs tight.
Shay shook as a second climax took hold of her body, stirring a smaller amount of dust from her pores. It fell along the bed sheets beneath her. A smile of satisfaction was mirrored on his lips as the orgasm made her giddy with happiness.
This time there was no scream.
"Wow," he gasped. He stopped, but kept his arms around her legs.
"Yeah, wow."
"I could stay inside you forever."
"I hope you do."
Glen smiled before slowly pulling out.
Shay watched as he lay down beside her. She curved into his body, pressing her head against his shoulder. "Will you stay with me?"
"I'll stay for as long as I can, Shay," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Don't be upset if I'm not here when you wake up, okay?"
"Okay," she said, but knew it was a lie even before the words left her lips. She would continue to be upset every single morning until she could wake up beside him.
A splash of blood hit her in the face.
The heat sizzled along her cheek, pushing her breath into an uncomfortable, ragged rhythm. Shay's heart beat a frantic pulse to match the breath.
She took an unsteady step back, her eyes focused on the naked body stained with green blood. The gashes were deep, especially on the faerie's face and arms, making it impossible to recognize who she was. Her long blonde hair was stained a sickly green color from the intense bleeding.
Shay made a move to get a closer look, but a cloud of darkness engulfed the battered body and made it disappear as if it had never been there in the first place. There was only darkness at every corner now, laced with a chill that made her gut tighten and skin crawl.
Faeries rarely felt the cold. They were warm-blooded and adapted to most climates. This was an intense chill Shay couldn't adapt to.
The loss of life hung thick in the air. There was another presence, too. It lurked somewhere inside all that black around her. Most likely the one responsible for the atrocity she had caught a mere glimpse of.
"Show yourself," she called out. Her heart beat so hard against her chest that her legs shook. Shay collapsed to her knees, unable to control the fall.
Harsh laughter filled her ears, rough and heartless.
Inertia shook her stomach, causing her to double over and throw up into the darkness. The sickness stirred inside her stomach, but was surpassed by the sudden visions. Places flashed in front of her eyes like a slide show. Darling Harbour, Sussex Street, the AMP Tower, the city skyline---everything pointed to Sydney. Was that where she was now?
Shay pushed against her achy knees to stand up. She swung around in a semi-circle, but her legs caught and she stumbled forward again.
When she regained focus, her heart slowed a fraction.
Sunlight streamed in through her open window. The breeze from the night before no longer shook the curtain of vines. Her cooled skin warmed instantly. She was in the safety of her bedroom on the floor. Her fingers untangled the soft sheet from her ankles as the horrible dream continued to fill her mind.
After Glen had made love to her in the middle of the night, she should've woken up with a smile on her face. Not with the stench of rotting flesh, and the cold that grabbed hold of her in that dark place, still tingling her senses.
Shay lifted a hand to her cheek and stared at her fingertips. She was clear of any blood; just the memory stained her mind. Where had that awful dream come from? What had happened to that poor faerie she'd glimpsed for only seconds? And that horrid laugh, who did it belong to? A shiver raced down her spine as the Sydney scenery raced through her brain.
She'd never had a nightmare in her life. Mostly in her dreams she dreamt of her mother or nature. Lately her slumber was always filled with dreams of Glen.
The chill no longer clung to her skin, but was deep-rooted inside her gut.
Was that an actual vision she had suffered? Was it possible to wake up one day and have the ability to 'see'? Then again, this wasn't just an average morning. The first time Shay had made love to Glen, she'd awakened his faerie side, and shortly after that, she'd defeated Rhiannon. What if the second time they connected, he had passed some of his Seer gift onto her? It made sense, and in a bizarre way it had to explain the nightmare.
But what did it all mean?
There were too many questions, but Shay knew that something terrible would happen in Sydney, and it affected faeries. The only faeries who could cross over to Sydney were the fae-hunters, so it had to involve them somehow. And the ability to 'see' things didn't necessarily mean that the vision had happened in real time. It could be in the future---one day, one week or even one year away.
She couldn't take the chance. Shay had to find out, maybe even stop it before it happened.
She used the bed to get to her feet, and held back the desire to clothe herself. Her legs were still a little shaky, but she made it into the small bathroom connected to her bedroom. First she needed a shower; after that, the clothes could materialize on her body.
As she stepped into the shower cubicle and turned on the water a little hotter than usual, she pressed her hands against the mossy tiles. Her mind filled with Glen and the way he had made her feel the night before.
Shay missed him so much. Maybe this was the assignment she'd been waiting for. Not only to save one, or some, of her kind, but to serve as a distraction until her king took the throne.
So far, this queen gig wasn't much fun.
"Are you all right?" Flee asked as she buzzed around the living room. The sweep of her wings fluttered Shay's magically-altered hair.
Her natural hair color was an ugly tinge of green she used to love as a kid. More like the moss that settled on the sword always at her disposal. Altering it to a shade of brown that was acceptable within the human world had grown on her. She liked it better than her original color.
Shay shrugged. "Sure."
"That doesn't sound very convincing."
"Sorry."
"So, are you going to tell me about that nightmare that got the guards all wound up?" Flee raised one of the thin eyebrows on her beautiful face.
"It was nothing."
"I have to admit, it sounded more like a moan of pleasure to me."
"Flee!"
"I'm sorry. You can try to fool them..." Flee motioned toward the front door with her chin. "...but I know you, Shay. You don't have bad dreams. Someone was in there with you last night."
"You're wrong about one thing. I do have nightmares." Shay looked past Flee, out the window. Right now she could really use a walk in the forest only a few minutes away from the apartment block. Connecting to the trees, flowers and grass would be therapeutic.
"Since when?"
"Since this morning," Shay whispered.
"That doesn't make any sense." Flee's smile fell from her dainty features.
Shay sighed, clicked her tongue and decided it was time to confide in the one faerie she considered her best friend. "Flee, I think I had my first vision this morning! At first, I thought I was having a nightmare, but then I realized it had to be a vision."
"What makes you think that?"
"I wasn't alone last night."
"So you think that because you had company, you woke up with the ability to see?" Flee didn't sound convinced by the assumption.
"He's the destined king, not just some guy I picked up in the middle of the night," Shay said with a sigh. It was all too confusing already. She didn't want to add Flee's skepticism to the mix.
"I know, I know. That came out the wrong way. I just didn't realize that's how it worked," Flee said with a lopsided smile and a shrug.
"I'm not so sure that is how it works, but for Glen and I, things seem to happen differently. I think our love and deep connection with each other is bouncing our gifts back and forth." Shay felt like an idiot as she said it out loud, but it just felt so right. Everything with Glen had felt right from the first time she spotted him at a bus stop in Sydney, all the way until the time she had released her dust on him. Their connection was as deep-rooted as her bond to the earth below her feet.
She'd always known she could call up small plants and flowers, but to raise that oak tree in the middle of the queen's castle had surpassed her wildest capabilities. Why couldn't sharing her body, mind and soul with a male who could 'see', even when he thought he was a mere human, affect Shay this deeply?
"That's amazing, do you know that? The possibilities could be endless, if what you're saying is right." Flee paused to shake with excitement. "So what happened in your vision?"
"That's the thing, I don't know for sure. All I saw were glimpses of Sydney and a splash of faerie blood." Shay thought it wise to leave out all the other gory details. She'd seen her share of death and barbaric acts during her life, but somehow the thought of that poor, butchered faerie affected her more than it should.
"You know the rumors claim goblins have almost breached our boundaries?" Flee's eyes were shiny with interest. "Maybe you had that vision because of the goblins."
Goblins. The thought hadn't even occurred to her again until now. After Mai had mentioned goblins, she hadn't spoken or even considered the threat again. For some reason, Shay assumed Mai and the other elders would discuss that situation with Glen while he learned the ropes of royalty within their land. But what if this wasn't so? What would goblins be doing anywhere near Sydney?
She voiced the question, "Why would I have a vision of goblins shedding our blood and Sydney together?"
"I don't know---"
"My Queen, you are required at the castle immediately," one of the guards called as he barged into her apartment.
"No, I can't do that." She shook her head. Shay had to sneak out of the boundaries of Breena, not return to the castle.
"My Queen..." the other haughty guard added as he trudged in behind the first. "...the notice has been read by the majority of the population, and there's a congregation waiting for you to address them at the castle."
"No, I don't need to address them at all. That's the reason I had the notice placed on everyone's bulletin boards!" Shay said with a firm nod of her head.
"What notice is this?" Flee asked, confused. She looked from the guards to Shay and back again.
"The notice that allows love to be a part of faerie society again," Shay answered with a proud smile.
The smile faded from her companion as she shook her small head. "Oh no, tell me you didn't do that."
"It's already done."
"Shay, do you have any idea what you've done?" Flee buzzed around the living room so fast her wings weren't even visible. They were just a whirl of shimmery color behind her. "Did you discuss this with Mai, or any of the other elders?"
"No, I talked about it with Glen."
"Glen was a human until only a handful of moons ago."
"No, Glen's always been faerie---"
"Shay, that's technicalities and you know it!" Flee stopped her swaying long enough to point a frown her way. "He's a destined king, but can't be expected to make a decision as important as this."
"I wanted to undo the hate Rhiannon had tried to embed into our society." At the sound of the name, the two guards lowered their heads and a murmur escaped from their lips. They did that every time, as if mumbling a prayer for the faerie they had served for so long. None of them seemed to approve of Shay's new position. She'd expected that from them, but hadn't expected it from her companion and friend.
"Rhiannon didn't make that rule up," she continued, buzzing around like a large bee. "It was set in motion many centuries ago to keep the fae alert to their world. Faeries were too free-loving and laidback at one stage in our history, allowed humans and other less-than-friendly creatures to slip into our world without a second thought to the repercussions."
"I know all that. I've been to the library, too, you know?" Shay didn't want to sound like a spoiled brat, but right now she wanted some answers, not a rehash of stuff she already knew.
"Shay, don't you see what you've done?"
She shook her head.
"By undoing the love restriction within our world, you've also lowered our defenses."
"What are you talking about?" Shay rose to her feet.
"The love restriction can only be enforced or broken by the current queen."
"But I'm only queen by title."
"That is the only way to be queen, my Queen," the guard closest to her whispered. "None of the Warrior Faerie Queens have ever had royal right to the throne."
Shay's heart beat so fast she couldn't think straight.
"And since you hold the title now, your word is able to break the defense spell," Flee said.
"What does lowering our defenses mean exactly?"
"That if there truly are goblins ready to break through our boundaries, the shield that makes it almost impossible for them to slip in is now gone," Flee answered with a somber look in her eyes. Her antennas entwined together at the top of her head.
"Are you sure?" Shay looked at Flee first, then at each of the guards. They all nodded in agreement. "And no one told me this until now, until I'd already done it?"
"You didn't ask," the second guard answered with eyes downcast.
"It is our job to be seen but not heard," the first one added.
"Okay then." Shay paused to settle her shaky hands. "I'll just undo the notice I put up."
"That won't change anything." Flee avoided her eyes.
"How long do we have?"
"I served in one of the Goblin Wars that took place inside our world, and from my personal experience, I found the goblins to be very slow creatures," the second guard said, raising a hand.
"Shay, Shay Lee." A small, blonde-haired faerie flew into her apartment. "Oh, I finally found you. I've been searching high and low for you."
"What's wrong, Sen?" Shay asked one of her fellow fae-hunters.
Sen's feet touched the floor. Her hair swayed as she looked with wide eyes at everyone around the room. "Oh, Shay, you have to come to Sydney. Something terrible is going on there."
Her heart stopped for a second; panic swept beneath her skin, leaving cold sweat. Was this about her vision? No, she couldn't deal with that and the newfound knowledge of the trouble she'd possibly pushed Breena into. She loved Breena; how could she not have known that this would happen?
"Are faeries dying?"
Sen looked confused. Her amber eyes shimmered. "No, no one's died, but after reading the notice in the main square, several of the hunters have decided to permanently leave Breena and pursue humans they've fallen in love with."
"This can't be happening." Shay pressed both of her palms against her temples. What was going on here? How could it all fall apart so quickly because of her?
"It is. You have to come to Sydney and fetch them---"
"My Queen, first you must address the population. They'll get rowdy if you don't appear soon," the closest guard said.
"But I can't allow them to fall in love with humans."
"You allowed love, and faeries are known for losing their minds when love strikes," Flee added with a frown.
"But I fell in love, and I kept my sanity," she whispered as she sunk back into her chair.
"You are a rarity within our people." Flee hovered in front of her at eye level. "You must fix this, Shay."
"Which bit?"
"All of it."
"But I can't. I need Glen."
"This wasn't Glen's doing," she reminded her with a softer tone. "And by now, both the elders and Glen will know about the change. It's something they'd be able to feel. They probably felt it as soon as you spoke the order and put it on paper."
"I have to get to Sydney. If these faeries approach human men unaware and get rejected ... I don't even want to think about the consequences." Shay stared at Sen as she stood quietly, waiting for a decision.
"We can address the crowd if you'd like us to, my Queen."
Shay turned to look at the guard who'd called out the request. "You would do that?"
"If that's what you wish us to do until you're able to take the situation under control." He lowered his head in respect.
"I would appreciate that, but please, call me Shay."
"Okay." The guard looked a little uncomfortable and still avoided her eyes. Both turned to leave.
"What are your names?"
"Gordo," the one almost at the door answered.
"And I'm Beun."
"Thank you, Gordo and Beun." The two left the apartment in a hurry, their large wings spread out behind them as soon as they hit the corridor.
"I'll go to Mai."
"Thank you, Flee."
"Just hurry back, okay?" her friend said with a small, sympathetic smile. Her wings fluttered behind her. Flee was already heading toward the open living room window.
Shay offered her a simple nod as she turned to follow her fellow fae-hunter out the front door, with visions of blood inside her mind.
"Put your weapon down now!" Shay said. She turned her head left and right, eyes narrowed to survey the area around Victoria Park. Grateful they were pretty much alone, Shay tightened the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of her sword. The slithery vines extended, wrapping around her hand and wrist as she spread her legs a little farther, blade held out in front of her. She hadn't wanted to draw her sword against one of her own. There was no need for anyone to get hurt, but the other faerie had refused to lower her own weapon.
She looked dangerous. There were too many hard edges on her dainty facial features and dark shadows under her blue eyes. The strands of red hair were stuck to her sweaty face, but still Shay recognized her. She knew every single one of the fae-hunters by name.
"I'm not going back to Breena," the redheaded faerie said. She held out a dagger in front of her with a shaky hand.
"Please, Kee, Shay's our superior and queen!" Sen stood beside Shay. Sen had led her to the park, and they'd found the faerie as she wept beside a tree.
"I love him. I have for so long, but couldn't tell anyone until now. It's not a death sentence anymore." The tears slid down her pale face, her dagger even shakier in her white-knuckled grip.
Shay released a heavy breath. This wasn't what she'd envisioned when she thought the rest of Breena should be able to experience the emotions she did with Glen. In hindsight, she'd made the biggest mistake of her life with this reckless decision. But all Shay had wanted was for other faeries to know happiness like she felt. She'd never even considered that anyone of her kind would want to take the option of loving a human!
"No, humans were never part of the plan," Shay said with a small shake of her head. The buzz of traffic prickled her ears. This park was across the street from the Broadway Shopping Centre intersection. The University of Sydney was only a brisk walk away. It wasn't safe for them to stay here in this predicament for too long. Not during daylight hours.
"The heart doesn't care about things like that." Kee wept heavily. The large tears puffed her eyes further, the pain so obvious Shay found it hard to stay focused.
"Put your weapon away and I'll forgive all this---"
The redhead moved before Shay had a chance to register her intentions. The sting of the blade, as it sliced into the side of her waist, caused her breath to catch in her throat. Shay sucked in several quick breaths to regain composure. She pushed the pain that ignited from the cut deep down inside.
Damn, it was near the same place Rhiannon had already injured. She'd healed the wound, but now two nasty scars would taint her skin. Reminders of confrontations with her own kind were not the best battle scars to parade.
Without a moment's hesitation, Shay raised her forearm into the air. She swept it upwards, connecting against Kee's nose with a crunch.
The faerie lost her grip on the dagger, and Sen was there to pick it up before it tumbled to the grass.
Shay followed the first strike with an elbow to Kee's midsection and finished it off with a punch to the redhead's face. The faerie's eyes rolled back inside her sockets before she fell backwards, collapsing to the grass like a sack of potatoes. Sen was at her side to check Kee's pulse within seconds.
"She's all right," Shay called out between shallow breaths. Breathing too deeply hurt her side. The warmth of blood trailed down beneath her sheer, sleeveless top. She sheathed her sword, enjoying the cool glide of the vines as they slipped back into the hilt.
At least she hadn't used a weapon.
"Yes, she is, but what about the others?" Sen asked, her amber eyes burning bright with curiosity.
"I wish to surrender," a feminine voice called out as another faerie stepped out from behind a tree to their right.
"Very well," Shay said with a nod at the dark-haired faerie. "Is that all of them?" She directed the question at Sen, who was smoothing Kee's hair away from her face. Blood from the unconscious faerie's nostrils stained her palm.
"There's one more out there."
"Do you know where she is?" Shay asked the newcomer.
Posie shook her head. "Miki took off as soon as she read the notice. She could be anywhere."
"Damn." One loose faerie wasn't an ideal situation to have to deal with, but it was better than three. Shay didn't want to leave Sydney just yet, was still haunted by the vision of blood ... but she had to get back to the turmoil no doubt stirring in Breena. She just hoped the guard's prediction of the goblins' slow reaction to the lowered defenses was a sure thing. "Okay, let's head back to Breena."
"What about Miki?" Sen asked.
"We'll have to deal with her later. Right now I've got too much waiting for my attention back in Breena."
Sen nodded knowingly. "You go ahead, Shay Lee. I'll take care of these two."
"Make sure they're both restrained until I have a chance to speak to them."
"You got it." Sen offered her a wink.
Shay nodded as she swept another gaze around Victoria Park. This park was in the middle of a human city, a patch of green situated on the corner of Parramatta and City Road, with a swimming pool within the boundaries and Lake Northam. Just like the Chinese Garden of Friendship, it had served as a place to clear her head when she came into this city to release male faeries unaware of what they really were. She wondered how many more were out there. How many slipped through the cracks and were never detected?
Shay had let a lot slip away from her. Not long ago, the only duty that had mattered to her was the release and delivery of lost faeries back into Breena. Now she spent her days sitting on a throne bored, handing out instructions that would doom her kind. What had possessed her to make such a reckless decision? The fae meant everything to her; it was the reason she existed.
But since love had struck her heart, she'd started to slip.
Maybe Flee was wrong and Shay wasn't so different from the other faeries who'd lost their minds over the freedom to love. She'd been affected, too. After she got back to Breena and straightened this mess out, Shay would return to what she did best.
Glen was the king; he could handle the throne. He'd know what to do now. The position he held amongst the humans had been in management within one of the many tall buildings in the city of Sydney. And the Circle of Elders seemed to have taken care of everything else. She had no doubt that if Glen could already control his wings, all other tasks would be easy, too.
She took a deep breath.
An eerie sensation raced over her skin. It roused goose flesh and the same cold sensation from her awful vision. Someone was watching her. But right now, she couldn't waste time to dwell on what that could mean.
Commotion didn't do justice to the scene Shay stepped into after she left Sydney. She was still edgy, unsure of what she'd left behind. She'd temporarily turned her back on a situation Shay knew was important. The vision of faerie blood and that horrid chuckle continued to ring through her brain. There was definitely something awful in the shadows of Sydney, and she'd consciously left a faerie behind to deal with it.
She released a breath.
The sound caught the attention of a fae who stood just in front of her. He nudged the female beside him and called out, "The queen, she returns to us!"
Silence settled over the large hall that was the central piece of the castle. The wave of noise grew silent by the mere presence of her, Shay---a faerie who'd only wanted to continue the family tradition of being a warrior. She didn't want all of this attention, didn't need it. Yet when her eyes cut through as the crowd parted ahead of her, she met those familiar green eyes and knew why she had to bear this.
For him, Shay would go to the ends of the world. But she refused to turn her back on what had always been a part of her. Somehow, Glen would have to understand that, just as Mai would. The old sprite stood at the base of the throne, frail hand pressed against his walking stick. His thin lips were tight, his beard bushy and white. Those dark eyes begged for her to meet them, but she couldn't look away from Glen's.
In that one look, there was so much. He wasn't angry with her about what she'd done. Although that shouldn't have been consolation, because there was no way he could know the severity of the situation, somehow it was.
"My Queen," Glen whispered as he extended a hand toward her and stood from his position on the throne.
Shay's pulse quickened as she took one step after another, careful to avoid the watchful eyes of the countless faerie faces she passed. Some she recognized, others she didn't. This wasn't everyone in her land, but quite a large portion had turned up for this event.
The lush grass beneath her boots sighed with her every step. The flower petals Rhiannon had laid out for the illusion of nature were gone, replaced by actual grass. Her magic had allowed the oak tree to stand in the hall and opened the way for grass and other plant life to grow. It was a beautiful sight.
At least she'd been able to offer one good thing to Breena.
She breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers touched Glen's. The calm and warmth he exuded the first time they had made contact was still there. Somehow, with a single touch, he could make her feel like everything in the world was all right.
The golden glow ignited between their hands.
Glen's green gaze wandered down to her side, where her injuries were now a ruined top she hadn't bothered to replace and dry blood. When he looked up to pin her eyes with his, the curiosity was hard to hide.
But there wasn't enough time for explanations at the moment.
"Make her explain the madness she's descended upon us," someone called from the crowd behind her.
Several others mumbled their support, and Shay realized that exposing her back to this angry crowd was probably not a good idea. She turned around slowly, hand still in Glen's.
"Silence!" Mai was the one who responded, lifting his walking stick up into the air.
Everyone settled back into silence.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to Glen, but also caught Mai's glance for a brief second. "I didn't think."
"That's the problem with faeries who fall in love, they don't think," Mai said with a click of his tongue. "Do you realize the severity of your actions, Shay Lee?"
She nodded, finally meeting his dark eyes for an instant before she lowered them. The elder didn't seem angry, but troubled by what could happen to their land.
He sighed. "It was our fault; we never should have left you here all by yourself to sit on a throne without the faintest idea of how to---"
"Rhiannon had no problem settling into the role," Shay murmured.
Mai chuckled, an ugly sound that roused goose bumps. "Ah, Rhiannon had no trouble because selfish tyrants usually welcome the power. You are reluctant."
"I'm not reluctant."
"It's okay, Shay Lee." He cut her off with a lift of his wrinkled hand. "You will not be labeled weak for such an admission. Just as we took our rightful Faerie King of Breena aside to explain, teach and nurture, we should have done the same for you."
"What happens now?" she asked. There was no point in prolonging the outcome. Besides, they all needed to know what the consequences of her actions would be.
"Now the goblins will more than likely step into Breena and invade our land. And we will resist at every angle, starting another war if that's what it takes to save our kind." Mai's answer echoed throughout the marble walls, reaching every new plant that had settled amongst the marble. The contrast was striking, beautiful, and as the moonlight streamed inside from the glass ceiling above, the eerie glow of a forest swept around them.
"She has to pay!" the same voice called out from the crowd.
Shay wondered if that was a Rhiannon supporter who secretly resented her for the previous queen's demise, or just someone who blamed her for what was about to happen. A war! Her insides quivered at the realization of what she'd done. Because of her actions, they would all face a war against ruthless and vicious creatures that craved faerie blood.
Glen squeezed her fingers between his, drawing her attention back. "Shay, the goblins have been skirting the boundaries of Breena for several years. They would've found a way in eventually."
"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "So I did us all a favor, did I? Moved the inevitable along so we could deal with all this sooner?" Shay offered him a lopsided smirk. At the moment, she didn't feel like she would ever be able to help anyone out of anything again. And the memory of her terrible nightmare wasn't helping. Even now, when there were so many other important things to deal with, it haunted the back of her mind as much as the sense of being watched had.
She looked up and met Mai's dark eyes. They were narrowed, as if he could read her thoughts. Maybe the old sprite could read her mind ... but if he could, why hadn't he known she'd make such a terrible blunder? Why had Mai isolated her from Glen for so long when she'd needed his company?
The curve of his lip looked suspiciously like a smile.
Her eyes widened. Was it possible that he'd known all along? That all the elders had known she would make this decision and push them into war with the goblins? No, that was insane. Putting Breena at risk was insane.
The flutter of wings drew her attention. Shay turned to find Flee approaching. Her friend stopped beside Mai and offered her a smile. Flee was out in the open with a multitude of fae around them. Times sure were changing.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a favor," Mai finally answered after he cleared his throat. "But it's a move we've been in desperate need of. Rhiannon refused to listen to the elders' visions because she relied on her own. But hers were always laced with grandeur. Everything she ever strived for or achieved was for personal gain, so no one would dare to challenge her for the throne. She took it from someone herself and knew the risks."
"So you tried to encourage her to introduce love?"
Mai shook his head. "No, that was all your doing, I'm afraid. That's another topic entirely, something we'll have to deal with another time. Right now, our one and only focus should be on the goblins. They're slow creatures, but should take no more than a few moons to realize the shield that kept them out for so long has been severed."
"Then what?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
"We'll be ready for them," Glen answered. He took a step forward, bringing her with him as he addressed the faeries eavesdropping on their conversation. "We will attack and defend our land. Together we're stronger than them."
"They're goblins!" A female faerie near the front called. "We are only---"
"Faeries! Many amongst you are trained warriors, but you all have it in you." Glen turned slightly to give her a glance and a wink. "Mai informed me about the many chambers below the castle. There's more than enough room to house children and those who don't wish to fight, as well as those brave enough to take part in the battle."
"What about the other fae? I have cousins on the outskirts of Breena," said a male from somewhere in the crowd.
"They have already been collected. The downside to all of this is that many of you may lose your homes, or at least have them raided by those creatures. But I personally promise to help each and every one of you after the war is over," Glen said. He sounded like a real leader, a born leader. And just hearing those positive and true words slip from his lips, Shay felt the desire to take part in this fight arise. He was right; both he and Mai were right about this.
She was a fae-hunter, a warrior at heart who'd hardly used her real warrior skills because of the reign of peace. But now the entire organization could take part.
Except for that one faerie still in Sydney...
"Queen Rhiannon would never have gotten us into this dire situation," called that negative male voice again.
This time Shay scanned the crowd to zero in on the culprit, but couldn't see the owner of the voice.
The guard Beun caught her eye with a questioning look. She nodded once. He'd find whoever was so determined to make Rhiannon sound better than she'd been.
Mai stepped up beside Shay, with Flee near his left shoulder. His eyes seemed to scan the crowd before them, too.
"No, she wouldn't," Glen said. "But I am the king now."
"How can we trust someone who's known he was faerie for such a small amount of time?" the male returned. "Hey!"
Beun dragged a small man wearing a brown tunic from the crowd. A black pouch hung around his neck with several charms attached to the cords. His eyes were so light, they almost looked white.
Shay recognized him right away. "Xenoi, I was wondering where you'd hide after Rhiannon's reign was over."
"After your first blunder, I couldn't help myself. I had to see you suffer the consequences." His eyes were spooky, and he loved to use them to his advantage.
"Xenoi, old friend, the only one who'll suffer for their consequences will be you," Mai said.
"I haven't done anything!" Beun kept a tight hold on his spindly arm as he struggled to break free.
Xenoi was also a sprite, one that had accepted passage into Breena under false pretenses. He was only interested in casting spells to steal from nature without any returns. Of course, Rhiannon had held a tight leash around him, used him as an informant. Though she never had admitted exactly what he did for her.
"Then why don't you explain why you served as interim between the goblins and Rhiannon for so long?" Mai asked.
There were gasps of horror from the crowd.
Xenoi's eyes widened, confirming his guilt.
Shay couldn't believe her ears. "What are you saying? That Rhiannon actually communicated with the goblins?"
Mai nodded. "She used them as she did everyone else. Our previous queen continually offered to the goblins innocent faeries she trumped up charges for. She borrowed some of their power and knowledge and even went as far as offering passage to one of them. One she took as a lover that later betrayed her. When I found out, she had Xenoi cast a spell on me to keep me quiet. It was why I was gone for so long."
"What?" Shay spat the question.
"Yes, that's what Rhiannon and Xenoi did behind your backs. Her corruption was deep and inexcusable. What Shay did to lower our defenses was a mistake, but all she wanted was for all of you to know what true emotion feels like. A selfless act that she had no idea would lead to this. But trust me when I say that to battle the goblins just outside our realm and to defeat them as we head into a new monarchy, is the right thing for all in Breena." Mai's voice was loud and clear.
Several cheers erupted before them and a few claps too.
The sound of running feet preceded the murmur of chatter through the huge double doors on the other side of the castle hall. Heads turned toward the guards who ran inside, followed by a multitude of faeries with cloth bags dragged behind them or slung over their backs and shoulders.
"The first of the goblins has broken through," one of the guards called out. "I don't know if he was an isolated case at the moment, but we managed to eliminate him before he killed anyone."
Shay looked into the group as they headed inside and noticed one of the guards held a bleeding child slung over his shoulder.
"They'll start to trickle in one by one before they communicate to each other what's going on," Mai said as he looked from Glen and Shay.
"We have to make sure there's no one left out there." Glen dropped her hand, taking the first step down and away from his throne. The frown on his handsome features was foreign, but she expected that it would become a habit with his new rank.
"I'll go out and check," Shay said.
"No, you need to stay here." Glen shook his head firmly without turning back. "I won't let you out of my sight."
"Glen, we're headed into war." She lifted an eyebrow even though he wasn't looking at her. "We can't stand side-by-side in battle."
"Actually, we can. I intend to be on the front line right beside you." He looked over his shoulder at her with a cheeky smile.
"But you're the king. You need to stay below with the others." It was her turn to shake her head.
"No," he said with a sigh. "We fight together, defeat them together. And then when we get back to the castle, we can be married. That is, if you want to become my wife."
"What?" Shay watched him turn around, take her left hand and once again fall to his knee. He'd already done this once before, and the sense of déjà vu was too strong to ignore. She'd known that to agree to become his queen would eventually amount to marriage, but so soon? Her head felt light, her hands clammy.
"Shay Lee, Fae-Hunter, will you do me the honor and serve as queen and wife on the throne of Breena?" Glen amplified his voice enough so it carried around the room. The instant hush confirmed his intention was met.
Her heart beat like mad. She tried desperately not to dwell on all the negatives that awaited them. The deadly vision of faerie blood, the goblins crossing into their borders, the resurgence of Xenoi, and the skeptical faeries she'd already disappointed with a single announcement. Now that his question hung thick in the air, none of that seemed to matter.
Everyone else faded from view as she shaped the small, simple word inside her mouth. If at the end of all of this dark stuff she would have a marriage bond to look forward to, it would make the fight even more worthwhile.
"Glen Row, rightful king to the throne of Breena, I accept your proposal of marriage," she answered with a smile. She was sure her voice hadn't carried as well as his, but her response was out for all of them to hear.
A public announcement that Glen added to by saying, "Then, Shay Lee, until the day we are to be wedded, there shall be no love connection between any of the faeries within our boundaries."
"What has that done?" she whispered.
Mai muttered the response in her ear, "The day that you and Glen Row are formally married will mark a new beginning for Breena. It will allow your wish of love to spread throughout our land legally and become the new seal to keep all threats from our land."
The excitement coursed through her system as she held the gaze of the man who would soon be her husband.
Shay couldn't wait to get the goblin problem out of the way so they could start to enjoy their life together.
Yolanda lives in a suburb of Sydney, Australia with her wonderful husband, cute daughter and adorable kitty. She's been putting stories together since her early teens.
Now that her daughter is in school, she gets the opportunity to write every day for most of the day, and she loves every minute of it!
Yolanda's had over fifty short stories published online and even has another (creepy) persona called the crypt SCRYbe. When she's not writing, she spends as much time as possible with her small family. She also enjoys watching movies, TV shows and reading-she loves to read.
Come visit her website at www.yolandasfetsos.com or MySpace page at www.myspace.com/yolandasfetsos.
You can also sign up for her newsletter at groups.yahoo.com/group/yolandasfetsos.
Visit www.cobblestone-press.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.

