As she ended her last word, something magical passed between us.
“What you felt was a magical oath binding. I am bound by my oath to help you, but only if you manage to keep yours.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
The doors opened and the fae guards stood at attention as Tristan walked in.
“You sent for me, Majesty?” he drawled, inclining his head.
“Tristan will make sure you don’t get up to any trouble,” Izadora said to me.
Tristan scowled.
“I expect her to remain alive while she is in Elfi.” She gave Tristan a warning look. “You know how the rest of the court hates half-breeds, and I don’t want any so-called accidents. I have a use for her, and she is under your protection until it is done.”
Tristan nodded, his eyes shooting daggers at his queen, but she chose not to notice. I was taken aback momentarily; I thought all the fae loved their queen. I guess I was wrong, and I didn’t blame him.
“She will start with the novices tomorrow,” Izadora continued. “You will oversee her training.”
Tristan’s hands were balled in fists. “I do not train novices.”
“You do now. Get Cade or Aiden to help you—I’ve heard she’s quite a handful.” The queen of the fae waved her hand to dismiss us. “Now go! I’ve had enough of her for one day. She looks just like her father.”
The Crystal Castle
“I’m not a bloody nursemaid,” Tristan muttered, storming out of the throne room.
I followed but kept my mouth shut. The fae-warrior didn’t look like he was in the mood for chitchat. But I still had to stay close to him, whether or not he was a bad-tempered ass. I was unnerved to find out I was not truly safe, even in this palace. My grandmother had made it quite clear I was under Tristan’s protection, but I didn’t know how far the hatred toward half-breeds went. If Aiden was any example, I suspected I was in for trouble here. I had to be on my guard at all times—I couldn’t slip up, not anymore. I had to prove to my grandmother and the High Fae that I was worthy of the name I bore.
He looked back at me, and his eyes narrowed as I ran to keep up. “Are you always this slow?”
“Are you always this grumpy?” I was fed up with his constant surliness. “You could at least try to speak civilly to me.”
He stopped and turned, his jaw clenched. “Just because the queen has ordered me to be your guard dog doesn’t mean we are friends. Izadora didn’t order me to be polite, so I will speak to you however I wish.”
Cade fell into step with us. “There you are. How did it go?” He looked genuinely concerned.
Tristan ignored him and kept walking.
I glanced at Cade. “Not great.”
Cade put his hand on my shoulder. “If it helps, Queen Izadora’s not nice to anyone.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t help, but thank you for trying.” I smiled at the big fae-warrior; Cade was the only one in this place who had been nice to me.
“Cade, watch her and don’t let her out of your sight,” Tristan growled. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Cade called after him.
Tristan didn’t answer. He stalked off into the night like a wild panther on his way to his next kill.
“Is he always this bad tempered?”
“Only for the last twenty years or so.” A half-smile curved his lips. “Izadora knows Tristan hates mages. Putting him in charge of your safety is her way of reminding him that he has to obey her.”
“Why can’t he refuse?” I was intrigued to know more about Tristan.
He shrugged as he escorted me through the palace. “It’s not for me to say. You should ask him yourself.”
“He hardly speaks to me. I don’t think he is going to tell me his life story.”
Cade chuckled. “He’s not so bad once you get to know him.” We climbed the stairs to a tower. “Give him time, he’ll come around.”
My room was situated in a high tower away from the rest of the castle and could only be reached by climbing an endless line of stone steps to the top. It was sparse and round, with three arched windows that overlooked the city and the hidden valley of the fae all the way to the huge mountains that surrounded Elfi. Although the rest of the castle had windows fitted with clear crystal, my room was open to the elements, its loose muslin curtains hardly a deterrent to the howling wind that swept down from the mountains at night.
I thanked Cade, who informed me he would be on guard at the bottom of the stairs until Tristan returned.
My tower room had a small curtained alcove that housed the bath and toilet. I washed in the porcelain basin with the jug of water that lay beside it. It was too cold to have a bath anyway. I shivered and lay down on the bed, my stomach growling. I didn’t want to walk all the way down the stairs of my tower to find the kitchen, so I decided to wake up early for breakfast instead. I covered myself with the thin blanket and tried to get some sleep.
I was not sure what to expect when it came to my training. I had seen the fae fight with a lethal grace and surety I was sure would take me a lifetime to achieve. Their magic was powerful and more complicated than the magic of the mages.
I thought back to when I first reached Avalonia and Silverthorne Castle. When Uncle Gabriel found out who I was, he was so kind to me and immediately accepted me back into the family. Aunt Serena and Erien had been nothing but sweet and helpful, though they didn’t need to go out of their way to include me and make me feel accepted.
In this fae land, under my grandmother’s rule, I was an outsider, a half-breed, someone
