Page 81

"My Georgia," he cried, rushing forward.

In this moment, he wasn’t a king, just my father. The man who had worried over me since my mother’s death. The man who had in his own way always tried to protect me.

I rushed over to him, and he opened his arms to receive me.

He patted the back of my head. "My sweet girl. Home at last. I was afraid I’d never see you again. I thought you were lost forever, like your…"

Like my mother and sister.

"No, daddy. I’m okay. I’m here now."

He broke our embrace and held me at arm’s length to appraise me. "Did he hurt you? How did you escape?"

I bit my lip. "I’m fine. He let me go."

My father narrowed his eyes. "Let you go?" he echoed.

I nodded.

"Don’t worry. I will ensure he and his kind never return to our shores again."

Concern crept up my spine. I thought of the soldiers with unfamiliar uniforms stationed along our gates. "What do you mean?"

"I have forged an alliance with Frost Haven. When you were stolen, I had already promised your hand to Regent Callahan."

My stomach dropped. Regent Callahan was the much older man from the ball with the lecherous, roving eyes. I couldn’t marry him. I wouldn’t!

My father continued as if he hadn’t just said something of life-altering importance, "So, of course, they were furious. For too long, those waterwalkers have terrorized our kingdom with their storms and bargains and thefts. I can’t promise to bring your sister back, but I can promise to end their reign of terror once and for all."

I fought back a swell of sorrow. No one could bring Briar back. Not now. But I wasn’t foolish enough to say so out loud. Not when Papa was bringing us to the brink of an apocalyptic war. "No, you can’t!" I cried. "It will only make things worse. The seelie are far better than the unseelie, and you could put them in power."

My father’s eyes turned soft. "Georgia, no fae are ‘better.’ You spent too many weeks with them. I’m so sorry we couldn’t get to you sooner. No doubt you’ve been deceived, glamoured, and drugged. I want you to know you’re safe now."

"None of us will be safe if you start this war," I argued. "Please, trust me. My eyes are clear. There are no nectars or tinctures in my system."

He looked sadly at me once more. "Frost Haven has developed new weapons, ones that make our gunpowder explosives look like a flash from a lightning bug. Soon that miserable island will sink below the waves, your mind will be free, my daughter. I promise."

He turned to leave, and I grabbed his coattail. "No, please."

He said, "Magnolia, calm your sister, and whatever you do, do not let her out of your sight. There are guards posted at every door. If you need them, simply call out."

She nodded with wide eyes. "Yes, papa."

Without that, he left the room, clicking the lock behind him on his way out.

My heart sank. I was a prisoner once more. At least Forrest had never locked a door.

I turned to my younger sister. "Magnolia, do you believe me?"

She bit her lip and looked away. "I want to. I really do, but they stole you. They stole Briar. Maybe Papa is right."

"There’s more to the story," I said softly. "But I’m afraid this one won't have a happily ever after."

An hour later, Magnolia knew everything–why I had been stolen, the threat of the unseelie, and the death of Briar.

Tears streamed down her face, but she had a defiant glint in her eyes. "We have to stop father. If the unseelie are as dangerous as you say, we can’t risk an attack. We could accidentally topple the seelie and put the unseelie in power. I won’t lose you and Papa too."

She was right. Papa had no intention of helping any fae, regardless of court, but he could very well shift the balance of power. I looked at her. "How can we stop him? We’re locked in, and we can’t use the trellis in broad daylight with so many guards."