Page 27 of Fae Mates

“We didn’t have anywhere else to hide him,” said McVittie. “As soon as they know he’s missing, the academy will be crawling with guards.”

“Who will want to search my home,” he said in a hard voice.

My chest tightened at the memory of the guards trying to bully Pokeweed because of his appearance. In his position, I wouldn’t want them traipsing around my haven, either.

McVittie crossed the room and bounded up the staircase that spiraled around the tree’s interior. “But you can section somewhere off to hide the prince, can’t you?”

Pokeweed rubbed his temples. “I will take him to the highest level and erect a barrier.”

“It’s alright.” I stepped forward, cringing under his gaze and feeling like an asshole for assuming he already knew this part of McVittie’s plan. “I can drag him up the stairs with this enchanted harness.”

Without a word, Pokeweed turned on his heel and headed toward the doorway. I squeezed my eyes shut, guilt gnawing at my heart.

This was such a bloody mess. Pokeweed and I had become physically close during our flying lessons, close enough to warrant McVittie’s chaperoning, but we couldn’t be together.

I desperately needed to break Lady Gala’s hold over the princes and to break Pokeweed’s curse, but it looked like I might end up breaking Pokeweed’s heart.

As he stepped out of the door, a shard of pain cut through my heart. It hadn’t meant to be like this. The plan had been so straightforward. Secure all four princes as my mate and obtain the wishbone, but each day in Pokeweed’s tree deepened my admiration for the faerie, I wasn’t sure what I felt anymore.

“Come along,” said McVittie. “It’s a long climb, and I’ll expect His Highness will want breakfast.”

As I nodded, my gaze dropped down to Prince August’s erection, which looked strangulated. If I didn’t do something to ease the swelling, it would probably rupture.

At the top of the stairs, I bent over double, bracing my arms on my thighs. Sweat dripped off my brow onto the wood.

“What are you doing?” asked the cat.

“Those three months of unconsciousness has made me unfit.”

“You need a magical top-up.” McVittie flicked his head to Prince August.

I bit down on my lip. It was bad enough to truss a guy up, kidnap him, and drag him to another guy’s lair, but to ask him for a bit of magic by way of a blow job? I shook my head.

McVittie hissed. “Remember the plan!”

“Alright,” I whispered. “But in my own time, alright?”

The cat shook his head, his tail twitching with annoyance.

“Right then.” I turned to Prince August, whose muscular chest rose and fell with his rapid, panting breaths. At some point, after I’d secured him to the bed, I would remove the sack from his head so he could breathe easy. Wrapping an arm around his wrist, I said, “Let’s get you out of that throne.”

“Hmmm!” He reared up and slammed his shoulder against my chest, shoving me hard enough onto the handrail that it splintered under my weight with a massive crack.

“Unity!” McVittie cried.

The wood gave way. I overbalanced and fell off the ledge. Terror spiked through my chest, pumping adrenaline to my arms and legs and wings, which flailed about until I grabbed one of the broken spindles that had supported the rail.

McVittie rushed to the edge of the mezzanine. “Hold tight. I’ll get Pokeweed.”

“He’s not going to get here in tim—” With a loud snap, the spindle broke, and I plummeted through the air.

The cat screamed, and cold terror raced through my veins, turning my blood to sludge. As I plummeted, air rushed into my ears, and I clenched my teeth, forcing all my attention into my wings.

If these good-for-nothing appendages didn’t flap hard enough to support my weight, they would die alongside me.

My surroundings turned to a kaleidoscope of colors—brown and green and white-hot panic, and the fall seemed to last forever. My wings made one pathetic flap, which slowed my descent. Then a stronger flap had me drifting down at a less neck-breaking rate.

“Come on,” I snarled. “Fly!”