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I raised my chin defiantly. If Elias expected me to cower and cry after that little stunt, he was in for a surprise. The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. Now he was mocking me?

“It’s been a while,” he said. His voice was deep. “Nice to see you again, MJ.”

“Only my friends can call me that.” I practically spit at him when I said it. Even though I had no friends. It was hard to make friends when you were always running away without leaving an address. I wasn’t allowed social media either. Mom had made that clear. You couldn’t find us online—you weren’t supposed to find us anywhere.

He laughed. “You are your father’s daughter.” He pushed himself up from the chair and came toward me. I gritted my teeth and braced for a fight. It wouldn’t be a long fight—he not only towered over me but was solid and muscular, too. Still, I’d inflict as much pain as I possibly could.

Then his arms opened wide. “I know you haven’t seen me in too long a time.” He studied me and nodded, satisfied. “You have your mother’s eyes. The rest is all your father.”

My mother had told me I took after my dad—that I had his same dark hair, olive complexion, proud nose, and sharp chin. But I had my mother’s eyes, as blue as the cornflowers that grew wild in her hometown.

The old man moved closer. “Is it still okay if I hug the princess?”

My eyebrows scrunched together. “Excuse me?”

He was smiling now. “It was touch and go there for a minute. We were afraid we’d lost you to the insurgent faction.”

Insurgents?

The munduntug hunters were insurgents? I thought they’d come to protect me.

My shoulders relaxed, even as my mind was swirling. “So you’re not... Hang on, didn’t you stage a coup?” I motioned to the huge throne he’d been sitting in.

Elias looked at the throne, then back at me, horrified. “Of course not! Oh my, is that what you thought? That’s just my comfy spot in the safe house.” He reached out and gave me a bear squeeze, like a grandpa would. “You can’t imagine how relieved I am that you’re here with us, anak,” he said, calling me child as he stepped back. “I made a vow to protect you, and if I’d failed, well...” He shook his head. “No matter. You’re here in one piece.”

“I thought I was being kidnapped,” I said. With the immediate threat gone, I was starting to shake from the adrenaline aftershocks.

Elias narrowed his eyes at the others. “None of you explained what was happening?”

“There was no time,” one of the patianaks answered, her voice raspy like the whisper of the wind. The rest nodded.

Someone else confirmed: “None at all, Elias. It was dire.”

“It’s true,” I jumped in. “I was about to leave with the others first, and then they showed up—”

“So the insurgents did get to you?” He looked angry.

Before I could answer, another patianak stepped forward. “We thought we’d eliminated all of them. However, it looks like a few managed to breach the protective barrier before we arrived. They must have been alerted to our presence in the human realm as soon as we had crossed.”

“We got lucky, then,” Elias said. “Was a mambabarang among them?”

The warrior fairies all looked at one another, and then back to Elias. They shook their heads. “No witch,” one of them said.

Elias sighed. “I suppose I’m not surprised. It would be too reckless. But we can discuss this later. There’s no time. We must get her to Biringan.”

“Wait.” I held up my hand. “No one’s even told me what’s going on. So it’s true, then, that my father is dead? They weren’t just saying that so I’d go with them?” I was a toddler when my mother moved us to the human realm, so I hardly knew my father, but I felt a sharp pain in my heart, nonetheless. The pain of not knowing and then never truly knowing him.

“Afraid so, Princess,” Elias said, his voice catching. It was clear Elias loved my father dearly.

My eyes watered. My father was dead. “What happened? How did he die?”

Elias didn’t answer me right away, and when he did, he didn’t look me in the eye. “It was... basically it was a natural death.” He shifted his feet.

It’s not like my father was old. He was an encanto; he could have lived a thousand more years. “How is that possible? Did he fall ill?” Encantos were long-lived, but I supposed they were not immortal.

“As I said, Princess, we can talk more later. The insurgents can’t be far behind. I’m certain they’ve discovered what’s happened already.”

“Well, can you tell me who they are and why they’re after me?”

“With the death of your father, some in our world think the throne is up for grabs. And how better to stake a claim than to first assassinate the king’s heir? I have my thoughts on who might be behind it but can’t share until I have more proof. It’s not just you at risk either—our entire world is in danger. Without the rightful encanto on the throne, the forces of nature and magic are out of balance.”

I nodded. “The weird storms.”

“Correct. And every moment you’re not in Biringan, it gets worse. In both worlds. Already the magic is flickering. Nothing is working as it once did.”

“But why would they want that?”

“Simple. Because in the chaos, they can reign.” He clapped his hands together, and the fairies rushed into action, readying their weapons and preparing to flee again. “But once you take the throne and satisfy the treaty, balance will return.”

“What treaty?”

“The ancient encanto kings signed an agreement to keep the forces of magic in balance. You’ll learn more when we get there.” He held his arm out, motioning me toward the door once more.

I swallowed, trying to push down my anxiety. “We’re going there... right now?”

“Yes. Well, no. First we have to get your mother.”

That was the best thing I’d heard in hours. I suddenly felt lighter.

As we walked to the door, he added, “You need the amulet. The sign of your birthright.”

The confusion must’ve showed on my face, because he said, “You don’t know about the amulet?”

I shook my head.

He looked more worried now. “Let’s hope it’s not lost, then. And that we get there before the insurgents. If we don’t, your mother will be dead.”