Page 34 of Fae Mates

“Let go of me,” I said.

“Not until you release me.”

“Then you’ll have us all killed.”

“You are my darling’s mortal enemy and a traitor to the Isle of Fae. At best, I can offer you a swift execution.”

I ground my teeth, wishing I had checked the plan with Pokeweed. If seeing a naked and erect Prince August hadn’t been so much of a shock, he would have stayed behind to help break his curse. Now I’d made a mess of things and turned myself into a hostage.

“Please,” I whispered.

“Please, what?” he murmured.

“Let me go.” I tried wriggling in his grip, but he tightened his hold around my waist. “I’m only trying to help you.”

Prince August’s harsh laugh echoed in my ears, making me wince.

The rapid patter of tiny feet on wood turned my attention to the stairs. McVittie dashed toward us, his yellow eyes wild.

“Where’s your accomplice, cat?” he snarled.

“We have to get out of here,” said McVittie. “Soldiers have surrounded the treehouse. They attacked Pokeweed, and now they’re setting this trunk on fire!”

Chapter 9

Prince August’s grip around my waist and neck slackened. I broke free from his hold and skittered toward the top of the stairs, where McVittie had disappeared.

“If this place is on fire, you must release me at once!” yelled the prince.

His words barely reached my ears. Pokeweed was in trouble, and it was all my fault. The little openings in the white walls blurred as I sped down the spiral staircase, and my heart leaped into my throat. Those guards were probably looking for an excuse to attack Pokeweed, and I’d just given them one by abducting Prince August.

“Hurry,” said McVittie from further down the stairs. “We need to distract enough of the guards to even up the fight.”

“How many are there?” I asked with a gasp.

“I didn’t stop to count.”

I continued down the stairs, not trusting my wings in this jittery state. How on earth could a talking cat and a girl with no magical skills help Pokeweed, who seemed to be more powerful than any of the king’s guard? I hoped McVittie had some ideas because my mind was blank.

As we reached the last flight, light flashed from the windows into the downstairs room. My steps faltered, and I held onto the handrail to stop myself from tumbling over my feet.

“What is this,” I whispered. “A full-scale battle?”

“An ambush,” said McVittie, his voice strained. He dashed across the moss carpet and jumped on a windowsill. “Although it’s about to become an annihilation.”

My stomach twisted into painful knots, but I picked up my pace, rushed to McVittie’s side, and peered through the snow-blackened window.

Outside, Pokeweed stood strong with a tense set of his shoulders, surrounded by what appeared to be three dozen guards in white uniforms. His brown, moth wings flicked the way cats usually did with their tails when they became agitated.

“I thought he warded the top level.” A flash of bright, silver light filled my vision, making me wince. “Why doesn’t he just let the guards in to search?”

“He probably doesn’t want to take any chances,” replied McVittie. “If anyone senses a magical barrier, they might call someone powerful like the Duke of Medietas to unravel the enchantment.”

Streaks appeared before my eyes, and I blinked them away to focus on the fight. One of the guards threw a spear made of ice, which got stuck in mid-air as though caught by an invisible hand. Seconds later, another guard threw a fireball that melted the spear, then a third threw a bolt of lightning that ran along the edges of Pokeweed’s wings.

As he stumbled backward, another four guards hurled blasts of blue energy, but three of them got stuck in the barrier, and one grazed the side of Pokeweed’s head and landed on the window with a thud.

All the blood drained from of my face and joined my clattering heart. “Shit.”