Page 35 of Chased By the Fairy

The wintry storm had settled for now, only sprinkling snowflakes, but the air was still icy as it bit against his skin. His nose and fingertips were red, and felt as though they’d become frost bitten due to the speed of his mount.

It wouldn’t have been too bad if he’d been walking, but flying always sent a rush of air over him. His sparrow was even faster than his own wings.

However, that was not why he was using his house sparrow, who occasionally tweeted as it flew. If he tried to fly for a long period of time, it would freeze his wings. Cypress couldn’t risk tearing a wing – not now, not when he might need them in the future to find Sorrel.

They were safely tucked under his fur coat. It covered him all the way to the back of his thighs, and it had a hood with which he could cover his head and face. There were also two slits at the back that his wings could slip through in order to fly.

Cypress glanced over his shoulder to check on the two guards following him on their own bird mounts before turning his gaze back to Zahrya in front of him, who led them through the trees.

Everyone blended in with their birds, their brown fur coatsmatching their feathers. If a human saw them, they wouldn’t be able to notice the sparrows were being ridden.

Haven Hollow was quite some distance from his home tree.

With each quick flap of his mount’s wings, Cypress’ heart raced faster with the hope he was getting closer to Sorrel. At least he’d be able to save him, protect him, and make sure this never happened again.

I’ll have guards on him in the future.Even if Cypress couldn’t be with him because he had duties to perform, or Sorrel wanted to remain with Greta, he’d make sure Sorrel was always safe.

When they arrived at the hollow they needed, with two hollowed-out trees lying on the ground, they landed on the branches of a living tree that overlooked it. They tried to remain hidden as they all peeked down.

Although most lived in other homes fashioned out of anything, many beetle sprites liked to congregate together in masses. Figtree beetles, with their metallic outer shells, liked this haven in particular.

Cypress found the ledge platform belonging to Jeffers; it was in a live tree that overlooked the town... and it was empty.

“Okay,” Zahrya said with her hand on her wide hips. “So, we scout and–”

“No,” Cypress cut in, disrupting her plans. “We head straight for Jeffers’ menagerie.”

“We can’t.” She frowned her disapproval from under her fur hood. “We can’t get caught interfering with the sprites, no matter the reason.”

He knelt at the edge of the branch, assessing the best way to do this. There was no back entry point, from what he knew, and Jeffers had quite a few guards.

“I don’t think you understand,” Cypress stated coldly, “but I don’t give a shit about the treaty. We will be rescuing Sorrel today, and I don’t care if we are caught doing it.”

Zahrya grabbed his shoulder, and he glared at it before raising his thunderous gaze to her face. She let go, putting her hands in an apologetic surrender for touching a royal.

Then she softened her expression, her tone, and even her body language as she knelt beside him. “You really do care about him deeply, don’t you?”

His lips tightened. “I thought that would have been obvious by now.”

Shaking her head, she let out a deep sigh. “You’ve always been rather dismissive of your role as heir, but you’ve never done anything that could instigate a war. You’ve always followed the rules, even if you hated it. But this?” She waved her hand towards Jeffers’ platform. “You’re not only breaking the law, but you’re willing to start a war. Consider what that means, your highness.”

His wings fluttered with pent-up tension.

“I have,” he quietly uttered, before his features hardened with cold determination. “And I don’t care. His safety and wellbeing are paramount – that also means mentally.” He cast her a glance from the corner of his eye. “There’s a reason I’ve come to care for him, even though we barely know each other.”

The radiant spark that was Sorrel came from his playful, carefree, and spirited nature. Cypress didn’t want him to... lose that. Even if everything changed him, Cypress would still want him. He’d nurture that side of him back to health, but he’d just rather it not be necessary.

Her lips twisted as her own wings fluttered green dust in apprehension. Cypress also noticed the subtle way she gripped the hilt of her needle sword. With the way her eyes trailed off to the side, it was obvious she was trying to think of a rebuff but couldn’t.

“There are things I am willing to do to ensure his safe return to me,” Cypress warned. “If you can’t bear the weight of them, leave now, but nothing will stop me.”

For a long while, she stared at him while the other guards nervously shifted behind them.

“Let us go in your stead,” she finally pleaded. “We’ll go in and get him. With our cloaks, we don’t look like royal guards. We may be able to get away with it without inciting a political war.”

He shook his head, making his short hair sway across his forehead. “No. You don’t know what he looks like, and he may not come with you. He’s rather... quick to attack.”

He still remembered the way the feisty man head-butted him. A quick strike that landed himself in Cypress’ heart, but it also meant he was defensive.

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