Messenger. You look exhausted.”
Janessa said, gesturing with her hand to the empty chair next to
her son.
“Thank you, Madam.” The Messenger inclined
his head and took the last empty chair around the table. He took a
couple more deep breaths before continuing.
“It is the Custodian,” he said after catching
his breath.
Faen stood up, sending his chair crashing
backwards to the floor.
“What has happened? Is she alright?” Faen
could feel his brows pinch together and a knot formed in his
stomach.
“She is quite safe, Mr. Faen. She is at the
castle. The king demanded we find you.”
“The castle? What is she doing at the
castle?” Faen questioned, trying to disguise the hint of panic in
his voice.
The Messenger shrugged his shoulders. “I know
nothing more. I was just sent to find you and send you back
there.”
Faen looked at his mother and father who were
trying, but failing, to hide their concern.
“I must go,” Faen said before running through
the archway and taking to the sky.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Faedra sat with her back against the wall of
one of the castle’s many turrets. Her backpack had become a burden
and was now propped up against the wall beside her. She dare not
take a sip of the sugar water held within it. She was having a hard
enough job reining in her energy, as it was, and didn’t need to add
to it. Her throat was parched, though, and she found herself
wishing she’d packed some plain drinking water, too.
The cold stone wall was unforgiving against
her back and she shifted a little to try and ease the discomfort.
Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was resting her head
on them. Her arms hugged around her shins and she held herself
tightly together, fearing that if she didn’t, she might just fall
apart.
After leaving the king’s library she had run
with no direction until she found somewhere quiet and secluded
where she could think. Only once she found a place, no helpful
thoughts had presented themselves so far.
Her energy crackled within her; and using all
of her concentration to control the power surging with her emotions
was at least keeping her mind somewhat occupied. What she wanted to
do was blow something up, but that wasn’t going to help her father
and it might just get her thrown in the dungeons, king’s daughter
or not.
She was trying to digest all the information
she’d been bombarded with over the past day or so, and was at a
complete loss where to go next. She rifled the time-pebble out of
her pocket and looked at it. The area of red was expanding and she
didn’t have the first clue how to find her father and bring him
back safely. Had she ever felt this helpless before? No, she didn’t
think she had. With a sigh, she tucked the pebble back into her
pocket and dropped her head to her knees again. A sense of
desperation welling from the pit of her stomach.
Faedra wasn’t quite sure how long she had
been literally holding herself together when she felt a breeze
ruffle the hair around her face, and heard the soft beat of
wings.
“Faedra?” The smooth familiar voice caressed
her ears.
She lifted her head from her knees to see
Faen standing a few feet away on the other side of the turret, his
face awash with concern upon seeing the desperation in her eyes.
She held her breath for a heartbeat, waiting for the anger to surge
forward, but was relieved when her heart filled with relief and
happiness upon seeing her Guardian. She thought she had pushed him
away, that he had actually left her when she told him to go. But
here he was, and she told herself she didn’t deserve him. She
wouldn’t have blamed him if he never came near her again after the
way she’d treated him. A weak smile crept across her lips and made
its way up to her eyes.
“You’re here,” she breathed, barely a
whisper, as if he would disappear if she said it any louder.
Faen smiled at her remark. “Where else would
I be?”
“I thought you left when I told you to
Janessa said, gesturing with her hand to the empty chair next to
her son.
“Thank you, Madam.” The Messenger inclined
his head and took the last empty chair around the table. He took a
couple more deep breaths before continuing.
“It is the Custodian,” he said after catching
his breath.
Faen stood up, sending his chair crashing
backwards to the floor.
“What has happened? Is she alright?” Faen
could feel his brows pinch together and a knot formed in his
stomach.
“She is quite safe, Mr. Faen. She is at the
castle. The king demanded we find you.”
“The castle? What is she doing at the
castle?” Faen questioned, trying to disguise the hint of panic in
his voice.
The Messenger shrugged his shoulders. “I know
nothing more. I was just sent to find you and send you back
there.”
Faen looked at his mother and father who were
trying, but failing, to hide their concern.
“I must go,” Faen said before running through
the archway and taking to the sky.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Faedra sat with her back against the wall of
one of the castle’s many turrets. Her backpack had become a burden
and was now propped up against the wall beside her. She dare not
take a sip of the sugar water held within it. She was having a hard
enough job reining in her energy, as it was, and didn’t need to add
to it. Her throat was parched, though, and she found herself
wishing she’d packed some plain drinking water, too.
The cold stone wall was unforgiving against
her back and she shifted a little to try and ease the discomfort.
Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was resting her head
on them. Her arms hugged around her shins and she held herself
tightly together, fearing that if she didn’t, she might just fall
apart.
After leaving the king’s library she had run
with no direction until she found somewhere quiet and secluded
where she could think. Only once she found a place, no helpful
thoughts had presented themselves so far.
Her energy crackled within her; and using all
of her concentration to control the power surging with her emotions
was at least keeping her mind somewhat occupied. What she wanted to
do was blow something up, but that wasn’t going to help her father
and it might just get her thrown in the dungeons, king’s daughter
or not.
She was trying to digest all the information
she’d been bombarded with over the past day or so, and was at a
complete loss where to go next. She rifled the time-pebble out of
her pocket and looked at it. The area of red was expanding and she
didn’t have the first clue how to find her father and bring him
back safely. Had she ever felt this helpless before? No, she didn’t
think she had. With a sigh, she tucked the pebble back into her
pocket and dropped her head to her knees again. A sense of
desperation welling from the pit of her stomach.
Faedra wasn’t quite sure how long she had
been literally holding herself together when she felt a breeze
ruffle the hair around her face, and heard the soft beat of
wings.
“Faedra?” The smooth familiar voice caressed
her ears.
She lifted her head from her knees to see
Faen standing a few feet away on the other side of the turret, his
face awash with concern upon seeing the desperation in her eyes.
She held her breath for a heartbeat, waiting for the anger to surge
forward, but was relieved when her heart filled with relief and
happiness upon seeing her Guardian. She thought she had pushed him
away, that he had actually left her when she told him to go. But
here he was, and she told herself she didn’t deserve him. She
wouldn’t have blamed him if he never came near her again after the
way she’d treated him. A weak smile crept across her lips and made
its way up to her eyes.
“You’re here,” she breathed, barely a
whisper, as if he would disappear if she said it any louder.
Faen smiled at her remark. “Where else would
I be?”
“I thought you left when I told you to
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