Page 87 of Fae Mates

“Release her,” said Pokeweed. “I will hear her speak.”

Queen Titania fell to the marble floor onto her hands and knees. “S-sire,” she said through desperate, gasping breaths. “Please allow me to remain in the palace.”

“Stand,” he said. “We will escort you to your new rooms.”

“Thank you, my beloved step-son.” The former queen staggered to her feet, brushing crumbling pieces of centaur semen from her burned dress.

My nose wrinkled at the transparent ass-kissing as well as her revolting appearance. Did she turn into a horse because Emporium was addictive? Thinking about it now, it had been stupid of me to have wanted to keep that perverted dress after seeing its effects. I hadn’t even questioned its source of magic.

As we piled out of the throne room, I asked Pokeweed, “Have you been to the palace before?”

He shook his head. “When I absorbed King Oberon’s destiny, it also included a link to the palace’s magic. Did you know that it holds the magic of all monarchs since Danu?”

“It reminds me of something,” I said, thinking about Mistress Catha and her creepy wax candle.

Prince August grabbed my hand. “My younger brothers and I grew up here and can show you around.”

“That sounds like fun.” I glanced over my shoulder and smirked at Princes Rory, Caulden, and Bradwell, who followed close by.

“Queen Unity,” said Queen Titania. “I can share my wardrobe of gowns. They will all suit your beautiful figure.”

“Thanks,” I said in the tone of voice that told her to piss off.

Since a bunch of courtiers followed behind us, I didn’t want to embarrass Pokeweed by asking what the hell he thought he was doing. Queen Titania hated us both and had planned our painful deaths. She deserved to wrangle with the kelpies, not languish rooms in a palace.

We continued along hallways with spectacular views of moon-drenched mountains and works of art more exquisite than those in the academy.

Prince August paused at a huge painting that depicted each of the monarchs who had ever ruled the Isle of Fae. At the far left stood the female who powered the academy wards, except her hair and wings shone like the afternoon sun. At her side stood the one-eyed ogre with the bat wings from the academy’s stone garden.

“Danu and Balor,” I said.

“That’s right.” Prince Caulden wrapped an arm around my waist. “The legend says that they created all the magical beings on the island.”

“Balor mated with horses, goats, and anything that moved,” said Prince Rory.

“He made centaurs?” I asked.

“That’s what the legends say.”

It made an odd kind of sense.

Pokeweed walked down the long painting and stood at its other end. I guess he was looking at King Oberon. We passed all the previous monarchs and stopped at the end, next to Pokeweed. The portrait had depicted him and King Oberon together, holding hands in friendship.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to know him,” I murmured.

“He accepted me in the end,” said Pokeweed, his voice tight.

The four princes glowered at their mother, whose equine features twisted with shame.

She skittered to Pokeweed’s side. “I regret my actions.”

“Come along, Queen Titania.” Pokeweed offered her a hand.

The queen placed a small, hairy hand in Pokeweed’s larger one. “You are most gracious.”

They took the lead, and I stepped back to walk between Prince August and Prince Rory. Neither of them spoke, but their tight expressions told me they also thought Pokeweed’s compassion was a terrible idea.

As soon as the horse-queen got the chance, she would stick another iron dagger between Pokeweed’s wings. Then she would come after me.