Page 36 of Destined for the Fae King

The discussions start off easy. How to resolve a dispute between two parties where one is clearly in the wrong. Suggestions on what to do with an excess harvest.

But it doesn’t stay that way.

“Now,” Vasilius begins, “we need to talk about the Unseelie.”

The word chimes through the room like a discordant note, echoing back on itself. If there were any windows in the room, I wouldn’t be surprised if a cloud didn’t decide to block out the sun simply for effect.

“Avara,” he continues, “please share this morning’s update with everyone else.”

The Captain of the Guard rises to her feet. She fills the silence with her presence, her sheet of pale hair barely moving as she slowly takes us in. “Late last night, we intercepted a band of Unseelie that crossed over the border after a breach was sliced through our wards.”

A few quick intakes of breath precede the damning silence that follows. Adeline openly gapes. But it’s only us women who appear surprised. The others must have already been informed.

Grace recovers first. “I thought the wards protect us from Unseelie?”

“They do,” Avara replies. “Weaker Unseelie are kept out. The strong ones can sometimes move past them, but we always feel it, those of us who have attuned to them, our king especially.” She nods toward Vasilius. “It has been a rare occurrence with the Unseelie, at least in our territory.”

“You said, sliced,” I clarify. My gaze drifts to Lysandir, who gives the briefest of nods. “Like by the Unseelie King’s sword?”

“Mmm, someone is well-versed,” Elaine muses.

The praise bolsters me, and I count it as a win.Thank you, Lysandir.He really wasn’t kidding about helping me out after all.

“That’s right,” the captain says. “We weren’t sure his sword possessed such power yet, since our last reports from the Court of the Air stated the Unseelie King had been able to fully recharge it. The cut through our wards was slow and sloppy, but effective none the less.”

“What did they do once the ward was breached?” Alex asks, leaning onto the table.

“Good question.” Avara nods toward her. “Their aim once inside our wards was unclear. The band of Unseelie that slipped through did not go far, perhaps because we were on them quickly.”

Katherine wrinkles her nose. “What did they hope to accomplish?”

It’s a fair question, though her tone is more derisive than inquisitive.

Avara looks to the king. Vasilius glances around the circle.

“What do you all think they hoped to accomplish?” he asks.

“Was there a city or a settlement nearby?” Zoe asks.

“None,” Vasilius replies. “This happened along a stretch that is mostly uninhabited.”

Zoe leans forward, hands clasped in front of her on the table. “Would they have known that though?”

“We’re unsure the extent of their current knowledge of our terrain. They would have known the locations of our cities at one time, but whether their records remain intact is uncertain.”

Adeline clears her throat. “Is there anything valuable there? Natural resources?”

“Nothing significant,” Vasilius supplies.

“What about—”

“They’re testing response time,” Cora says withconfidence.

It’s a smart answer. A good one, as much as I hate to admit it. She glances between Vasilius and the captain, waiting for one of them to confirm her assumption.

When no one immediately replies, she continues, “They had to know you would feel the breach. The Unseelie did not go far. Probably so they could flee back through it once you all arrived, which also supports that they were not looking for anything in particular. There wasn’t a city or resource nearby to draw them. It has to be a test.”

Vasilius smiles. “Very good.”

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