Jas scowled at Em and her parents, who looked ready to slice him up. “Get out of the way, Lex!”
“For the love of God, Jasper, my friend Em is helping me.” Lex looked past him to the group of men and women he was with. “How in the world did you get here?” And then Lex remembered the shimmer she’d seen before they arrived. “You came through a portal?”
Em’s mother raised her sword. “An illegal portal. State your business or prepare to die.”
Em relaxed her stance. “Mother, my friend Lex knows these people. Let’s hear them out.”
“Who in the devil is Lex?” Em’s mother asked.
A younger woman with a mass of wavy reddish-brown hair stepped forward. “I’m Elena Rosales, queen of New Kingdom. This is Derek O’Brien and Reese Fisher. The tall soldier over there is Keen, ruler of Old Kingdom.” She gestured to the black-haired woman with bright blue eyes. “Camille is a portal creator. She helped us travel from New Kingdom.”
Em’s mother looked Elena up and down. “Queen? Who is your mother?”
“Theodora Joelle Rainer. You can tack on Rosales to that, since she married my father and took on his name as well.”
Em’s mother made a harsh sound in the back of her throat. “Last I heard, the princess was imprisoned for bearing a half-breed.”
Elena’s shoulders straightened. “This half-breed stopped treasonous Fae from taking over Tirnan. A battle in which my mother lost her life.”
Em’s mother rested the tip of her sword on the tufted rug. “That is news indeed. I am sorry for your loss, but are you saying a Halven now rules New Kingdom? Powerful or not, that is too much to be believed.”
“You don’t need to believe it. We’re not here to start a war. We came to assess the Dark Fae threat to our lands and to rescue Lexandra Meinrad.”
Jasper’s green eyes flashed with anger. “I should have slaughtered that bastard inside the cave when I had the chance.”
Lex rubbed her forehead. How was she going to explain Garrin to Jas? “Garrin took me, but he’s not the enemy.”
“Garrin…the Dark Prince?” Jas asked. “We’re getting you out of here, Lex. Now.” Jasper surged toward Lex, but Em and her parents blocked him. They returned to their fighting stances, along with the servants, who’d pulled out their own hidden rapiers and daggers.
Elena held up her hands as though they were armed. Which was scarier than the household’s weapons collection. If Elena had fought a Fae army and taken back a kingdom, Lex didn’t want to know what kind of magic she possessed.
“Whoa,” Lex said. “We’re all friends here.” She smiled shakily.
“Dark Fae are not friends with those from New Kingdom and Old Kingdom.” Em’s father’s tone was ominous for a guy who’d remained silent until now.
Em turned to her father. “Dark Castle guards tracked us before we arrived, and Lex says they took the prince by force. We lost them along the way, but it won’t be long before they find us. We were about to leave when the portal opened.”
Em’s mother pouted. “Without even a hello?”
Her father rubbed his chin. “What does Casone want with the young woman?”
Em’s mother sighed and climbed onto the couch, shoving her sword back into place above the mantel. “Does it matter, my love?” She hopped down with catlike agility and stood beside her husband. “If my cousin is behind this, we must help. You know how insecure he is.”
Jas shoved his sword into a sheath on his back. “That doesn’t explain why the Dark Prince stole Lex.”
Lex shifted her feet. “Actually, it does. Garrin brought me here to help his people. On our way to Dark Kingdom, we ran into my mother, who said the king is responsible for why Dark Fae are trapped in the Land of Ice. We had just confirmed it when Garrin was taken by the king’s guards.”
Jas tilted his head as though hard of hearing. “You mean to tell me the king’s guards took the king’s son? Now I know they’ve been lying to you.”
Lex sighed. “Fae can’t lie, as you well know. Besides, I was there and personally saw them take Garrin.”
His lip curled in a snarl. “There are many ways to tell the truth. Who knows what you really saw? It could have been a setup.”
Lex’s mouth hung open. “And you think my mother is a part of it? According to Isle, the kingdom has been silenced by Casone Branimir.”
“Your mother was supposed to retrieve you in the Earth realm years ago,” Jasper said. “I assumed she was killed. But you say you’ve seen her?”
“She is very much alive. The king entombed her in ice. If not for my mother tapping into my power, both Garrin and I would have died in the Great Ravine and my mother would have remained there for all eternity.”
At that, Jas swore.
Camille shook her head. “Many have perished in the Great Ravine.”
“Where Lex wouldn’t have been,” Jas retorted, “had the Dark Prince not taken her from my protection.”
Camille studied him. “Is that why you hate him? Because he bested you?”
Jas frowned. “I despise the prince because he is selfish and a mercenary for his father.” He turned to Lex. “And your story doesn’t explain why the king sent his soldiers after his own son.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Lex walked up to Jas and grabbed his hand. “I know you don’t trust Garrin, but he has taken care of me. I owe him my life.”
“You owe him nothing.”
God, her uncle was annoying. “Garrin knows where my mother is, Jas. I’m not leaving without her. Which means we must find Garrin.” She would have fought for Garrin no matter what, but she didn’t want her overprotective uncle to blow a gasket.
“If you’re on the run from palace guards, we have to get you out of here first,” the petite blonde named Reese said, and looked up at the Fae that Elena called Keen.
Keen’s expression softened at Reese, his shoulder-length white-blond hair a sharp contrast to his chiseled face. “We will get her out, little one. Do not worry.” He turned to the room. “We must go somewhere Lex won’t be discovered.”
Em and her parents looked at each other, then back at the group. “There is no such place,” Em’s mother said. “Castle alchemists will eventually find us no matter where we hide.”
“Perhaps not.” Em’s father retrieved his snifter from the tray the servant held and took a sip. “The caves above the battlegrounds… Dark Fae of all kinds avoid them.”
Em’s mother squeezed her eyes closed. “The graves? Must we?”
Her husband lifted his shoulders. “They will find us there too, but it will take longer.”
Em shook her head. “Mom, Dad—you stay here. The fewer of us, the smaller our power imprint. Better yet, Dad, take Mom and go in the opposite direction to visit friends.”
“Your daughter is correct,” Camille said. “Our chances of remaining hidden increase if there are fewer of us.” She was older than the other women in Jas’s group, who appeared closer to Lex’s age. But given they were all Fae or Halven and aged differently than humans, who could be sure? Camille was incredibly beautiful, though, with bright blue eyes, much like Garrin’s.
Lex’s stomach clenched. The longer she was away from him, the more worried she became. That man hadn’t given her an inch of breathing room before they’d arrived in Dark Kingdom, and now she couldn’t hold on to him.
Camille tipped her head up abruptly. “Too late. They’ve found us.”
Amund tracked Lex’s energy level, and his portal deposited them at a home Garrin had been to as a child. It belonged to a cousin by marriage twice removed, or some such. The room they stood inside was familiar, with faces he recognized—but only one face mattered.
Garrin didn’t stop to greet his cousins, or even properly assess the danger. He swept across the room to the woman whose presence consumed his thoughts. “Lexandra.”
A tall human—no, worse, a Halven—blocked his way before he reached Lex. “I don’t think so, buddy.” The Halven had shaggy brown hair and a bulkier build than Fae, and he exhibited what Garrin believed to be a strong energy level for a Halven. Amund would know for certain. But all that mattered was that the Halven stood between Garrin and Lex.
Flames rose from Garrin’s palms, and he was about to teach the Halven a painful lesson when a blond Fae warrior stepped between them.
“Derek,” the blond Fae said. “If I’m not mistaken, this is the Dark Prince. You would do best to give him space.”
Derek eyed Garrin. “Dark Prince, eh? He’s light for a Dark Prince, don’t you think? Though he is rocking black hair, and I don’t think any of you Fae have that in our land. You’re all pretty pasty.”
“Except for me.” A woman with black hair and blue eyes stepped forward. “Hello, Garrin.”
Garrin glanced at Lex. He wouldn’t be reassured until he could speak with her. “Do I know you?” he said to the dark-haired woman. He didn’t trust these people, and after the dungeon, he’d lost his patience.
“We met a long time ago. I am Camille.”
Her face was familiar, but Garrin didn’t have time for this. He shouldered past Derek and reached for Lex’s hand. A ripple of sensation flowed up Garrin’s arm where they touched. He drew Lex close enough to see the gold flecks in her eyes and tucked her into the cradle of his body. He held the back of her head, relishing the sense of relief that washed over him. “Are you okay?”
Lex wrapped her arms around Garrin’s waist. “Em helped me escape before more soldiers came.” She leaned back and looked past him to the others. “These are my friends.”
“Garrin Branimir is no friend of yours.” It was the Fae who’d attempted to block their exit from Earth and forced Garrin and his men to rush into the Land of Ice unprepared. “He kidnapped you!”
“I will have your head,” Garrin growled. “Lex could have died, thanks to your interference.”
“If she had died, it would have been on your head, prince!”
“Jas, stop being an ass,” Lex said, and moved out of Garrin’s arms to his side.
“He’s got you brainwashed, Lex. Don’t you see it?” Jas lunged for Garrin, only to be held back by Derek and the blond Fae soldier.
“I’m not an idiot, Jasper. I know what Garrin did and why. Do you?”
Garrin wanted to take Jasper apart piece by piece.
Jasper’s gaze flickered away. “It doesn’t matter why. He’s not to be trusted.”
Lex looked at Garrin, and she squeezed his hand.
His chest loosened. The world could cave in around them, but Lex was safe and by his side. He could manage.
Amund—indifferent to the conversation—stared at Camille. “You are the other portal creator.”
Instead of addressing Amund, Camille was looking at Garrin. “I am.”
“Oookay,” Elena said. “And I thought New Kingdom was bad.” She looked at the blond soldier. “Keen, it seems we had nothing to worry about. The Dark King is more interested in destroying his own people than ours.”
“For now,” Keen said.
“Well, I don’t know about any of you,” Elena said, “but I think we should do as suggested and get out before the king and his men show up.”
Derek must have loosened his hold on Jasper’s arm, because he yanked it away, but he didn’t go after Garrin again. “Agreed.”
Elena looked at an older man who was familiar. “We’ll go to the caves you mentioned. Where people are buried.”
The grave caves. Garrin looked down thoughtfully. “It is bitterly cold there. And the graves are haunted.”
“Could be haunted.” The older Fae rubbed his chin. “No one knows for certain.”
“Not haunted,” Camille said, but she didn’t elaborate.
Garrin sighed. “It won’t be the first place my father looks, which gives it merit.”
Amund nodded. “Considering the size of our kingdom, we would have a few days before they find us. Unless they get lucky with alchemists. Lex’s power level is—unique.”
“Indeed,” Camille said.
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take.” Garrin looked around the room. There were more of Lex’s friends than he realized. All were Fae or Halven. “We should leave.”
Camille tipped her head up as though reading something in the air. “Roughly forty-five soldiers approach as we speak.”
“Fifty,” Amund countered. “On the outskirts of the village and rapidly making their way in our direction.”
Camille’s mouth twisted in annoyance. “Fifty if you include the half a dozen soldiers minutes behind the first forty-five.”
Lex dropped Garrin’s hand, her shoulders stiffening. “So, a hell of a lot of deadly Fae. Let’s leave, but”—she sent Garrin a worried look—“I can’t go without my mother.”
Garrin looked at Amund, and Amund nodded. “Amund will bring your mother to the caves.” He turned to Camille. “If you portaled this many people across the Land of Ice, which is unheard of, I’m assuming you can get us to the caves?”
Camille nodded slowly. “I can. We’ve all drunk from the tea of the Ancient Allon. Our powers are enhanced, along with the powers of the soldiers we left in charge. Though I hadn’t anticipated the trip taking as long as it did. We spent two weeks traversing the Land of Ice on our way to Dark Kingdom. I will require days of rest if I am to portal everyone home.”
The Ancient Allon grew through the center of Old Kingdom castle. All allon were infused with Fae magic, but not like the Ancient Allon. According to lore, it held the power of Tirnan. If Camille and the other had drunk from it, that explained their strength and the speed in which Camille had traveled here.
Garrin had questions for Camille and the others, but they could wait until he got Lex somewhere safe. “We leave now.”
