forgotten what they’re for. Even an Ancient is powerless to remove such sacred magic.”
Shade was relieved at her words, hoping she wouldn’t forget what they were for when the time came. “I’ll remember. I won’t forget, I promise.”
“It will be hard, Corb is quite powerful. But, we’ll be there for you.” Her spirit guides said in unity. Their identical faces comforted Shade and she had missed them incredulously. The joy she felt to know that they had remained with her, even in silence, was overwhelming. They couldn’t speak to her but in dreams, and even those were now quite rare as Shade’s magic had grown intense and had kept them at bay with self-imposed barriers.
The summer queen pulled her close and leaned in to whisper in her ear. She told her the location and where to find her and exactly what to do to wake her. Shade etched it into her mind and hoped it would stick. She knew time was short before she woke, she could feel it pulling her back into the world every second. As the spirit guides and the queen waved goodbye to her, she waved back and prayed she wouldn’t ever forget.
Chapter Twelve
“SOMETHING’S WRONG.”
Soap paced the room as Brisa curled up on one of the settees. Prince Lotinar’s knuckles were white as bones as they gripped the arms of his chair. His face was stoic, but his eyes glowed in silent fury as the Changeling-Teleen warrior continued to pace the length of the room.
“We don’t know that.” Ursad gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“Then what do we know? All I know is that it’s been three days. Three days! Shade’s time is up and she has yet to return! And…” He stepped up toward the prince and narrowed his eyes. “Your teleporting servant is missing. How do you explain that? He chose a strange day to teleport out of here. The third day that we’re still waiting and he vanishes, without a word? I don’t think you realize what is going on here, unless that’s a common habit of your servants.”
“Stop already!” Brisa groaned and threw a pillow across the room. She was missing her best friend and worried sick. “Something is going on but we don’t know what it is yet or what we’re going to do about finding out.” She turned toward the prince, her frown growing deeper as she studied the royal. “What are you planning to do now? Have we assembled a search party? Or anything for that matter? Maybe Ilarial can help… We need to help them, go there and…”
“No.” It was Ursad’s turn to stand up, folding his arms to pace the room. “We can’t go there. The Great Divide is extremely protected and isolated. If the Ice King doesn’t want us there, we can’t enter. Only his kin can enter without permission.”
“Wait,” Brisa interrupted as he paused to glance her way. “How do you know that? How would you know if only his kin can enter unless…You’ve been there, haven’t you?” She glared at him as she waited for him to answer, staring accusatorily. “And who might be related to this ‘Ice King’?”
Soap stood perfectly still observing Ursad’s sudden shift in attitude. He seemed flustered and caught off guard. If anything, Soap could see a liar in their midst.
“Yes, how would you know such things, Your Majesty?”
The silence filled the room as the two pairs of eyes focused on the prince. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as he flicked his eyes between them and backed away like a frightened animal. “I don’t know, maybe it’s something someone once told me…”
“I don’t believe you.” Brisa was on her feet and stepped toward the prince. Soap grabbed her back before the guards popped out of camouflage and aimed spears directly at them both. Brisa froze and let Soap tug at her arm, pulling her against his chest. They couldn’t approach the Prince within five feet. The sharpened metal ends were inches from their faces as they waited for Ursad to decide what he was going to do now.
“It’s alright. I’m pretty
Shade was relieved at her words, hoping she wouldn’t forget what they were for when the time came. “I’ll remember. I won’t forget, I promise.”
“It will be hard, Corb is quite powerful. But, we’ll be there for you.” Her spirit guides said in unity. Their identical faces comforted Shade and she had missed them incredulously. The joy she felt to know that they had remained with her, even in silence, was overwhelming. They couldn’t speak to her but in dreams, and even those were now quite rare as Shade’s magic had grown intense and had kept them at bay with self-imposed barriers.
The summer queen pulled her close and leaned in to whisper in her ear. She told her the location and where to find her and exactly what to do to wake her. Shade etched it into her mind and hoped it would stick. She knew time was short before she woke, she could feel it pulling her back into the world every second. As the spirit guides and the queen waved goodbye to her, she waved back and prayed she wouldn’t ever forget.
Chapter Twelve
“SOMETHING’S WRONG.”
Soap paced the room as Brisa curled up on one of the settees. Prince Lotinar’s knuckles were white as bones as they gripped the arms of his chair. His face was stoic, but his eyes glowed in silent fury as the Changeling-Teleen warrior continued to pace the length of the room.
“We don’t know that.” Ursad gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“Then what do we know? All I know is that it’s been three days. Three days! Shade’s time is up and she has yet to return! And…” He stepped up toward the prince and narrowed his eyes. “Your teleporting servant is missing. How do you explain that? He chose a strange day to teleport out of here. The third day that we’re still waiting and he vanishes, without a word? I don’t think you realize what is going on here, unless that’s a common habit of your servants.”
“Stop already!” Brisa groaned and threw a pillow across the room. She was missing her best friend and worried sick. “Something is going on but we don’t know what it is yet or what we’re going to do about finding out.” She turned toward the prince, her frown growing deeper as she studied the royal. “What are you planning to do now? Have we assembled a search party? Or anything for that matter? Maybe Ilarial can help… We need to help them, go there and…”
“No.” It was Ursad’s turn to stand up, folding his arms to pace the room. “We can’t go there. The Great Divide is extremely protected and isolated. If the Ice King doesn’t want us there, we can’t enter. Only his kin can enter without permission.”
“Wait,” Brisa interrupted as he paused to glance her way. “How do you know that? How would you know if only his kin can enter unless…You’ve been there, haven’t you?” She glared at him as she waited for him to answer, staring accusatorily. “And who might be related to this ‘Ice King’?”
Soap stood perfectly still observing Ursad’s sudden shift in attitude. He seemed flustered and caught off guard. If anything, Soap could see a liar in their midst.
“Yes, how would you know such things, Your Majesty?”
The silence filled the room as the two pairs of eyes focused on the prince. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as he flicked his eyes between them and backed away like a frightened animal. “I don’t know, maybe it’s something someone once told me…”
“I don’t believe you.” Brisa was on her feet and stepped toward the prince. Soap grabbed her back before the guards popped out of camouflage and aimed spears directly at them both. Brisa froze and let Soap tug at her arm, pulling her against his chest. They couldn’t approach the Prince within five feet. The sharpened metal ends were inches from their faces as they waited for Ursad to decide what he was going to do now.
“It’s alright. I’m pretty
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