Avenged

♕Chapter 3b

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Later the next morning, two palace guards came knocking at my door.

“My Lady, the Crown Prince, sends his apologies. He wanted you to know that he would have taken you home himself if not for the meeting with the Dukes.”

“I understand. Please send the Crown Prince my thanks.” I smiled brightly.

“He has asked us to accompany you to Deven House, at your convenience, to gather your belongings and redirect Lord Devendale when he arrives.”

“My own staff can help me with that. You don’t need to accompany me. Thank you.”

“The Crown Prince insists we keep you safe, my Lady,” the taller of two guards protested.

“Well, I’m ready now,” I replied. There was no sense in arguing, until I discovered that the two guards had led me to the Crown Prince’s personal carriage.

“Oh, no. I would prefer to take my own carriage, thank you.” I paused, clamping my hands together in front of me while looking for the Devendale carriage.

“The Crown Prince specified—” the shorter guard started to argue.

“The Crown Prince isn’t here; furthermore, I will not be seen prancing out of the palace, at this hour, in the Prince’s carriage. That would be entirely inappropriate. What would people think? I rode my carriage here last night, and I shall ride it home today. I’ll not have the people of the city inventing stories about me, or about the Crown Prince.”

“But my Lady, the Crown Prince—” the shorter guard started once more.

“Yes, my Lady, as you wish,” the taller of the two interrupted. At least he could understand my point. Plus, I was afraid that if I heard the phrase “the Crown Prince” again, I just might scream.

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Two hours later, I had double-checked everything I’d packed, and I’d spoken with the housekeeper as well as the butler. I wasn’t sure how long this palace stay would really be.

I sat waiting in the parlor, drumming my fingers on the armchair, my anxiety rising with each annoying tick of the clock. Thorndon should have arrived by midday, and it was already well into the afternoon. What could have happened? Did something go wrong?

Unable to contain my impatience any longer, I decided to wait in the front courtyard. The sound of birds twittering was a vast improvement on the agonizingly slow-ticking of the grandfather clock in the parlor.

Given that the Dukes spent several months each year in the capital, they all owned homes here. Each of these summer homes somehow represented their district without being overly obnoxious.

Deven house was the Duke of Devendale’s city home. Along with the homes of the other Council members, it was situated closest to the palace gates. This house was made from several rather large carved stones, with massive windows to flood the home with light and make it feel like you were outside. That feeling was the common element in all fae building design since our elemental powers stemmed from our deep connection with nature.

When the wind blew, a flurry of purple flowers rained around me, reminding me of home, the Duke’s home, and I hoped Ella wasn’t missing me too much. I missed her. I’m not sure how long I sat in the garden, but after a while, I had that strange feeling of being watched, and not by the two guards that Adonis had assigned for that specific purpose. This was more like a prickling sense. I didn’t dwell on it because the sound of trotting horse hooves and carriage wheels caught my attention.

Unfortunately, it was not Thorndon, and instead, I saw a plain black carriage with dark curtains. Interesting.

From my seat in the shade of the old jacaranda tree, I watched the carriage pull up to the Duke of Strathalbyn’s house across the street. As the carriage pulled away, I watched as the red-headed beauty arrogantly glanced over her shoulders, as if daring anyone to challenge her. She marched straight to the front door and was immediately ushered in by a furious-looking Duke.

My little birds had told me of his relationship with Lady Claire. They had also told me about his promise to break his mating bond with Lady Aria and to make Claire his duchess instead. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knew that he was playing his mistress, but she seemed to believe him. I heard she was quite brazenly approaching Aria at social events last season.

After who knows how long, lost in thought, I finally heard my brother’s laugh, and I looked up to see him and his men finally arriving.

He leaped off the horse and rolled his shoulders and hips to stretch his stiff body before he leaned down to place a kiss on my cheek.

“My gorgeous sister! How are you?”

Thorndon wasn’t my brother by blood, but I had known him my entire life. He’d been my protective big brother since he found me eight years ago. Thorn was everything my brother Tiberius was before Adonis took him from me.

“You smell like leather, horse sweat, and dirt.” I chuckled.

“I smell manly,” he grinned.

His strong arms pulled me into a tight hug, and I leaned into his comforting warmth. Even though everything was a mess, Thorn always made me feel like everything would be alright in the end. I’m incredibly thankful that I found such a loving adoptive family.

One day, he would make some lucky girl an amazing husband. Just not that snake Marissa.

With an almost imperceptible flick of my fingers, I twisted a breeze into a sound-shield, as Thorn taught me. It was air magic 101—bend the wind, block the noise. Like creating a silencing bubble around us as we walk. No one noticed my movement, and it gave us the opportunity to talk freely.

“And here I was worried when you insisted on going ahead without me.”

When Thorn found me, dirty and skinny, hiding in their barn, he immediately recognized me. For a second, I thought he’d turn on me like the others, but one look in his eyes, and I could see that he’d never hurt me. He, unlike Adonis, hadn’t bought into the false King’s lies.

When the King murdered the Duke of Devendale, his younger brother, Thorndon and Ella’s father, inherited the title. That was why I’d chosen to come to them. It was a risk, but it paid off.

“How did it go?” I ask.

“Perfectly. And you?”

“Perfectly.” I return his smirk. with an equally imperceptible finger movement, I release the bubble just long enough to call out to my brother’s wingmen.

“Don’t bother unloading those. Please, deliver it all to the palace.”

“Yes, my Lady.” If Thorndon's wingmen thought my orders were strange, they did not show it. I noticed the taller guard talking to the wingmen before resuming his silent watching.

Thorndon quirked a brow and shot me a sly smile as I whipped the bubble back into place. No one knew we spoke this way since that wasn't a common piece of air magic. While all fairies had elemental powers, the extent of what you could do with those powers varied greatly.

“You do work fast,” he said.

Smiling, I led him toward the kitchen, “Faster than I expected, honestly. He says he feels our souls are connected.”

Thorndon steps slowed. “Is that a concern for you? I know how you once felt.”

“That was a very long time ago, Thorn. I’m not that naive, doe-eyed little Princess anymore. Drink,” I ordered as I shoved a large glass of water into his hands.

“No, you are far more captivating than that. I just want you to remember what he’s capable of. You can’t relax your guard around him,” Thorndon replied.

“I know.”

Thornton cleaned up and changed quickly, and we soon sat together in the carriage to return to the palace.

“So, who’s the first on your list?” Thorn smirked.