Page 33 of The Blood Queen

I grin. That sounds like Kitty.

“The castle is aware of the invasion from England, and the Leth have communicated the threat of Red Caps to the queen,” Kirk continues. “Things are apparently in an uproar.”

My shoulders relax. I don’t know what Mary could actually do to help now that the wall has fallen, but at least she’s not in the dark.

“If that is all?” Kirk asks.

“Yes,” Father starts, but Kirk is looking at me.

“Yes, thank you,” I say, hiding my smile as Father stews in his own ire.

The brownie bows to me, nods to Father, and disappears.

I start to speak to Father, but he shakes his head. “Not here.” The hallway is too open, and something like the High Blade’s arrival will need to be strategically revealed to the people.

Father starts down the hall, and Samson gestures for me to go, but I shake my head silently. I’m Leth. Even though I’m his daughter, I’m to walk a pace behind him. I take Samson’s hand, giving it a squeeze, and I feel the way his muscles tense when he realizes why I’m keeping a measured distance behind the prince. I flare my eyes at him, a warning, and his jaw tightens as he bites back whatever he wants to say.

I keep my head down, but Father slows when we reach the ground floor and pass a huge doorway. Both of the heavy oaken doors that lead into this room are intricately carved, magic making the images etched in wood come to life. Riders in the Wild Hunt race across the left door, while revelers around a maypole dance along the right.

Father pauses, head bowed, but doesn’t move to open the doors.

My breath catches. This must be the throne room. It is rude to pass these doors without pausing and saying a blessing for the Faerie Queen.

The missing Faerie Queen.

I squeeze Samson’s hand, and he takes the hint and bows his head, even though he can’t understand what’s happening here.

The princes have ruled the Seelie Court ever since the Faerie Queen disappeared. It was the last act of the High Blade before she was cornered—whatever the High Blade did to the Faerie Queen is the reason why a bunch of incompetent princes with nothing better to do than hunt are in charge of the fae realm.

It’s also the reason why the High Blade was caught.

The Red Caps invent weapons that look like everyday items. A cauldron, a needle, anything could drain the life from you if it’s tainted by Red Caps.

And no one was better at it than the High Blade.

Once, the High Blade was the Faerie Queen’s greatest friend, adviser, and general. But when the Faerie Queen wanted to expel the Romans from the mortal lands rather than let the Scottish tribes be conquered, the High Blade rebelled against her. She crafted a weapon so dire that the most powerful fae both worlds have ever known simply…vanished.

Without being able to identify the weapon, the princes decided to seal the throne room. It is supposedly exactly as it was when the Faerie Queen disappeared.

My eye catches on movement—a bright-red spider weaves a web at the top of the door, gossamer threads safe from being disturbed. Nearby, an emerald-green spider drops from a single thread of spider silk, pausing in front of the maypole as if observing the celebration carved into the wood. A third spider, cobalt blue, walks over one of the golden doorknobs. Samson, too distracted by everything else, doesn’t seem to notice the wee beasties, thankfully.

Without a word, Father starts walking away, knowing I will follow. I tug on Samson’s arm, and we trail after him.

He takes us to a small room nearby, and it’s clearly a little-used strategy area, a place for councils and serious business that the princes like to pretend isn’t needed.

Father waits until Samson closes the door before he turns to look at me, imperious judgment radiating off him.

“Father, this is Samson Calthorpe,” I say. “Samson, this is my father. He is often called Drest.” I pointedly don’t say that is his name; it’s not. The fae keep their true names private. My father is so private, I don’t even know what his true name is. He’s the only one who knows mine, and only because he’s the one who gave it to me.

Father clearly has no desire whatsoever to deal with idle things like introductions. He ignores Samson completely, turning to me as if I hadn’t spoken. “What of the High Blade?”

I get right to it. “Breached the wall. The Red Caps have an amulet—” I explain everything as quickly as possible, but I notice the way Father flinches when I tell him the wall didn’t hold the Red Caps back.

When I detail how I’ve failed.

I keep my account brief, but I know he’s noted my shortcomings.

But with Samson behind me and the way he’s spoken to me, I feel a different sort of courage in front of the man who sired me, a rebellion that’s never had a chance to bloom. “And I want to know exactly why we came across an open unguarded portal,” I say, drawing my shoulders back and tilting my chin.