Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Dev’s head shakes. “No. That’s what I’m saying. That wasn’t a Fae creature. That was an old-school Earth plane monster that died out…thousands of years ago. Not to say a few couldn’t have hung around, but how did it find its way here?”
“You’re not even going to admit I did a good job?” Cassie asks in a bratty teenage tone, but I don’t think she can help that. I’m pretty sure we all sound that way at her age.
“I think you were stellar, babe,” I shout across the distance and give her a thumbs-up.
Cassie nods and seems to get a bit teary. “Well, thank you, Aunt Z.”
Neil’s got his pants on, pulling a T over his head. “I do not need your parental input. You got to skip the teenage years. You have no idea what it’s like to deal with an overly hormonal werewolf.”
I know he doesn’t mean it that way, but the words make me ache. I didn’t get the chance.
Cassie gasps. “Are you telling everyone I’m on my period?”
She starts arguing with her dad, but I notice the hounds have turned their attention to the south.
“Let’s get you someplace safe where you can rest,” Rhys is saying to Shy.
“Why would I need to rest?” Shy asks, some fire in her tone. “It’s not like I did anything but get stuck in an organic prison cell with your mom and a Fae ghost who really hates your dad.” She looks down, frowning at a rock. “No, he’s not the king’s twin. And his dad is not the king.”
“My father certainly is the king,” Rhys insists. “Shy, you know we have to hold the line against Myrddin. My father never gave up his crown. Myrddin is the pretender.”
“I think she’s talking to a ghost,” I point out.
“Of course she is, but we still need to hold the line,” Rhys insists.
Shy is caught in a deep conversation with the… Well, I want to say rock, but I know there’s some woodland Fae named Clem there. “Declan Quinn is very much alive, and I don’t know why that would matter since Miria is the queen of the…” She stops and looks to the water and sighs. “Cassie, there’s this dead water nymph and she wants to thank you for murdering the chimera. She says now she has someone to play with.”
Cassie nods. “See. Even the dead water nymphs are on my side, Dad. You are being extremely patriarchal right now.”
I swear Neil’s head is going to explode.
Shy leads an odd existence. She’s back to arguing about Dev’s relatives, and that’s when I notice the hounds have moved. They were sniffing around, likely looking for more threats, but they seem to have found one.
“Hey, guys. Does anyone smell something?” I point to the hounds who are growling now and have taken up a circular front around our party.
Danny and Sasha move in behind them.
Neil stops arguing with his daughter and moves in beside me. He points to a place beyond the trees. “There’s a party coming. I think all Fae from the smell.”
Brendan and Cassie are beside him, Brendan now in sweats and a Yankees T-shirt. We’re going to have to have a talk about that. We’re obviously a Rangers family.
Damn. They didn’t grow up in Dallas. Of course they aren’t fans.
I shove the grief aside as Dev joins us.
“Can you tell what kind of Fae are coming our way?” Dev asks.
“Oh, I can smell the arrogance from miles away. It’s all sidhe,” Neil replies.
Daniel releases a long breath. “It’s the queen’s guard. I can see the flag.”
Dev nods and smiles. “Yes, that’s Mother’s standard.” He frowns. “But the color’s wrong.”
“Zoey, I think something is very, very wrong here.” Shy puts a hand on my arm, her eyes beseeching me. “I don’t think this is the right Fae world, and if what Clem is telling me is true, we could be in real trouble.”
The party of Fae crests the hill, and I can see them clearly now. Unfortunately for me I’m not six five like my faery prince. There are six guards, but I don’t recognize them. Has Miria turned her guard over or hired a new squad?
“There he is. The king is here,” the sidhe at the head of the group says. “They were right.”
The horses pick up speed.
“King?” Dev is wearing his “what the fuck’s going on” expression. “They’re looking for Daniel? Why would they want Daniel?”
“No,” Shy says, her tone going breathless. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I think we took the wrong door. I think we landed in a Faery where you’re…”
Before she can get the last words out, the horses have reached us, though they stay back because the hounds are growling.
Still, they all dismount and fall to one knee.
“Your Majesty,” the leader says, his head down. “Welcome back to your kingdom, King Devinshea. Long live the king.”