Fae of the South (Court of Crown and Compass Book 3) by E. Hall (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

blast my magic in every direction. Whereas before it was pure crimson, now it has gray edges like my shadow.

Soren blinks a few times as though he’s been glamoured like Tyrren. Oh, that’s another benefit to being a shadow fae. I have no qualms about using my magic on my best friend...or anyone else for that matter.

Callen steps closer and holds up his hands. “Wait. We don’t want to hurt you. We came here on a rescue mission.”

I keep my hand lifted, ready to hurl magic if I have to. “I’m in no mood to hear stories or lies. I had enough of that with Emeric and Glandias. Explain yourselves quickly.”

“I’m King Soren of the Northlands.” He presses his hand to his chest.

“And I’m King Callen of the Westlands.”

“That means nothing to me.” I shoot magic into the trees behind them as a warning.

Callen ducks. “We’re here with Kiki and Val to help free the shadow fae and put an end to Glandias’s power trip.”

“Ooh. Points for another Terra term,” Soren says.

“Why were you looking for us?” I stab the air with magic to make my point. They said they were specifically seeking Lea and Tyrren. Could they be associated with RIP Jr?

“The shadow fae? Because what Glandias and the other false kings are doing is wrong. They’re building an army, using you as weapons.”

“Yeah, Glandias mentioned. But why me?”

“Why you?” Callen mutters. “I’m wondering the same thing. Who are you?”

“What do you mean why you? Shadow fae are virtually invincible. Come on, we can get you to safety.” Soren moves toward the Humvee.

“More like I can get you to safety.” I jerk my head in the direction of the armored vehicle. “I know how to drive that thing.”

The kings are quiet for a long moment. As before, it’s almost like they’re communicating without words. Could it be a shifter thing?

“Yeah, I agree,” Callen says abruptly.

Soren glances at Tyrren who’s still zoned out thanks to my glamour. Right now, he’s having a massage. Go figure. It was the best I could come up with on the fly.

I wag my head between them. “Don’t make any sudden moves.” My crimson-gray magic crackles from the tips of my fingers.

“We came here looking for a fae named Lea and her friend, Tyrren. We got intel they’d been captured and moved here.” Callen speaks with the practiced skill of someone used to getting their way.

My temple pulses. “What do you want with them?”

“They’re the key to everything that’s going on in the Terra realm. We need their help and we hope to be able to help them.” Soren seems to choose his words carefully.

Again, the two go quiet. It’s unsettling. A royal tactic to make others feel insecure? Good thing I have the upper hand here. In one swift motion, I blast them unconscious. It’s difficult, but I manage to get them both loaded into the back of the Humvee along with Tyrren who’s still enjoying his massage.

I maneuver the Humvee back onto the road and pass through an abandoned neighborhood. Doors hang from their hinges, windows are smashed, and weeds grow up through the debris.

I pass Lavender Lane and then Daffodil—all streets named after flowers.

From the back, a phone chirps. I pull over and retrieve it from Soren’s pocket. The message simply says Rose Court. It seems I’m in flower-land. Could it be a code? I want answers.

I drive past other streets named after flowers until I reach Rose Court. It’s a cul-de-sac with only three houses. They’re all replicas of Victorian homes like the kind in old stories. The middle one has a turret that reaches toward the moonless sky. The paint chips and the wooden flourishes hang in disrepair. Even at this hour, I can tell that they’re definitely abandoned.

Then a garage door opens. I pull the Humvee in smoothly.

A girl about my age stands inside and another in the doorway to the interior of the house.

“Wow, you handle that thing like a champ, Callen,” one of the girls says, striding toward the vehicle.

Then there’s a flash of blinding, ice-white magic. The car shutters and I freeze. My vision goes blank.

I have the vague awareness that I’m being moved into the house. I yearn to break the bonds of whatever spell she has me under, but even as a shadow fae, it’s too strong. I sink against a wall and feel like I’m falling endlessly through shadow.

At last, voices return to my awareness.

Someone says, “We’ve stolen magic stones, crowns, and freedom. But never people.”

Another replies, “There’s a first for everything.”

There’s shuffling and whispers. Stillness and shouting. It’s chaos and I like it. My eyes flash open.

“Houston, we have a problem,” the guy named Callen says as the escape-abduction comes back to me.

“You’re crushing it with these Terra cultural references,” Soren says.

I’m magically bound to a chair but not wearing a golden cuff. By the peeling floral wallpaper, I’m definitely not at RIP or RIP Jr, but I cannot access my magic. “What did you do to me?” I grind out.

“What did you do to yourself?” one of the girls from the garage says.

I blink a few times because, in the dim light of a lantern, she looks strikingly familiar. “Have we met?” I ask.

“Yes and no,” she replies. “I’m sorry I had to restrain you. It’s for your own good.”

The other girl says, “You’re Lea, right?”

I struggle against the bonds.

The first girl says, “My name is Kiki and I’m really sorry.” Her hair is almost white. All the same, I feel like we’ve met.

Despite my situation and better judgment, I believe her. One flick of my hand would decimate this room and everyone in it. The ruthless unseelie magic is amplified in my shadow.

“I’m Val,”