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Kaspar

M emphe hopped through the air shield to my study and stood, a shudder rolling through him.

“What is it, Memphe, you know how I hate it when you hover.”

“We found them,” he said, webbed fingers clenched around a long silver tube.

“Where?”

“AFF headquarters. The rescue was successful.” Relief flickered, then died as Memphe added, “They vanished after. Into Central Park Zoo.”

“Vanished?” I stood, pacing. “And not one of my spies followed them?”

He licked his eye.

“Not Twila? Not Kila?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Then you didn’t find her. You lost her.”

He flinched and I swallowed down the anger.

Water fae were unaccustomed to emotion. It was a fact I knew well.

Some defective part of me I’d worked hard to quell over the centuries.

Still, no matter how I worked to keep the facade of cool indifference my kind was known for, it found its way to the surface.

Perhaps it was the true reason my uncle never sought to bring me into the fold.

He had worked closely with my father, creating one of the most effective spy networks in history, but upon my father’s death, my uncle had not continued our alliance, choosing instead to rival us without so much as an explanation.

My once soft heart had fractured at his callousness, but so many centuries later, I had finally frozen the heart our kind were never meant to have.

“Keep looking. And Memphe…Tell Twila and her sister to grow a pair of legs and search every inch of that zoo. I don’t care what they have to do to find her.”

He nodded, hopping away and disappeared into the castle to bring my message to my most faithful spy twins.

Dropping heavily into my chair, I unrolled the scroll. Another pocket entrance—gone. Five years ago, the lakes of Autumn had sealed themselves from my court, making it impossible for any of my spies to enter. I hadn't known why then.

Now, Winter’s waters were closing one by one.

I crumpled the letter in my fist.

It was time to pay a visit to Hazel.