Page 40 of King

“Time passes differently in your realm,” Vaegon says, flicking his eyes over from his mates to address me for the first time.

It’s not the reunion I’d imagined. That hope melted away the second I saw the grown fae for who he was. Hearing him call Faeriemyrealm stings, but I get it. He doesn’t even remember being here.

“Rue filled us in on what’s been happening,” Jade says. “We’re here to help.”

“We’ll need specifics, though,” Lucas rumbles, lifting Jade into his massive arms. “I won’t bring my family in blind.”

Family?I glance down at Rue, who gives me a weak smile.

“They’re a mate-group,” she explains. “Vaegon has a very big family.”

I look around, wishing I knew more about shifters and their customs. It seems like all of them, even the mixed fae and her mate, are part of one large family unit. As tough as all of this is on Rue, I can see she’s comforted by this part.

I lean down and kiss her gently on the head and whisper, “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not sharing you.”

She snickers and swats at my chest, making me grin despite the tense atmosphere. I tug her closer to me and turn my attention back to Lucas.

“I’ll give you all the information you need, but we must get to safety first. Especially you,” I say to the mixed fae Omega, Paren.

I wonder why they would bring her in such a vulnerable state.But if time really does pass differently in their realm, they’d likely want to avoid what happened to Rue and me.

“Why should we trust you?” Vaegon asks as if the very thought is amusing to him.

“Vaegon,” Paren says gently. “I heard many stories of him helping our kind before I left. And full fae can’t lie. Just ask him. It’s like an Alpha bark over everything they say. They’re incapable of deceit.”

I know the routine, so I jump in. “I hate the queen and her nobles. My mission is to eliminate them, along with anyone who shares their twisted mindset. I’m prepared to die if that’s what it takes to make Faerie safe for everyone.”

Vaegon scoffs and crosses his arms. “You’re younger than any of us. Why should we follow someone less experienced into battle?”

I step around Rue and stand squarely in front of my son. “Less experienced in what, exactly,” I challenge. “This realm and every living thing in it? Like the poisonous plants and the ones starved for flesh? Or do you mean the deadly creatures that strike from the shadows and how to defend oneself against them? Are you more experienced with the nobles and their magic? Or the castle’s layout and all its hidden secrets? Perhaps you’re referring to the indestructible queen herself?”

I scoff back and step away. “Do you really believe you’re superior to the fae who gave you the very power you’re so confident in?”

I raise my arms and let my magic surge forward. A wall of blue fire, charged with the queen’s energy, erupts from my hands, towering over the tallest trees and stretching wide across the clearing. Vaegon tenses, his eyes darting to the family he’s now separated from.

A flicker of worry crosses his face. My point has been made. I draw my magic back in before using too much of it, leaving onlya scorched line in the grass between us.

“Follow me, or don’t,” I say flatly. “But don’t slow me down or get in my fucking way. If you can’t handle that, go back to your own realm and leave me to fix mine.”

Rue tugs at my tunic, but I keep my focus on my son. He lifts his chin and considers me for a moment before a smirk spreads across his lips.

“Fine,” he says. “Lead the way.”

The dryads immediately rustle their leaves, urging us into the woods. I turn to them and pull Rue along with me. We lead the group into the cover of the forest, leaving the clearing behind. Allina wisely stays silent and trails behind the group. Once we’re safely enveloped by the trees, the landscape shifts into the familiar elven territory I’ve come to know over the past few months.

Vaegon, the elf, appears and strides ahead of us. “Come,” he orders as he ventures deeper into the forest.

Gasps ring out behind me. I glance back and catch Paren whispering to Jade.“It’s another elf!”

They grin at him while the Alphas glare at the back of his head, sizing him up. I look down at Rue, recalling her own excitement when she first met him. How drastically that has changed.

I have hope she’ll forgive the elves for what they’ve done, although I’m not convinced it will happen any time soon.

Chapter 13

Rue

We move quietly through the elven forest until we reach their large gathering area. The seer sits gracefully on the grass, waiting for us. Her gaze is fixed proudly on Vaegon as if she brought him back to Faerie herself.

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