Page 56 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

The vendor shook his head. “Nope. They were both cloaked. But one was shorter than the other, so I’m thinking of a female. She also smelled like you. Shadow fae.”

Ember’s lips peeled back at that.

Rosalana…

My muscles locked as rage boiled my blood. Inhaling sharply through my nose, I asked, “Did you notice anything else?”

The male rubbed at his chin, his gaze flitting upward. “Well…the female child they were carrying smelled kinda weird. Like a shadow fae but not one.” He chuckled. “Almost smelled like a werewolf, but that would be crazy as hell.”

Ember and I exchanged a knowing glance. I returned my gaze back to the male. “Can you show us where you found her? It’s extremely important,” I said, pushing authority into my voice.

His brow wrinkled with indecision, his gaze flicking between Ember and me.

“Please,” Ember begged. Her lower lip trembled. “She’s my daughter. I need to find her.”

“She’s been taken from you, has she?” The male murmured. He scratched at his cheek before sighing. “Ah, what the hell. I can never say no to a pretty face. And if it’s a child that needs help, well, I’m a goner.” He rose from his chair and reached under the table. Rising to his feet, he held a sign in his hand. He placed the sign on his table that read, ‘on break’ and circled the booth. “I’ll show you.”

Ember gave a watery smile. “Thank you,” she breathed.

The male nodded at her. He turned to me, and I dipped my chin in thanks. The older male led us past the booths and fae milling about and outside the marketplace. We walked for a few miles down a dirt road in the countryside. Crops of various fruits and vegetables lined either side of the dirt path. The golden grass shone under the light of the afternoon sun. In the distance loomed the summer palace, its golden spires reaching toward the sky, the red tiles gilded crimson.

As we walked, I eyed Ember now and again, making sure she was faring all right with the distance. She never complained, even when the sweat beaded her brow, and her long hair clung to the nape of her damp neck. She just lifted her skirts and carried on. Determination glinted in her blue eyes with every step she took.

At that moment, I realized what a great mother she was to our child. My lips parted as awe crest inside me.

“Here it is,” said the man, stopping at a fork in the road, another dirt path adjacent to the one we stood on. He raised an arm and pointed toward a crop of Barmosvas. “That’s where I saw her with the other fae.”

I stepped past the male and onto the dirt path. I walked a little way before my gaze snagged on a set of footprints. They were large. Male. Another smaller set padded alongside the footprints. Female. My eyes narrowed as I saw a third set of footprints, tiny in form—before all three footprints mingled together, then drag marks appeared in the dirt before only two footprints remained.

There was a scuffle,I thought darkly.She was being led, then fought—hence the drag marks—before they picked her up and carried her the rest of the way.

Ember stepped up beside me. I saw her eyes flash amber as she took in the dirt trail. I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed gently.

“Your wolf is bleeding through your eyes,” I whispered to her.

Ember slammed her eyelids shut, fighting for control over her emotions, but when she opened them again, only blue stared back at me.

“Where does this dirt path lead?” Ember asked the summer fae male.

“Straight toward the palace,” the fae male replied. “Though it doesn’t remain a dirt path the closer it gets to the gates.”

I faced the male. “Thank you for bringing us here.”

The male nodded. “I hope you find her.” He bowed his head, turned, and headed back from whence he came.

Ember whirled on Drake as soon as the summer fae was out of hearing range. “You think whoever took her resides at the palace?”

I peered up at the palace. “I’d say it's a high probability. And whoever has her would want her alive if they cared that much to bring her to the royal palace.” I looked to Ember. “I’m going to try a homing spell. See if that will help us locate Melodina.”

Ember blinked. “How can you do that?”

“She shares some of my blood, my DNA. The homing spell will work if I’m trying to find a part of myself,” I said. “It wouldn’t work any other way unless I put a tracker on someone first.”

Closing my eyes, I pulled for the power deep inside of me and felt the dark seed unfurl. Raising my hands, I let the power bleed out of my fingers. Dark shadows appeared. I chanted in the tongue of the ancient ones and bid the shadows to find one that shared my blood. The shadows went forth, whipping across the land faster than lightning could arc across the sky. I felt the shadows slip beyond the palace courtyards and through the doors. Through hallways and chambers, up stairs, until I felt a tug at the seed of power within my core. As if a bond was being pulled from the end of the string on the other side. Then the shadows dissipated.

I opened my eyes. “I’ve located her,” I told Ember. “She’s at the palace in one of the towers.”

Ember smiled in relief. “Thank stars,” she breathed. She swept her hands through her hair and bit her lower lip, blinking back the tears.

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