Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
I was in fucking dreamland.
“The basket is empty,” Vemar said, searching for the origin of the glow.
“Hello.” Arleth and Delaney walked into the work shed, their eyes puffy and their hair and clothes not quite as pristine as usual.
“What are you guys doing up so early?” I asked, pausing in my pursuit of the glow with a hand on the desk.
“We knew that if you discovered Finley’s new elixir,” Delaney said, “you’d try it without preamble, but we don’t know if it is viable.”
Arleth looked at the ceiling as the next pink throb started, a smile spreading across her face. “Look,” she breathed, pointing at the ceiling for Delaney.
“That’s worth the experiment right there,” Delaney said, watching the light climb in strength, hitting its zenith.
“Don’t keep me waiting—is that an elixir that glows?” I half shouted, pushing forward to see.
Arleth laughed, crowding around the cauldron with me. “Finley has been thinking about the properties of that Moonfire Lily. It seems like an amazing way to strengthen Everlass without it turning dangerous. Using it is like making a maximum-strength elixir or something. Just as you can make various strengths to your creations, we can use the Moonfire Lily to make certain brews stronger.”
“I need to design a new logo,” I said wistfully, turning back to what I’d laid on the desk.
Finley walked in with brisk movements, glancing around the room upon entry. Hannon was at her back, smiling at me in hello.
“Hey, Hannon! Where’ve you been?” I asked, stepping out of the way so Finley could look at her elixir. I hadn’t seen him in several weeks; he hadn’t been wandering around the castle or stopped into the work shed.
“I was sent away for a bit to give you and Weston space.” He grinned and glanced at his sister, who rolled her eyes.
“That wasn’t why,” she replied.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I can tell that you’re lying.”
Finley scowled at him. “Fine. It wasn’t the only reason why. We needed you to speak with that court.”
He winked at me. “I hear the fairies are after you.”
Arleth scoffed. “After her is an understatement. They’re at the stage of threatening to ‘take what is theirs.’”
I turned toward her with widened eyes. This was the first I was hearing about this. The king hadn’t been keeping Weston or me in on the negotiations, saying it was so that we could focus more on the pack and the product, that this was a matter of the kingdom and no longer an individual concern. I was more than happy to ignore it, but I didn’t want to cause a problem for Nyfain or create a bigger problem for myself.
“What’s that, now?” Vemar asked, pausing in getting his things ready for the day.
Delaney chuckled darkly. “Don’t worry about it, Vemar. If that king wants to try his hand at attacking this kingdom, he’ll be quickly reminded of which one of us is battle-worthy. He’ll lose his ass.”
“Don’t feel bad about this, Aurelia,” Hannon told me, feeling my turbulent emotions.
“I’m not trying to cause a war,” I said. “I’m sure there’s something I can—”
“No.” Arleth held up a hand. “Absolutely not, no. You will not lower yourself to make nice with a court that is essentially threatening to abduct and imprison you. Well, except maybe with this court, but that was a totally different situation.”
Finley started laughing. “Stealers, keepers, huh, Arleth?”
Arleth pressed her lips together primly, and Delaney started laughing with Finley.
Finley turned toward me, unconcerned. “Don’t worry about it, Aurelia. This is good practice for Nyfain against a more experienced ruler. They’ve made trades in the past, but this is the first time both parties really want something. It’s bound to get heated.” She shrugged. “Besides, that fairy king can be a real dickhead. It’s time someone gave him hell. Nyfain is giddy to have a reason to do it.”
“What is it about you that everyone wants to abduct and imprison you?” Vemar asked me with a grin. Fire coiled in his eyes. He’d probably like it if the fairies came for me. It would give him the excuse to rage.
“They don’t know who might’ve sired her,” Arleth said, watching Finley stir the contents of the cauldron. “How could they possibly try to claim her as their rogue fairy? They don’t even know which side her fairy blood might’ve been on!”
“Her mother’s,” Hannon said, and the others turned to look at him. He faced me, though. “Nyfain and Finley sent me to the Flamma court. I was there for various reasons—there is still a collection of dragon villages in the hills. I asked for, and was denied, royal permission to visit them. Those dragons are mostly ignored, but apparently the wolves don’t want to lose any more dragons to this kingdom.”
The world fuzzed around me as I waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say about my mother.