Caynin donned his cloak and crossed the beach toward the castle. He was not surprised that Dagan had gone to kill Tarragon first instead of rescuing Celine. Dagan and Tarragon had always disliked each other, and Dagan blamed Prince Calico and Princess Harmonia’s deaths on Tarragon. He felt Tarragon had robbed him of the chance to marry Celine and gain power in the Everblossom Kingdom.
Years later, Caynin was glad for how things turned out. If Dagan and Celine had been wed, she and Caynin would never have become this close. Caynin couldn’t picture his life without Celine in it. She had changed him – bettered him.
The things that Dagan had said he’d done with Celine made Caynin sick. He could not picture Celine kissing Dagan or drinking his blood. Ew.
Celine shouldn’t be with someone who chose power and revenge over her. She was a warm, caring, and compassionate person. Dagan would only take advantage of all her good traits, and he would never make her a priority. Just look – he was off to murder Tarragon, while Caynin was on his way to rescue Celine.
Caynin walked slowly until he reached the castle entrance, aware of the sweat on his brow. A stone pathway led past a fountain and connected to other stone paths with small houses and shops on either side. He stepped in a puddle of water, sending drops splashing upward. Some of the drops got onto his hand, which he dried against his coat’s pocket, feeling the Black Illusion flowers inside. Caynin tried to ignore the pain in his arm and how tired he was after the short walk. Instead of focusing on how weak he felt, he tried to focus on his surroundings.
Fata came and went from the castle as they wished, and no one stopped him to question him once he entered. Over the years, Caynin had visited the Everblossom Kingdom many times, to attend the Red Festival, thus he knew his way around.
Most Fata were indoors thanks to the storm, and the halls were crowded, and the gardens flooded from the storm. The wind had blown leaves and sticks around, and the place was a mess. Several other Fata wore clothes that shielded them from the rain, so Caynin blended in well with his cloak. Fata didn’t feel the cold like humans did, but some of them mimicked humans with their outfits for different weather or events.
Caynin headed toward the dungeon, and when he arrived there, he saw three guards. He was sick and weak – fighting was not wise. Even if he did fight and win, what would he do with the corpses? Someone would notice the dead guards, and he would be caught. Or the fight would attract attention, and that would mess up the whole plan.
He continued past the dungeon entrance, and the guards didn’t look at him twice. The dungeon was underground, and as far as Caynin knew, the only entrance was the door where the guards were standing. If this was the dungeon at his castle, he would use the secret, underground passage. But it was not, so he had to improvise.
Caynin took cover behind a nearby wall and reached for the three Black Illusion flowers tucked in his cloak pocket. All the Fata knew what they were – if their scents were inhaled, powerful illusions could be created by the one who held the stem.
Caynin was weak, but he was still more powerful than most Fata. He broke the stems of the Black Illusion flowers and used the wind to carry their scent to the guards, who didn’t even know what was happening. Caynin then used the stems to control their minds. He made them hallucinate the prison’s exterior, empty, as everyone was indoors. They couldn’t tell that Caynin walked right up to them. He put a flower in each of their shirts’ front pockets, so that they could constantly inhale their scent, and pushed them deep enough into their pockets that no one else could see them.
The guards talked about females and the storm without suspecting an intruder. Caynin desperately wanted them to say something about Celine, but they did not. Where would he search next if she was not in the dungeon?
He passed the guards and went downstairs before he put the flower stems into his pocket. The torches here were burning out and not providing much light. Although the dungeon had only been built seventeen years ago, it looked much older, with rusty cell bars and a cracked roof.
When Caynin reached the bottom of the stairs, several heads turned his way, reminding him that he had been loud, noticeable in his weakened state.
But now that he was in front of them, there was no hiding his identity. Recognition spread quickly on their faces, and he scanned the cells for Princess Celine.
“It’s the Everwhite Prince!” someone announced.
Caynin really wished they hadn’t. This way, Severin would surely find out that Caynin had snuck into his castle and stolen back Celine. He would come after him for revenge or war.
“Caynin?”
That voice – sweet as honey, tainted with naivety that only mortals were capable of. Fae were hard, cold, cunning.
He looked in the direction of her voice and immediately saw her, gripping her cell bars with dirty hands. Her lip was broken, covered in dried blood, and her jaw was blue. Her cheek was swollen, and she had one hand pressed against her side which suggested it hurt. What had Severin done to her? For a moment, Caynin forgot he was sick as anger took control of his body. Caynin rushed over to her cell. “Move.”
She stepped aside, and he kicked the door with such force it broke open. The prisoners’ eyes widened in fear, awe, and respect.
“The guards would have heard that,” a young Fata in the cell next to Celine said.
“They won’t. They are hallucinating that everything is perfectly normal,” Caynin said, then wondered why he even paid the young male attention.
Celine managed a broken smile, and Caynin instantly pulled her into his arms. She was alive. Severin could break her body, but he could never break her spirit. Caynin’s gut twisted, she pulled away, and he studied her bruised face. Severin would pay for this. He would make him pay.
“Your tooth…” Caynin said. This was why she could not open a portal.
“Severin has it. I have so much to tell you.” Her frown and glazed eyes told him her thoughts were running wild.
“It can wait.” Caynin gently touched her cheek. “I have to get you out of here first.”
***
Caynin hadn’t offered to heal her, like he always did. A glance at his arm told her it was still wrapped in bandages – he was not much better. He was sick, his magic was not as strong as it should be, and although weak, he had still come for her. This had to mean that he cared about her well-being more than he cared about his own. He loved her more than he loved himself. Maybe Caynin was not as selfish as he used to be. Maybe losing her had changed him, for the better.
“How are we going to get out of here?” Celine asked.
Caynin touched his cloak, which made Celine think he wished he’d brought her one. She would easily be recognized if she walked through the castle.
“We’ll be able to get past the guards at the dungeon’s entrance because I gave them Black Illusion,” Caynin mumbled, “but the rest of the Fata will see us, and someone might sound the alarm.”
“You are not alone,” Peter said. “My mother – she can help you. Her bakery is nearby. Walk straight out of the dungeon and turn left and then left again. She will hide you and help you get out of the castle.”
Celine looked around but no one had a cloak for her to wear. She would have to leave the dungeon and hope that no one stopped her.
“Sometimes the best place to hide, is in plain sight.” Caynin’s chest was rising and falling with each breath.
Celine followed Caynin out of her cell and passed the prisoners, who were staring at her with hopeful eyes. “I will come back for you. I promise.”
Caynin put one arm around her shoulder and held her close. His cloak was big and draped over her while his free hand was in his pocket.
“What are you doing?”
“Holding the stems of the Black Illusion. I’m going to wield their magic to make the three guards hallucinate more rain, instead of us.”
Slowly, they climbed the steps one at a time, and Celine’s heart rate increased until she heard it beating in her ears. The guards wouldn’t see them; they’d be fine. But they didn’t have much of a plan, and a big part of escaping relied on luck...
As Caynin pushed past, one of the guards cried: “Hey!”
Celine spun around. There were four guards, while Caynin had only mentioned three. The one who had cried out had been standing against the wall and out of their sight. As he hadn’t been there earlier, he was not under the Black Illusion’s spell. Without hesitating, Caynin shoved him into the dungeon, hard, and Celine heard him groaning as he fell. The other three soldiers were unaware of what was happening, standing still like gravestones. As the fourth fell, Caynin grabbed Celine’s hand and began running. This was bad. They were causing a scene.
“The prisoners are escaping!” the guard yelled, from where he had fallen, his voice traveling.
“Left.” Celine pulled Caynin into the first alley. It was narrow and there were puddles of water which splashed onto the walls as Celine and Caynin stepped into them. They moved swiftly. Celine’s heart was hammering, and she felt as if they were Bonnie and Clyde. She should be scared because if they were caught, they’d be killed. But she was not scared, she was thrilled. Maybe Caynin was not the only one who changed during the time they had spent apart.
“What makes you think this baker will help us?” Caynin wondered.
“Because she is one of the Fata who wants me as princess. Can you believe it? There are Fata who would want me, a mortal girl, to rule.” Celine was smiling as they ran through the castle.
Caynin could keep up with her human pace, but she could tell he couldn’t run as fast as he should be able to.
“You’d be good at it.” Caynin squeezed her hand for emphasis.
Celine looked back to see that several guards rushed toward the dungeon, and the guard Caynin had shoved down the stairs pointed in the direction which Celine and Caynin were going. The other guards saw them and followed. Celine and Caynin picked up their pace and turned left again.
“In here!” Celine said when she saw a big sign for the bakery.
She pulled Caynin into the bakery and slammed the door with a loud bang. While catching her breath, she had a moment to look around in the small, cluttered bakery. Bread and pastries were displayed on the counters, and a delicious scent filled her nose. The bakery was like human bakeries – the big difference was the customers.
Inside were five Fata; two were standing behind the counter, while three were eating at the small tables. The lady behind the counter had a sharp nose and light-green eyes like Peter’s, which made Celine guess that she was his mother.
“The guards are after us,” Celine said. There was no time for greetings or long explanations.
“In here!” Peter’s mom said.
Celine followed her to the back of the bakery, where another lady was baking bread. This room was separate from the one where everyone was eating, and once they were inside, she heard the front door open. Celine’s gut told her it was the soldiers.
“Is that who I think it is, Astrix?” the female, who was baking bread, asked.
“Our princess and the Everwhite Prince, Cindy,” Peter’s mom replied, although there was no need to point out who Caynin was.
Astrix opened the broom cupboard and shoved them inside before closing the door softly. Celine was pressed tightly against Caynin, and there was no room to move. His warm breath puffed on her face, and she rested her hands on his chest. Being this close to him felt better than anything had in a while.
“Thank you for saving me.” She pitched her voice as soft as a lover’s whisper. Some light shone through the crack in the door. She looked up into his beautiful eyes, wishing she could see herself through them.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Caynin said.
Then they were both quiet. Celine tried to breathe softly, as if her breathing would give away her position. Would the five Fata in the bakery betray her? If they stayed silent and kept her secret, would Severin kill them or throw them in the dungeon like the rest?
In the broom closet, Celine could not hear them speaking and every second dragged on. She listened for the door hoping to hear it close when the soldiers left. But she couldn’t.
Bells rang loudly, from the courtyard, announcing that a prisoner had escaped.
Caynin was too weak to fight a group of soldiers, and Celine was human. Maybe they didn’t stand a chance. Any moment now the broom cupboard would be ripped open, and they would be dragged to the dungeon. If Severin did anything violent to Caynin, it would mean war. Was he foolish enough to do it anyway?
“Are we going to die?” Celine whispered.
Caynin’s elbow scraped against the cupboard as he put his hand to her cheek. “No.”
He sounded steady and true. She wanted to believe him.
She was grateful that he was there with her, and that she was not so alone. She knew she shouldn’t, but she pressed herself a little tighter against Caynin and breathed in his scent. Snow. Cold. Freshness. It felt as if breathing in his scent detoxified and relaxed her, washed her clean. She closed her eyes and felt his soft lips brush against her. They couldn’t be standing any closer than they already were. The kiss deepened.
Then the broom closet door swung open, and they broke apart their kiss. Celine expected a guard to hurl her out of there, but instead she looked into light-green eyes.
“Oops. I can close the door, and we can pretend like I did not interrupt your moment,” Astrix offered.
“That’s okay.” Celine laughed and climbed out of the broom cupboard. Caynin knocked several brooms over as he followed.
“I haven’t formally introduced myself,” Celine began.
“There is no need for that,” Astrix said. “We know who you are.”
Cindy was looking at Caynin and Celine with big eyes. Her hands were covered in dough, and her apron had maize on it.
“Did no one in the bakery say anything to the guards about me?” Celine wondered.
“No one said a thing,” Astrix said. “After Tarragon was sent to the Dark House and Severin usurped your throne, many of us were hoping you would return.”
Caynin gave her a supportive smile, his kiss still fresh on her lips. She tried not to think about him but of her followers instead. She did not want to rule, but she did not want Severin on the throne either. The loyalty of the Fata who lived in the Everblossom Kingdom was divided between Tarragon, Severin, and her.
“Very few dare to speak and confess that they support you,” Cindy said. “Anyone who supports you gets a one-way ticket to jail.”
Oh, that was why the jail here was so full of Fata…
“News traveled fast that Severin captured you,” Astrix said.
“He sent me to the dungeons where I met your son.” Celine’s chest tightened.
Sadness crossed Astrix’s face, which reminded Celine how Astrix brought her son bread. She risked much to feed him and, without knowing, the other prisoners. Her bread had, without a doubt, extended many lives. Astrix didn’t say anything about him, and Celine wondered if it was too painful to talk about.
Neither Cindy nor Astrix mentioned Celine’s missing tooth, clearly aware it was a mark of shame and the reason why Celine couldn’t open a portal to leave.
“After escaping the dungeons, you must be hungry.” Astrix went to the other side of the bakery, and when she returned, she carried two chairs. “It’s best you eat here, where you won’t be seen by Fata walking past the bakery.”
“You’re too kind,” Caynin said.
“It’s the least I can do,” she said. “The Everblossom Kingdom has been without proper leadership for too long. Tarragon was a war-hungry, murderous tyrant, and Severin isn’t much better. I would do anything to see the daughter of Prince Calico sit on the throne and restore the kingdom to its former glory.”
Celine wasn’t sure how she felt about being compared to her parents. Just because her father had been a good prince, and the Fata had loved him, didn’t mean she would also be. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to rule forever. A human lifespan was short compared to the immortal lives of the Fata. Assuming she would rule, and die, would Dagan take over once she died? Dagan. Oops. She’d grown so close to him, and now she’d kissed Caynin…
Astrix placed croissants and coffee in front of Celine and Caynin. Celine focused on her food and how everything the Fata made tasted better than human-made food. She devoured hers while Caynin picked at his lazily, making her wonder if he was still craving blood, which made the food taste much better. When she had first found out he drank human blood, she had been angry and disgusted. But after tasting Dagan’s blood and feeling its effects, she could empathize with him.
“Aren’t you going to eat anything?” she asked.
“I’m not hungry,” he responded.
“If you want your magic to recharge, you have to eat.” She was fully aware that she sounded like Dagan. Caynin gave her a weak smile and obediently took a bite. Dagan wouldn’t have done what she had asked if he were here. He was too rebellious, too set in his ways, and too stubborn.
“Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you,” Astrix said.
“We will.” Although Caynin was weak, he spoke with the authority, generosity, and kindness of a strong leader. “There will always be a place for you in the Everwhite Kingdom, should you need or want it.”
“Thank you, my Prince,” Astrix said with an eager gleam in her eyes before she returned to her other customers.
After living on Earth for seventeen years, the Fata had adopted some human habits and traits. For example, opening a bakery and selling human food was a big attraction. Not many Fata would travel into the human lands because they feared the Slaerie.
When the Fata fled to Earth, they had not had time to pack their own plants and animals and bring them along. They’d had to adapt to a more human-like lifestyle here. Some dressed like humans, and all ate human food. Some liked human traditions and culture so much that they changed their names to human ones such as Astrix or Cindy. Others embraced human culture so much that they named their kids after them – like Peter. The Fata acted like they were above humans, but Celine often thought they envied them. Humans could feel strong emotions and different sensations, and that made life so much more beautiful. What was the point in living forever if you didn’t experience everything life had to offer?
“We should wait until it is dark, before we leave,” Caynin said. The sun was already setting. “That way it will be easier to slip out of here unnoticed.”
“I want to get my tooth back,” Celine said. “It will be no use if we escape but my magic is blocked.”
“Leave that up to Dagan.”
“Dagan is here?” Why hadn’t Caynin mentioned him before?
Caynin nodded.
“Well, where exactly is he?”
“He is dealing with unfinished business,” Caynin said curtly.
Cindy was evidently listening to everything that they were saying. Yes, the Fata here were helping Celine, but she still didn’t fully trust them. Cindy’s eyes were on her work while she kneaded dough. Although she looked oddly human, she was not. Her pointy ears and sharp canines were a reminder that she was Fata, and it was in her nature to deceive. Cindy and the others were taking a huge risk helping her and Caynin.
Astrix returned from the tables. “There is going to be an announcement, and I am going outside to hear what it is.”
“I’ll come with you,” Cindy said, which made Celine wonder if she was going so that she could give Celine and Caynin privacy. “Then we close the bakery for today. That way no one will wander in here and see you.” She looked at Celine.
The last few customers left the bakery. Astrix removed her apron and left it on the counter before she and Cindy switched off the bakery lights and left. They closed the door behind them but did not lock it. Celine and Caynin could leave if they wanted to. Once they were gone, it was incredibly quiet, and Celine resisted the urge to peek out the window.
“What do you think they are announcing?” she asked Caynin.
“Severin is probably pissed. He will announce you are missing and threaten anyone who even considers aiding you.”
“Do you think he will declare war on your kingdom because you came for me?”
“I don’t think he will because he does not have the numbers,” Caynin said.
Caynin’s head was in his hand, and his arm rested on the table. He looked exhausted, although he had not been fighting. He was in no shape for a battle, and Celine feared what would happen if the guards were to catch them before they reached the Globetrot-tree. His body was not healing naturally, and no medicine or herbs would speed up the healing process. But there was one thing that would…
“You need blood,” Celine decided.
Caynin laughed bitterly. “Do you think I don’t know that?”
He had kept his word and set all his slaves free. He hadn’t had a single drop of blood in months, and it was showing.
“If you don’t drink blood, I fear we won’t get out of here.”
Caynin was weak and would slow them down. He would also not be able to defend them. But times were tough, and Celine would have to put her own moral compass aside to survive.
“What are you saying?” Caynin asked, his blue eyes on her.
Celine had told him at the Red Festival that drinking blood was disgusting and wrong. She had sworn she would never let him, or any other faerie, bite her. But now, Caynin had come for her, and in doing so, he had put his own life at risk.
She took a deep breath before she said, “Bite me.”