The Royal Fae- Astra (book 1)

Cassandra

Chapter 6

Cassandras pov

“can someone tell me what the hell is going on?! How is she gone? Where was she when she was last seen?”

20 years of hard work and she’s just vanished and I’m struggling to contain the anger invading my entire body. Without her I am nothing, I have nothing!! I can feel my magic simmering under my skin as crackles escape my hands.

“find her or you will wish you were never born!”

I’m not sure why I bother using these creatures they’re useless. Magic is the only way forward, but I need a boost, if I’m going to have enough to find her and get her back.

“You freckles! Yes, you come here! Go to this address and tell him its time he paid up. He will understand, bring him with you. If he refuses find a way to bring him here alive, I don’t care what you do as long as he’s alive”

This is where giving out favours and deals comes in handy, there is always someone that owes me something. Half an hour passes excruciatingly slowly as I await my guest.

“ah there you are brother long time no see. It’s time to pay up and sadly for you I need…well everything!” Its obvious he needed a little persuading to come here, his arm is obviously broken and there is blood all down his face. I watch as the colour leaves my brothers face as he realises what I said, we’ve never been close my mother being the slut that she was ran off and got pregnant by a fairy. Stupid b***h paid for it with her life when my dear brother came along.

Fast forward a few decades and he came to me on his knees asking for a favour! Ha like I was going to help him without it helping me in the long run!

“ppppplease don’t, I will do anything just don’t kill me!”

“oh Alec please don’t snivel its very unbecoming of you. What more could I want other than your life essence? It’s all I could ever want from the person who killed my mother and broke my father. Don’t get me wrong I didn’t like her I suppose at least her death led to all of this! Now get on your knees!!!”

Swirling the ruby encrusted dagger between my hands im distracted briefly by how the light bounces off of the jewels. As I stab the dagger into his heart his eyes grow wide and I watch as his essence works its way out of his body and I inhale it all in, the rush is amazing! Magic crackles from my fingertips as my power increases and I get straight to work creating a spell to find Astra! She can’t hide from me especially when the magic running through my veins is from her own grandfather.

It takes seconds for me to find her trail and it leads me right to the tree fae. I should have killed them all when I found out her affinity for them as a child, they are going to pay!

“You! Gather everyone we are going to war!”

There’s no time to lose the longer she is there the more likely she will remember. I just hope that the necklace is doing its job.

Face to face with the magnificent oak tree I can feel the fae magic running through the ground through the roots, fae magic is complicated they can be somewhere and not at the same time. They are of two plans of existence, both here and not, human size and small. No one but the fae themselves truly understand how it works but if you are like me and know the weak spots, sometimes you can force your way in with brute magical force. Tapping into my borrowed magic I send a fire bomb at the magical entrance I can feel it fighting back but after a few minutes the veil between the two plains shimmers and falls, we are in! It’s always weird going from the human world to the fae world, you can never get used to the pressure it puts on your body as you get used to the new plain. The other magical creatures are struggling but are still managing to cause some damage, they’re just a useful distraction until I can get her back.

“Cause as much damage as you want but if you see her do NOT hurt her!”

I turn my attention to Astra I can feel her here although the feeling is faint, I’m not sure why that would be though, maybe the fae magic is clouding my tracking powers. As I work my way through the tree I throw a couple more fire bombs to keep them panicked and running, I don’t care about anyone else but I need to get to her and if that means hurting others so be it.

Everything is weirdly quiet and I haven’t seen another living soul for a while now, it’s like a maze going through all the winding hall ways, I can’t help but notice how beautiful this place is, I might have to copy some of the décor.

Ah there she is! Just as I had started to give up o can feel her spark.

“come out, come out wherever you are…come out now Astra and we can leave this hell hole, no one else needs to get hurt!”

Can’t let them know I like the place, can I? there’s no answer but she’s near there is no doubt about it. I decide to search room to room from here.

Lonis pov

Why am I not surprised its Cassandra that’s attacking us, she must really need Astra for something because she’s putting so much effort into keeping her. We are missing something important in the information we have.

Moving from the alcove I had hid in I turn back the way we came and search for one of the hidden passages only used by royals, they’ve not really been used since before I was born. I had read about them when I was young and I used to sneak out to see Astra using them, I keep running when I run into my father.

“oh, father I am so happy to see you but why aren’t you getting everyone else out”

“son we are all that’s left apart from a few of the soldiers protecting the command centre. This is her isn’t it? The one you asked me about all those years ago?”

“yes! But I don’t have time to explain everything, Cassandra is here for Astra and we need to get her out of here”

“Cassandra!! Let me take care of her our paths have crossed before.”

“father no I need you to take Astra and run, you are the king and they need you” I pass Astra over carefully but quickly before he has a chance to argue. Leaving Astra is the last thing I want to do but I am faster, and I know that he will protect her with his life. I run to the weapons room as fast as I can, I just need to distract her long enough that they can get to the escape tunnel. I already have my sword, but I grab some magical daggers and place them into my belt and a bow and arrow with as many different types of arrows as I can carry. I run back down to the hall way we were in but there is no sign of Cassandra, so I run up to one of the upper levels that has a view down onto the staircase winding up and the floors below. I set my bow up and let fly arrows as soon as I see any creatures below, after taking out about 10 different creatures I start working my way down and clearing the halls as I go. Luckily there doesn’t seem to be many on the upper floors but as I get further down, I come across more and more. As I get closer to the escape tunnel I can hear some creatures talking about trying to get through the door, luckily its protected by some very strong fae magic and unless you have significant magic or are of fae origin you can’t get in. I set up my bow with an exploding arrow to take them all out in one go when I see something from the corner of my eye.

Red fiery hair…Cassandra!

I can see that she’s looming over a poor fairy, but I am too far away to be able to do anything I curse as I assess my surroundings to work out a plan. Nothing argh! I turn back to the scene before me and that’s when I see the royal crest on the back of the poor man’s coat. Wait…FATHER!

I start to run as Cassandra raises her hand and swiftly cuts his throat he slumps to the floor in slow motion as I shoot and arrow above and swing towards them; the tree trembles from its roots at the loss of the king and my body feels cold as my heart wrenches with sadness. As I land I collapse to the floor in pain,  her eyes meet mine as an evil grin spreads across her face and she laughs. She turns away crouching down to pick up something from the floor she turns to me once more she’s holding Astra by the throat her limp body swinging slightly with the momentum. Cassandra nods, and a glow erupts from below her as she disappears into thin air!

I pull myself up and run as fast I can across the room and skid to a stop at my father’s body, there is no sign of Astra or Cassandra and I collapse down next to my father pulling him into me. Warm tears fall from my eyes as I feel the immense loss of not only my father but of my only love.