Her obvious support of him was touching. His throat dropped to the pit of his stomach, swallowing awkwardly around the ball of guilt choking him. To think that she would be so supportive of a stranger, and one she had been so suspicious and hateful towards so few moments ago! He continued to awkwardly pat her.
Far away, Aeron sighed. He settled himself on the chair tucked away in his bed chamber, smoothing his hair back. He pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from his desk and scribbled a note. He gave a great sigh, puffing out his cheeks, then leaned back. A swirl of black fire came to him instantly when it was called, and he cast it and his orders through the divide like a fishing line to perfectly break up the tense scene.
The black fire finally caught up with the pair, spitting out a missive into Jackie’s hand.
I see you had a good chat with my brother. I am not amused. However, you have served me well these last few years. I also like that your first thought after speaking with the princes on this side was to attend to your duties. I am giving you my permission to leave your post and duties and to attend to the search for your sister. As she has gone missing while under my protection I am sending some of my soldiers on the mission to find her. You may join the hunt or go to your home to wring your hands or do whatever you feel like doing until she is found and returned to where she ought to be. If you would like to join the search party I will send you along the usual way.
She jumped and gave a victory fist pump. “Yes I want to look for Pris! I’d happily go with a search party.” The black fire burned out the note in her hand and moved until it was fulling encompassing Jackie`s body.
Darien gratefully let go of her disappearing form, rubbing his neck in agitation. “I only can`t go back because I have a job to do here as a happy little spy,” he muttered, walking swiftly away. She would say it was my little spying job. He grinned. Eh, she probably had the right to attack me like that, though, he thought. After all, whatever the elders have in mind will probably ruin her whole world. I`m sure her life will be at least a little off kilter from that kind of change.
A blue creature glittered into view out of invisibility. He hunted with his claws in a dimensional pocket until his face lit up and he pulled out his notepad and pen. He quickly scribbled a note. He summoned his scrying sphere and plunged the note into its depths so that it fell on top of the prince’s desk. He grimaced at the note, then pulled his own notepad forward.
I’ll address this later. For now, put him on the most wanted list- spread the word to all of my people.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Manhunt
He yelled, “Find me that blasted nymph!” Here in the King`s Hall, with a long red carpet laid out on the floor that led up to the platform he was now sitting on, he normally indulged in a bit of daydreaming and serious thought about his future rule, but there was no time for such childishness today. A daemon bustled up to him and bowed ingratiatingly. “But, highness, you sent her on a mission to find her missing sister. She’s long since out of the palace by now. He eyed his master calmly, confident that the man was all bark and no bite, or at least he was to those daemon associates of his.
“Well, get her back here! Or get someone else here! On the double!”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible sire. You could choose to summon her here, however, if you so wish,” he added.
“I do not wish! You know darned well that there are limits to that spell, and I’ve already traveled too much today.”
The other shrugged and added that it was unfortunate, but that meant they’d have to send a messenger to contact the girl and that could take a few days, so an immediate audience would still be impossible. “I don’t care! Hawthorne, get her back here now. I need her.” The two daemons grinned and stalked out of the hall while the servants in the chamber scrambled out behind them. “Why can’t I get any decent help around here,” he grumbled and sank into the sumptuous cushions on the throne. He smiled a little ruefully, glad to get to sit in the rarely opened room, and cheered up a little.“I should dock their vacation to only three months of leave.”
“You can`t really blame them,” a voice called out from the corner. “I don`t respect you either, oh brother mine,” Richard said.
“I see you still love to lurk, Richard. Always the eavesdropper. All your fans call you the ‘Sun Prince,’ did you know,”? Aeron spoke, eyes closed. “So bright and shining. I feel that must help your delicate ego.”
Richard walked up so that he was sitting on his own plush throne. “You aren`t really supposed to use this room so casually,” he answered. “This is a ‘hall of dignity’, the ‘realm`s lifeblood’. Something that dramatic shouldn`t be used for your afternoon nap,” he added in reprove.
“It`s tiring enough when father says that,” Aeron returned. “Besides, you`re hardly one to talk. Aren`t princes ‘meant to uphold the dignity and moral character of the crown’? Why, I`m sure you don`t even remember where your actual bedroom is, you use it so rarely,” he continued.
“At least I carry out my duties,” Richard replied haughtily.
“Yes, that`s true, isn`t it?” Aeron smiled. “But you know he`ll back me on this one, like most other
