Page 37 of Fae Games

“You would control the wishbone,” he said.

My heart thudded. “What?”

He lowered himself to the ground and sat, resting his back against the tree trunk. What appeared to be a wistful expression crossed his features, but it was hard to tell with all that brown fur.

I sat a foot away and turned toward my friend, waiting for him to speak. In the DVDs, wishbones were a V-shaped bone people would break during festivities where a family would banquet on a whole roasted bird. It was just a cutesy tradition as there was no magic in the outside world, but on the Isle of Fae, such an item might work.

Pokeweed leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “The wishbone is the most powerful piece of magic on the Isle of Fae and grants its wielder three wishes.”

“What kind of…” Ideas somersaulted through my mind. If I could obtain the wishbone, I could make it return me to the time before Sicily left to make a bargain. I could also fix things so Helen would never have gotten her magic stolen.

A breath caught in the back of my throat. It could return Mom to us in perfect health and find Dad. Or if I phrased things right, move the whole family to Beverly Hills or Orange County, where the doctors could heal Mom with their marvelous medicine.

I sucked in a loud, excited breath. Anything could be possible if I got my hands on that wishbone. Staring up into Pokeweed’s shining eyes, I asked, “What do you want in exchange?”

“Use one of your wishes to break the curse,” he said.

“Which cur—” Of course. Pokeweed meant the curse that had robbed him of the knowledge of his father and had covered him in a blanket of moth-pattered fur. With a sharp nod, I said, “I’ll put a wish aside for you, but I still think it’s going to be impossible to win over the other two princes.”

He stretched his legs out and smiled.“Once they get to know you, I think they will fall just as hard as Princes Caulden and Rory.”

My insides made that happy, I-can’t-believe-what-you’re-saying-is-true flip, and I squirmed on the patch of cool grass. “I-I’ll do my best, but if they continue acting like dicks—”

“You’ll charm them.” Pokeweed picked up a few blades of grass and pulled them between his fingertips, so they became transparent.

“What are you doing?” I stared at the beginnings of a huge web.

“Making a dress that will bring out your natural beauty and melt even the hardest heart.”

“There she is,” said a voice in the distance.

I twisted around the trunk to the direction of the sound. A tall male in white strode toward us with a crimson-haired male wearing the academy uniform.

Pokeweed scrambled to his feet and held out his hand. “Now’s your chance to dazzle Prince Bradwell.”

I let him yank me up. “What?”

“Look for your dress under your pillow.” He scampered around the massive oak and disappeared.

Straightening, I walked out from the canopy of the tree toward the newcomers with an excited thrum in my heart. How difficult could it be to seduce a faerie who wouldn’t get a chance of a romp with any of the gorgeous girls in the academy?

As they drew close, I recognized the male’s white uniform and the gold dazzling on his lapels. It was Helen’s father, the Duke of Medietas.

“Unity Quayle,” he said.

“Yes, sir?”

“I wish to ask you some questions about the theft of my daughter’s magic and her subsequent banishment.”

My feet stopped moving, and I paused by a pair of apple trees curled around each other. Everything Pokeweed told me about winning over the princes vanished, and I shot Prince Bradwell a scowl. Helen’s current predicament was partially his fault.

“Have you asked your companion?” I said.

The spring prince’s nostrils flared. “If you’re referring to the configuration of the pyre stones, my brother nor I could have predicted that the Fated would victimize Helenius.”

“Because you wanted to banish me,” I snarled.

“Rightly so.” Prince Bradwell inclined his head.