Page 2 of Veil of Shadows (Fae of Woodlands & Wild #2)

CHAPTER 2

I sat on the bed of my massive bedroom chambers, nibbling on my fingernail. It’d been hours since Jax had left and locked me in here. I had no idea where he’d gone and when, or if , he was coming back. I hadn’t asked. And there’d been no talk of allowing me free roam of the palace. Apparently, he was still concerned that I’d try to escape. Who knew if he’d ever trust me not to.

The only good thing about the time passing was that my injuries had fully healed. The punishments that my collar had inflicted upon my hand, wrist, and elbow during my breakout were gone. Once again, my tendons were sturdy and strong, my wrist bendable and supple, and my elbow fully functional.

If only I could fix my life as easily as my magic did my body.

Moonlight bled through the suite’s frosted windows. It was late. Nearing midnight, according to the clock, yet I couldn’t sleep.

I fell back onto the bed, bouncing a couple of times on the mattress. I stared at the ceiling and wondered if Jax would supply me with a calendar. If I was to now be the crown prince’s lorafin, crossing off a day each morning would give me something to do. Besides, I missed that routine. I missed marking a day away each morning when I woke up. But most of all, I missed working toward my dream.

I’d been counting the days until my thirtieth birthday for as long as I could remember, and I relished the habit, even if my thirtieth birthday no longer held any predestined meaning.

Still, it was something to do. Something I could control. And having control in my life had always been nonexistent, so I would take it in whatever form I got.

A soft knock came on the door.

I bolted upright, my eyes going wide as a shot of electricity tingled along my collar, but before I could call out, the handle was turning, and a slim female slipped over the threshold.

My collar vibrated violently, and my hand whipped to my throat. “Who are you?”

The female gave an apologetic smile and closed the door behind her. The ring of the magical bolt sliding into place filled the room, followed by a pulse of Jax’s magic.

Once again, everyone seemed to have access to Jax’s unlocking spell except for me.

Bristling, I readied myself for whatever was to come. Probably more conflict. Maybe orders. Definitely demands. Somebody always wanted something from me.

The slim female faced me, her back to the door, and I quickly took in her blond hair and brown eyes. She was a siltenite fairy, no wildling features, and she wore a simple yellow dress. Nothing about her attire screamed wealth, but she didn’t look poor either. In fact, she appeared similar to me now that I wore plain pants and comfortable tops, thanks to my single shopping spree in Fosterton.

“I’m sorry.” She wrung her hands, and her voice was soft and small, reminding me of a delicate bird. “I should have waited for your permission to enter, but it’s late, and I’ve been in such a hurry to finish my evening work so I could get down here, but I know we haven’t been very respectful of your privacy. I should have considered that and waited for you to call out.”

My eyes narrowed. “ We ? Do you work with Jax?”

She laughed softly and walked farther into the room, clasping her hands behind her. “Oh no, he’s a friend of mine, or rather, a friend of my husband’s. You’ve probably met him. His nickname’s Phillen.”

My eyes bulged. “You’re married to Phillen?”

She dipped her head. “For the past sixty summers.”

Understanding dawned. Phillen had mentioned once that he was married, and he’d been more agitated than Lars earlier today when I discovered the Dark Raider’s identity. He warned Jax of the consequences of me knowing the truth of them, and if I recalled right, he said something about needing to keep their families protected.

I cocked my head. “Do you and Phillen have children?”

She nodded again and stepped closer to me until she was only a few strides from the bed. “We do. Only one, so far. The stars blessed us with a wee boy after many, many full seasons of trying to conceive. Cassim’s three now.” A wistful smile curved her lips.

“You have a toddler.” I let out a breath. No wonder Phillen was so protective of his family and insistent that Jax not let me go. He had a wife and a small child he feared would be compromised if the Dark Raider’s secret came to light.

“I’m Saramel, by the way.”

Saramel . That name rang a bell, and when I recalled why, my eyes grew round. “You’re the fairy Jax wished he’d asked to visit me when they’d been called away, so I could be told that my release was delayed.”

“Yes, that would be me.” She dipped into a curtsy. “I only wished that he had. It would have avoided the circumstance we’re currently in.”

Flustered, all I could do was nod.

Saramel nodded toward the sitting area. “It’s well past supper time, but the prince told me you never summoned any food. Would you care to join me for a meal?”

“The prince is monitoring when I eat?”

A blush worked across her face. “He’s . . . quite concerned about you.”

I glanced at the clock. “But it’s the middle of the night. We’re to have a meal at midnight?”

She shrugged. “Better late than never.”

I found myself rising to join her. I was hungry after all. I’d barely eaten anything in the past week, so I followed her into the sitting area and seated myself beside her on the couch.

Saramel offered me another tentative smile before she turned her attention upward. “Please bring us a tray of the chef’s roasted hen, sautéed rice, fresh salad, steamed greens, and the three desserts that were on the menu tonight.”

My eyes popped open, when not even a second later, an overflowing tray of Saramel’s selections appeared before us on the coffee table.

Steam rose from the food along with fragrant scents. My mouth watered, as though having someone with me—even if Saramel was a complete stranger and perhaps wasn’t here with innocent intentions—calmed some of the nerves firing along my limbs so I could actually eat without anxiety twisting my stomach into knots.

“The chef’s hen is always superb.” Saramel dished a bit of everything onto a plate and handed it to me.

I started at her thoughtfulness. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She dished herself a plate too, then settled back before another shy smile lifted her lips. But she abruptly straightened. “Oh! I forgot about drinks. Does anything in particular sound appealing?”

I shrugged. “Um, no, whatever you prefer is fine.”

She tilted her chin up again. “Will you also provide a pitcher of the sparkling fruit juice served tonight?”

A glass pitcher abruptly shimmered into existence. Tiny bubbles fizzled on its surface. Not even a second later, two glasses filled with ice cubes appeared beside it.

“Thank you, Chamber,” Saramel called. “That shall be all for now.”

An answering pulse of magic came from the walls before it calmed and went still once more.

Saramel hoisted the pitcher up and poured us each a glass, then handed one to me. “My son loves this juice. Cassim would drink this entire pitcher if I let him.”

I smiled awkwardly and took a tentative sip. My eyes widened at the lemony taste with a hint of mint. “This is delicious.”

Saramel picked up her plate, and we ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, each of us sampling the various dishes. Everything was flavorful and tender, and it was by far the best food I’d had in months. Before I knew it, I was halfway through my meal.

“This reminds me of the banquets I’ve attended at Faewood’s court when the king would ask me to present for a calling,” I said, breaking the quiet as I took another bite of the juicy hen.

“Do you herald from Faewood?” Saramel cocked her head.

I shrugged and wondered if Phillen or Jax had told her anything about me or if she was simply playing coy. “At the moment I do, but my guardian said I was born in Ironcrest.”

“And your guardian is the fairy that’s being kept in one of the prince’s other chambers?”

My jaw snapped closed as I was once again reminded of my guardian’s betrayal. “That would be the one. Have you seen him?”

She shook her head. “Oh no, the prince won’t allow me to enter his chambers. He’s too concerned about your guardian trying to escape, although Jax sought me out to come visit you so you wouldn’t be left alone.”

“He did?”

She forked some of the herbed rice and nodded. After swallowing, she added, “The prince said you’ve been mostly alone in here since they arrived back. He’s very worried about you. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this worried about anything. Well, except for—” She abruptly cut herself off and forked another bite of rice. “Anyway, both he and Phillen insisted you weren’t a violent fairy, so it would be safe if I came here alone to visit with you.”

“Is that so?” My stomach dipped at that gesture and their accurate assessment of my character. While I had no qualms about defending myself from fae who wished me harm, Jax and Phillen were right that I would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially someone as benign as Saramel appeared. But her earlier pause when she was about to reveal someone else the prince had been worried about, that I was guessing she wasn’t supposed to, made me curious. “Does Jax often ask you to provide his prisoners company?”

Saramel laughed. “Oh no. He never brings captives back here. In fact, you and your guardian are the first.”

In other words, if Saramel was being truthful, whoever she was referring to wasn’t another captive. I pushed my food away. “Has the prince said anything about what he plans to do with me?”

“He hasn’t, but”—she frowned—“I have to admit that I’ve never seen him in a state like this. He’s quite distraught about it all.”

“Truly?” I wanted to believe her, but who was to say I could.

She nodded. “He’s been pacing in the library most of the evening. Trivan and Bowan have been with him while Lars and my husband stand watch at the door...you know, in case any curious staff come idling by wondering what the crown prince is doing wearing a path into the carpet. His father has also been looking for him. And that never helps matters.”

My eyebrows rose. “He’s avoiding the king?” It felt strange to say that, but it was true. The king of Stonewild Kingdom was Jax’s father.

Saramel sighed. “He often avoids the king, and one can hardly blame him. Next summer, Prince Adarian is of age to wed, so the king and queen have been trying to arrange courtship dates for him when the approved and potential females come to visit. We have several in the palace right now.”

I sat back, my stomach doing a strange, queasy flip. “Why would he avoid that?”

“Simple. He doesn’t want to wed, especially since who he can wed is decided by his parents, but the king and queen are growing impatient and insist that he start courting his potential betroths. He’ll be a hundred summers soon, so it’s time for him to make a match. As you probably know, it’s expected of crown princes at that age.”

Another flutter of nerves coiled my stomach. “So he’s to court other females while keeping me a prisoner.” I strode to the unlit fireplace and crouched beside it. Rough bark met my fingertips when I tossed a few pieces of firewood into the hearth. I wasn’t cold, but I suddenly needed something to do.

Saramel released a long sigh, then joined me, her slim body kneeling on the carpet beside me. “I’m sorry, Elowen, about what’s been done to you. I know you haven’t done anything that warrants being locked up, but the prince never intended for this to happen. You don’t understand. He’s been so distraught since—” She licked her lips and shook her head.

I again got the feeling she was referring to what she’d stopped herself from saying earlier. “What? Tell me.”

But she just shook her head again. “It’s not my story to tell, but please believe me that Jax didn’t take your abduction lightly. He only became aware of you the other month, and he immediately set out to learn what he could of you and to find a way to use your magic.”

Nostrils flaring, I went back to arranging wood in the fire. “I know. He told me. He’s been stalking me for weeks and decided it was more moral to abduct me than to pay a slave guardian for my services, yet how Jax doesn’t want to admit that he’s now my new guardian is entirely ironic.”

Her eyes dimmed, and something about the energy strumming in her aura made me pause. I stopped arranging the kindling and faced her.

Misery pulsed around her like a sad friend who never smiled. “Please just believe me, Elowen, when I tell you that Jax would never have taken you if he’d had another way.”

My brow furrowed, and I thought again of the male he’d wanted me to find. The half-breed with antlers permanently curving from his temples. “Who’s the male he asked me to seek? Why is he so important?”

Saramel shook her head. “Again, it’s not my story to share.”

I gripped her hand, my fingertips digging into her skin. “ Please , Saramel. Someone needs to tell me, and Jax’s never going to, from the sounds of it. But please, will you? Help me understand why I’m here. Please . I’m going crazy being trapped within these walls, but maybe if I could understand it, even support it...” I raised my shoulders. “Maybe then this wouldn’t feel so awful.”

She sucked in a sharp breath and looked over her shoulder toward the door. A moment ticked by, but all remained still. It was only her and me in this quiet chambers in the dead of night.

Facing me again, she lowered her voice. “If I tell you...”

“I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”

Another heartbeat of silence passed until finally, she nodded gravely. “All right, but only because I agree that your treatment is unfair. But you must agree to a bargain ensuring your silence. What I’m about to tell you can never leave this room.”