Page 6

“She is your what, Princeling?” Eliza taunted.

“She is a friend who saved my life, and I wish to know how she is doing. I wish to see her,” Callan finally answered, trying to sound like the prince he was.

The Fae exchanged a look again.

“I told him he could try to go see her,” Eliza supplied with a shrug.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” the other male said, running a hand down his face. “You’re like a damn cat playing with its dinner.”

“Cyrus,” Rayner chided quietly, “we have guests in our company.”

Cyrus waved his hand dismissively. “If his Highness has not heard language before then he is more pampered than I originally thought.” Cyrus rubbed his thumb and forefinger across his brows as if he had a headache.He turned and faced them once more. “You will not get to her. Even if you manage to find the door to the Prince’s rooms, you shall not get close to it. There are wards preventing anyone from entering. Not only that, there aremorewards that will keep you from even getting to his hallway.”

“But you—”

“And,” Cyrus said, cutting him off, “on top of all of that, there are spells that misdirect your path. You will never find his door without an escort directly to it.”

Callan stared at him in disbelief. That type of security was…unbelievable. Sorin must have hated life in the mortal lands.

“You see, Princeling,” Eliza said to him, her voice going cold. Gone was the boredom she had been portraying. No, before him stood a General who commanded armies and protected an entire Court. “No one gets to our Prince without our knowing. No one gets to his door without going through one of us first. And if you get through one, there are two more to work around.” Flames danced in her eyes, and fire appeared at Cyrus's fingertips.

“Can you find out for me then?” Callan asked, pushing down the fear that was threatening to buckle his knees.

“No,” Cyrus answered. “We cannot.”

“Why not?” Finn said from behind Callan, stepping to his side.

Again the Fae exchanged a look.

“We do not know if we are free to divulge such information,” Rayner said in his soft, grave voice.

“Can you not ask him?” Finn asked.

“Did you not listen?” Cyrus snapped. “The wards are preventing anyone from entering.”

“But…even you?” Callan said with realization.

“Yes,” Cyrus retorted through clenched teeth. His tone said it all. He was not happy about being separated from his prince. Finn and Sloan often threw fits when he insisted on being left alone. Now a full-fledged, fire-wielding Fae stood before him, furious about being kept from his prince.

“No one gets in? What if something happens?” Callan balked.

There was a sound of rushing water and another male stepped from a swirling vortex of the same.

“I would know if something happens,” the male said. He had seen this male briefly before. He had arrived right before Scarlett had lost control. He felt Finn and Sloan tense behind him. At least the three Fae he already knew stood between them and the newcomer. The male’s face was hard, but his eyes twinkled. His build was nearly identical to Sorin, but his eyes were the icy blue of Scarlett’s. His tunic was the turquoise of the sea, and his pants were light gray as he stood before them.

“But he said no one is allowed in,” Callan argued.

“He means they are not allowed in right now, and he is pissy about it,” the male said with a glare at Cyrus.

“He has never locked us out of his rooms, Drayce,” Cyrus said sharply. “Not until he returned withher.” The new male merely blinked at him.

“This should not be this difficult,” Sloan growled from behind Callan. Callan turned to look at him with surprise, and so did all the Fae in the hallway. “All my prince wants to know is if the woman is all right.”

“She sleeps, Prince Callan,” the male said. “That is all I can say.”

“She has been sleeping since she arrived here? Did she have her tonic? She has not woken at all? What of her wound?” He nearly fell to his knees with relief that someone had finally told him something.

“Our best Healer is watching over and treating her, and Sorin has not left his rooms once. She is constantly watched and monitored,” he answered. “Now, it would indeed be best if you crossed back to the eastern side of the palace. I will escort you myself.”