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  I bounded down the stairs after the cat, feeling strangely energized. Perhaps that faerie who had cursed me with his destiny and retained my human appetites had made my wings glow for the princes so I could gather the magic of all four Courts.

  McVittie waited for me at the bottom of the stairs and then darted across the mossy ground to the kitchen area, where he placed his front paws on the tree stump Pokeweed used as a cool box.

  “There’s rainbow salmon in there,” he said. “I can smell it.”

  A giggle burst out from my lips. “What about my flying practice?”

  “Food first.” He jumped down and butted my leg with his head. “Flying later.”

  “Alright.” I lifted the lid off the stump, selected one of the packages wrapped in lily pads, and placed it on the floor. The lily pad uncurled to reveal a portion of boned fish.

  McVittie rushed over to his breakfast and gnashed at the fish with his sharp, little teeth.

  I turned to the stove, where Pokeweed had left two wooden bowls next to it on the counter. Both were covered in wooden plates, meaning that he had returned to the treehouse sometime while I was either interrogating Prince August or pulling off his cock-ring.

  “Did you get the Summer Court magic?” asked a voice from behind.

  A jolt of emotion shot through my heart. It was surprise tinged with guilt and a little fear. Fear that Pokeweed would get sick of me and throw us all out, and guilt for having led our relationship beyond friendship.

  My throat thickened. “Poke—”

  “I see that you did,” he said.

  My hand shot up to my mouth to check for tell-tale signs of spunk. “How can you tell?”

  “Your magic is stronger.”

  “Do you think Unity will be able to fly?” asked McVittie.

  Pokeweed’s lips turned down. “Soon, she will fly away from here.”

  “Good,” said the cat. “Unity, she needs to learn how to dodge next, in case anyone throws a spell at her or throws her off the side of the mezzanine like last time.”

  “What happened?” asked Pokeweed.

  I shook my head. “It’s not worth mentioning. Just an accident.”

  He stared at me for several moments, his gaze seeming to rake over my body for signs of injury.

  A dozen sentences rushed to the back of my throat. Most of them were reassurances that I hadn’t meant to suck Prince August’s dick. I’d only done so because it was an opportunity to gain a bit of magic for the upcoming battle to save the princes.

  Pokeweed exhaled a long breath and walked to my side. I straightened and readied myself for his touch. But he only took one of the warm bowls and lifted its lid, revealing porridge with baked apples.

  “Have something to eat,” he murmured before walking away. “I made a little extra for your guest. There is a nightshirt on the dining chair. Please ensure he is presentable when I examine his curse later.”

  He walked out of the treehouse, presumably to get away from me on the pretext of tending to the apple trees. I placed both bowls on the tray and trudged toward the stairs to the awaiting Prince August.

  As I placed the bowl of porridge on the mattress beside the golden-haired Summer Court Prince, he glowered at me through hard eyes. “You’ve had what you wanted. Why aren’t you setting me free?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.” I took a seat on the floor out of reach.

  He leaned forward and gave his bound ankles a pointed look.

  “Not that way.” I placed a spoonful of warm porridge in my mouth. “You won’t believe me, but you and your parents are in grave danger.”

  “Enlighten me.” He picked up his bowl, sniffed its contents, and placed a spoonful in his mouth.

  “Do you deny your parents are in danger of being murdered as soon as Lady Gala succeeds in mating with you and your brothers?”

  Prince August raised his shoulders and shoveled another spoonful of porridge in his mouth. “It might be another twenty or thirty years before Gala’s ready to mate with us.”

  “And then?”

  “She will become our queen.”

  I placed my spoon in the bowl. “How?”

  He continued eating, seeming to think about the question. “The usual way queens are made.”

  “By usurping the current monarch?” I snapped. “That’s how King Oberon got a chance to rule.”

  Prince August’s hand tightened around his spoon. “And now the island is teeming with outsiders.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind that when you stole those apple boxes,” I muttered.

  I wasn’t expecting a reply from Prince August, as he usually remained silent when he lost an argument. He didn’t ask how I knew about the incident down at Saltbay Port, but then Prince Bradwell had told Queen Titania about how I’d been transformed from a human girl to a faerie.

  “Why did you burn my body?” I asked.

  He rolled his eyes. “Clearly, we didn’t succeed. Otherwise I wouldn’t be stuck here, forced to tolerate your incessant questions.”

  “The quickest way to gain my silence is—”

  “By answering your questions,” he said with a sigh. “Very well, Gala wanted to divest you of a specific destiny that was a danger to the realm.”

  “More like useful in her quest to become the queen.”

  He paused to level me with his cold, green eyes. “Do you want me to answer your question, or will you continue with these loathsome interruptions?”

  I stuffed a heaping spoonful of porridge in my mouth and chewed.

  “Gala needed to protect the kingdom from dangerous influences and decided that the best way to remove that destiny would be to burn its vessel.”

  “And stand close enough to absorb the smoke?” I added.

  Prince August narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like what you’re implying.”

  “She stood by the supposed burning corpse, didn’t she?”

  “To make sure no-one put it out,” he said with a look of anguish that twisted his features.

  “Careful,” said McVittie from the top of the stairs. “You can’t argue with these kinds of deep-set curses. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, the victim will find the truth too painful to consider, and the facts will slide off his brain.”

  “How do you know all this?” I glanced down at the black cat.

  “Living in Spindlewinder with all those hags taught me a thing or two about the darker elements of magic,” replied the cat.

  “I might have known.” Prince August placed the last spoonful of porridge into his mouth.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “That curse you placed on me earlier. The one that milked me dry—”

  “That was all you, Your Highness,” muttered McVittie.

  Prince August pointed at me, his cheeks turning red. “And your contraption that choked my sword and pumped me for my seed. This is all part of a plot to discredit Gala and steal her rightful crown.”

  McVittie tapped the side of my leg with his paw. “Don’t argue with him. It’s not worth the effort.”

  “You’re right.” I stood, placed my bowl on the tray, and approached the bed. “Have you finished eating?”

  Prince August snatched my arm and wrenched me onto his lap. “Release me.”

  My heart thudded. Just because the cuffs had suppressed his magic, it didn’t mean he was without physical strength. One arm held me tight around my middle, and his hand wrapped around my throat in a punishing grip.

  “You,” he snarled. “The talking cat.”

  “Let go of her,” snapped McVittie.

  “Bring your other accomplice and order him to release me, or I will crush this traitor’s throat.” He stood, dangling me off the ground by my neck with only an arm around my waist for support.

  “Get help,” I wheezed.

  McVittie’s eyes widened, and he bolted down the stairs.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Prince August set me on my feet and loo
sened his grip, but not enough for me to wriggle free or gain any leverage. I reached between our bodies to grab hold of his balls, but he canted his hips out of the way.

  “Not again,” he snarled into my ear, his breath hot. “I will never allow an unworthy creature like you to lay one finger on my person.”

  “You’re just saying that because you enjoyed every minute of what happened earlier,” I spat.

  “I did not,” he whispered, although there was no conviction to his voice.

  “Let go of me,” I said.

  “Not until you release me.”

  “Then you’ll have us all killed.”

  “You are my darling’s mortal enemy and a traitor to the Isle of Fae. At best, I can offer you a swift execution.”

  I ground my teeth, wishing I had checked the plan with Pokeweed. If seeing a naked and erect Prince August hadn’t been so much of a shock, he would have stayed behind to help break his curse. Now I’d made a mess of things and turned myself into a hostage.

  “Please,” I whispered.

  “Please, what?” he murmured.

  “Let me go.” I tried wriggling in his grip, but he tightened his hold around my waist. “I’m only trying to help you.”

  Prince August’s harsh laugh echoed in my ears, making me wince.

  The rapid patter of tiny feet on wood turned my attention to the stairs. McVittie dashed toward us, his yellow eyes wild.

  “Where’s your accomplice, cat?” he snarled.

  “We have to get out of here,” said McVittie. “Soldiers have surrounded the treehouse. They attacked Pokeweed, and now they’re setting this trunk on fire!”

  Chapter 9

  Prince August’s grip around my waist and neck slackened. I broke free from his hold and skittered toward the top of the stairs, where McVittie had disappeared.

  “If this place is on fire, you must release me at once!” yelled the prince.

  His words barely reached my ears. Pokeweed was in trouble, and it was all my fault. The little openings in the white walls blurred as I sped down the spiral staircase, and my heart leaped into my throat. Those guards were probably looking for an excuse to attack Pokeweed, and I’d just given them one by abducting Prince August.

  “Hurry,” said McVittie from further down the stairs. “We need to distract enough of the guards to even up the fight.”

  “How many are there?” I asked with a gasp.

  “I didn’t stop to count.”

  I continued down the stairs, not trusting my wings in this jittery state. How on earth could a talking cat and a girl with no magical skills help Pokeweed, who seemed to be more powerful than any of the king’s guard? I hoped McVittie had some ideas because my mind was blank.

  As we reached the last flight, light flashed from the windows into the downstairs room. My steps faltered, and I held onto the handrail to stop myself from tumbling over my feet.

  “What is this,” I whispered. “A full-scale battle?”

  “An ambush,” said McVittie, his voice strained. He dashed across the moss carpet and jumped on a windowsill. “Although it’s about to become an annihilation.”

  My stomach twisted into painful knots, but I picked up my pace, rushed to McVittie’s side, and peered through the snow-blackened window.

  Outside, Pokeweed stood strong with a tense set of his shoulders, surrounded by what appeared to be three dozen guards in white uniforms. His brown, moth wings flicked the way cats usually did with their tails when they became agitated.

  “I thought he warded the top level.” A flash of bright, silver light filled my vision, making me wince. “Why doesn’t he just let the guards in to search?”

  “He probably doesn’t want to take any chances,” replied McVittie. “If anyone senses a magical barrier, they might call someone powerful like the Duke of Medietas to unravel the enchantment.”

  Streaks appeared before my eyes, and I blinked them away to focus on the fight. One of the guards threw a spear made of ice, which got stuck in mid-air as though caught by an invisible hand. Seconds later, another guard threw a fireball that melted the spear, then a third threw a bolt of lightning that ran along the edges of Pokeweed’s wings.

  As he stumbled backward, another four guards hurled blasts of blue energy, but three of them got stuck in the barrier, and one grazed the side of Pokeweed’s head and landed on the window with a thud.

  All the blood drained from of my face and joined my clattering heart. “Shit.”

  “This doesn’t look good,” muttered McVittie.

  Pokeweed side-stepped out of view, and I raced to the arched door that led to the underground passageway.

  McVittie ran at my heels. “Where are you going?”

  “To make a diversion like you said. If enough of those guards chase after us, Pokeweed might be able to fight his way out. “

  The cat didn’t reply, but I picked up my pace through the darkened hallway. I moved so quickly, the tiny lights that illuminated the way turned into a streak of white. By the time I exited through a tree close to the pond with the lily pads, I could barely catch my breath.

  A stream of smoke rose from deep within the orchard, filling the air with the scent of baked apples. The top branches of Pokeweed’s tree appeared unaffected by the fire, meaning that I’d made the right decision not to release Prince August from the top floor.

  Seconds later, McVittie emerged and slumped on the ground. “What’s the plan?”

  Searching for inspiration, I glanced over my shoulder at the weeping willow and found a stone a little larger than a cabbage. An idea formed in my mind. It was simple, but after seeing Pokeweed under attack, I couldn’t think of anything better.

  “Unity?” asked the cat.

  I strode in the direction of the orchard. “Follow me and get ready to run.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ll see in a minute.” I picked up my pace and jogged through the meadow and into the orchard, where I settled behind a tree with a thick trunk.

  Soldiers gathered around one spot, hurling magical attacks that crashed against Pokeweed’s barrier. Every so often, someone would cheer or exclaim their glee at having created a breach that had hurt Pokeweed.

  “These guys are a bunch of bastards,” muttered Mcvittie.

  I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted out in my deepest voice. “Oi!”

  A few of the guards turned around. “Stay away. We’re here on business for King Oberon.”

  “Looking for Prince August?” I let my voice carry.

  The attacks stopped, and a few more soldiers looked my way.

  “If you want Prince August back, drop a box of iPads into the pond.”

  “What?” someone shouted.

  I rubbed my throbbing chest. The pond looked too small to accommodate sentient beings like mermaids and sirens, so I guessed it was alright that I imply that Prince August had been taken by someone who lived in the water. It made sense since he had gone missing while bathing in a pool.

  Deepening my voice to a low growl, I yelled, “He’s safe for now, but if you don’t give me what I want, I’ll drown him in his bed!”

  “Get that person!” shouted one of the soldiers.

  I ducked behind the tree and raced toward the weeping willow.

  “What are you doing?” hissed McVittie. “There’s a perfectly good tree over here.”

  There wasn’t time to explain myself. I continued down the path, only stopping to pick up the cabbage-sized stone. My feet pumped as I clutched the heavy item to my chest, but I managed to pick up speed. I reached the waterfront, ducked behind the weeping willow, and hurled the stone into the water with a mighty splash.

  Just as a fireball whizzed past, I dove behind the weeping willow, where McVittie awaited with the door open, and tumbled inside.

  Loud shouts filled the air as the doorway closed. I stood in the darkened hallway, shaking with the adrenaline rush. “Do you think we did enough?”

  “There’s only one way to
find out.” The cat ran down the slope toward Pokeweed’s tree.

  I raced after him, trembling this time with trepidation. I doubted that even King Oberon could have withstood such vicious attacks. Time sped as we burst through the treehouse and made an opening close to the window where we last saw Pokeweed protecting this home, but as soon as I stepped out and inhaled the acrid smell of spell-fire and burned tree bark, my heart stopped.

  Pokeweed lay face-down on the scorched earth, his overalls in tatters, and his brown hair drenched. A band of pain gripped my chest and pushed the breath out of my lungs.

  McVittie padded to his side and sniffed. “He’s breathing.”

  I knelt on the damp earth, rolled Pokeweed onto his back, and raised his head onto my lap. The skin beneath his fur was still warm from the exertion of a fight.

  “Pokeweed?” I pulled his hair off his face.

  He didn’t answer.

  “We’ve got to get him inside before those guards return,” said McVittie.

  “Could you go upstairs and get the harness, please?” I met the cat’s sad, yellow eyes. “He can’t be alone at a time like this.”

  “Right.” McVittie disappeared into the tree, and I ran my fingers through Pokeweed’s silken hair.

  “I’ve been nothing but a nuisance,” I whispered. “This is all my fault, and I can’t even tell you that I’m sorry.”

  If it wasn’t for the gentle puff of air leaving his nostrils, I would have thought Pokeweed was dead.

  The wind rustled the leaves overhead, shaking down ashes and burned leaves. It also carried the sound of splashes, shouts, and outraged croaks. I glanced around the orchard, looking for signs of the guards’ return, but the place remained tranquil. Moments later, an equine scream rang through my eardrums. The guards had probably found the kelpie I had met at the palace’s moat.

  “Here.” McVittie appeared from behind with the harness between his teeth. The cat dropped it on the ground and sat back, panting.

  “Thank you.” I placed the harness on Pokeweed’s prone body and waited for the magic to do its work. After the iron-infused rope wrapped itself around his chest and arms, I eased Pokeweed back to the ground and tugged on its leash.

  With the greatest of care, I dragged Pokeweed through the treehouse’s entrance. The ground beneath us turned from scorched earth to soft, cool moss, and I blew a sigh of relief. If they had needed to beat him up to gain access to his home, it meant that he could convalesce here safely.