The fae warrior fae 0f b.., p.1
The Fae Warrior (Fae 0f Ballantine Book 2), page 1
part #2 of Fae 0f Ballantine Series
The Fae Warrior
(Fae of Ballantine)
Serena Meadows
BOOK II
Copyright ©2019 by Serena Meadows - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This book is intended for adult readers only. Any sexual activity portrayed in these pages occurs between consenting adults over the age of 18 who are not related by blood.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Also By Serena Meadows
About the Author
Chapter One
***Keaton***
Keaton sank lower into the chair he’d been sitting in for what felt like days, then pulled himself back up, knowing that it would be too easy to fall asleep in that position. With hours still to go before the sun rose, he was beginning to feel the effects of too little sleep and too much excitement. The coffee he’d been guzzling wasn’t helping him stay awake either, but it was beginning to make his body feel like it was vibrating, and his stomach hurt.
He looked over to where Reese sat in a chair similar to his, his head nodding with exhaustion as well, and didn’t feel so bad. They’d both had quite a few shocks in the last few days, and it was going to take some time to digest everything that had happened. Colin’s marriage to a common Fae, and his sudden transformation into a completely different, albeit better, man was one of the biggest.
But that wasn’t why they were all gathered in the library of the castle with the King and Queen of Ballantine, although he was sure the subject would come up eventually. A Fae prince couldn’t just marry a commoner; it was against the law, and all social dictates. Colin didn’t seem to care if it cost him the crown, but Keaton wondered if he’d still feel that same way a year or two from now. Of course, if things kept going the way they were, there might not be a crown to worry about.
He’d never dreamed that when he came here two weeks ago to catch up with the royal family that his little vacation would turn into a fight to save Ballantine. But that’s exactly what he’d spent the last twenty-four hours doing, and although the threat had been handled for the moment, thanks to Darby, the man responsible had still managed to disappear. Now they were all locked behind closed doors, trying to convince the king that his closest advisor, Samuel, was the driving force behind the destruction in Ballantine and a threat that couldn’t be ignored.
It was beginning to look like the king was never going to believe them when the minister of finance came bursting into the room. A short and nervous man, he stopped right inside the door, looked around the room, then bowed deeply to the king and queen.
“What is the meaning of this?” the king asked. “I gave strict instructions that we weren’t to be interrupted.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I’ve just discovered that the crown jewels are missing,” the little man said, then stood trembling for a second before adding, “The guards report that Samuel came and took them earlier this evening, supposedly on your orders.”
***Rainie***
Rainie had just closed her eyes after a long day spent patrolling the furthest reaches of the kingdom when there was a loud banging on the front door. She was out of bed and striding out of her bedroom in seconds, the urgency of the knocking making her blood begin to pump. When she threw open the door, she gasped at the sight of her second in command, Thomas, who stood bleeding on the porch.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out, then he started to fall, so she reached out and grabbed him. Stumbling under his weight, she pulled him into the house, relieved when her father appeared at her side. Together, they carried him down the hallway and into the kitchen, her mother issuing orders as they went.
“Put him on the table, and then get me the first aid kit under the sink,” her mother said, sweeping everything off the table with a swipe of her arm.
The sound of breaking glass filled the room, waking the rest of the house. Soon her mother was issuing orders and the kitchen was bustling with activity, as water was boiled, and bandages readied. Knowing she was worthless in a sick room, she grabbed a chair and sat down next to Thomas, who still hadn’t opened his eyes but was breathing more normally.
When he finally opened his eyes, he smiled at her, but then his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He tried to sit up, but Rainie held him down. “Just lay still and tell me what happened.”
“Darrel and I were on the ridge…it happened so fast…I can’t be sure it was him…” he said, then closed his eyes and grimaced.
She looked up at her mother, who shook her head then went back to cleaning Thomas’s wounds. “It’s okay; take your time. Try starting at the beginning,” she said.
Thomas took a deep, shuddering breath. “I was on guard at the ridge, up in that old tree we all like to use when all of the sudden I felt something stinging my arm,” he said, then held his breath as her mother began stitching up a wound on his arm.
“In the second it took me to look at my arm, other places began to sting and then I heard the buzzing sound and saw the biting nettle bugs swarming around me,” he said. “When I looked over at Darrel, he was covered in them, and finally jumped from the tree. I heard him hit the ground, and then I jumped myself.”
“But we don’t have biting nettles here,” she said. “Where did they come from?”
Thomas stared at her for a second. “You aren’t going to believe me. I’m not sure I believe it myself. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Rainie was trying to be patient, but she needed to know who had done this, and where they were. “I need to know, Thomas, even if it doesn’t make sense.”
His eyes scanned the room, then he whispered. “It was Samuel. I saw him, Rainie. He was carrying a big wooden box with the royal seal on it and riding the big stallion he always rides.”
***Keaton***
King Alexander jumped to his feet; his face filled with rage. “Where is Jamison?” he shouted.
His exhaustion forgotten, Keaton was more awake than he’d been all night, what had been a near disaster suddenly was even worse than they’d first imagined. The crown jewels were more than just a pretty adornment the king and queen wore on special occasions; they protected Ballantine from the outside world. Without them, the kingdom and all its inhabitants would be vulnerable to the Unseelie and their powers of evil.
The minister of finance looked like he was going to pass out. “I’m not sure, Your Grace, but I’ll go try to find him,” he said, backing out of the room, his legs barely able to hold him.
When the king sat back down, Queen Isabella reached over and patted his arm. “You shouldn’t have yelled at Clarence like that; it’s not his fault,” she said.
The king shook his head. “No, it’s mine for trusting Samuel,” he said.
Just then, Jamison came bursting through the door, his face grim, his clothes rumpled and dirty. “We’ve managed to restore peace in town, but about half the guards have deserted. They looted the town and started fires before escaping from a dock that looks like it was built this afternoon south of the harbor.”
There was a long silence in the room. “And what of the Imperial Guards?” the king asked, his eyes narrowed at Jamison.
“Most of my men stayed at their posts, although we did lose a few,” he said, his face red with embarrassment. “They disappeared this afternoon.”
“You have heard about the crown jewels, I assume?” the king asked, staring at his youngest son with a look that would have withered any other man.
“Yes, sir, and the guard who let him take them is in the stockades now, awaiting punishment,” Jamison said, standing his ground. “In his defense, sir, Samuel has been allowed full access to the vaults for some time.”
Keaton watched, fascinated by the exchange going on between father and son, but felt terrible for Jamison. If he’d chosen a different path, it could have been him standing before the king right then, but he’d turned the post down in favor of his life-long dream. He’d never been sorry that he’d turned his back on the Imperial Guard, and that choice seemed even wiser now.
“Hmm, well, yes, I suppose that’s true,” the king said. “Have we launched a search party to go after him?”
Jamison’s face paled. “Well, sir, it appears that he’s escaped into the mountains. We assume he’s going to try to go over the pass.”
“That’s impossible; the pass has been closed for decades; no one could get over it n
Jamison shook his head. “We have numerous witnesses that saw him riding toward the pass with at least a dozen men, all mounted and armed,” he said.
“Have you alerted the Alpine Guard?” the king asked, getting to his feet and beginning to pace. “They should be able to stop him.”
“I’m afraid we haven’t been able to reach them,” Jamison said. “Our calls go unanswered.”
***Rainie***
Rainie slowed her horse to a walk, scanning the countryside around her, trying to get her bearings. It had been years since she’d been to Ballantine, and things had changed a lot, but not enough for her not to notice the destruction from the storm a few days ago. They’d watched it swirling and spitting over the harbor, but from the mountains, it hadn’t looked a fierce as it must have been.
When they crested the hill they’d been climbing, and got their first look at Ballantine nestled in the harbor, she stopped her horse and stared. Nothing remained of the long pier she remembered, and although Main Street looked okay, the streets were deserted as if everyone had fled. Fear leaped to life deep inside her, and she kicked her horse into a trot, her companions following her without need of direction.
But as they got closer to town, she began to see signs of life, guards riding up and down the quiet streets, neighbors slipping in and out of each other’s houses, and small groups of people quietly repairing their homes. Still alarmed but not quite so panicked, they thundered through the quiet streets and up to the gates that separated the Royals from the commoners.
She’d only been to the castle twice: once as a child, and once when her mother had gotten it into her head that she needed to go to a ball. Neither trip had been much fun, and this one wasn’t going to be either, but first she had to get past the guard at the gate, who was staring at them with his mouth hanging open.
If her mission hadn’t been so serious, she would have laughed at the look on the poor man’s face when she jumped down from her horse and closed the distance between them with determined steps. She knew that Steven and Adam were close behind her, and that together, they must have made a scary sight, so she used that to her advantage.
“Can I help you?” he stammered when she stood towering over him.
“We’re here to see King Alexander and Queen Isabella,” she said, glaring down at him.
“Umm, well, I’m not supposed to let anyone in without a pass,” the guard said.
Rainie looked around. “Looks like you’re here all alone,” she said. “Are you really going to try to stop us?”
“No, I guess not,” he mumbled.
“I appreciate your cooperation,” she said, mounting her horse. “Would you be kind enough to open the gates for us?”
Chapter Two
***Keaton***
Keaton was about to ask who the Alpine Guard was when the door of the library suddenly burst open and three figures dressed in long black cloaks, hoods over their heads, came striding into the room. A guard was chasing after them, shouting and trying to stop them, and he was instantly on alert, his long years of training kicking in.
When the three men kept coming, he was on his feet and moving across the room to protect the king and queen before he could even think about what he was doing. But Reese and Colin were right with him, and the three of them advanced on the group, ready to do battle if necessary.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” Keaton demanded, coming to a halt a few feet from the trio.
To his surprise, a woman’s voice said. “Let us pass, we must talk to King Alexander and Queen Isabella. It’s a matter of grave concern to the kingdom.”
“Remove your hoods and show yourselves,” Keaton demanded.
She reached up, slid the hood of her cloak down, and for an instant, he was stunned by her beauty. Her green eyes sparkled with determination and a passion he rarely saw in the Fae, making his heart beat a bit faster and his palms become sweaty. But then she stepped forward as if to pass him, and the spell was broken, the reality of the situation bringing him out of him momentary stupor.
“Don’t come any closer,” he said, spreading his feet and taking a deep breath.
He let the magic that ran through his royal veins stir to life, focused on the woman’s green eyes, and pushed away the flare of desire that threated to break his concentration. But no matter how hard he tried; he couldn’t penetrate the fog that seemed to protect her thoughts from him. It swirled around them, casting shadows he couldn’t see through.
Determined to break past the barrier, he changed tactics, searching for a way into her consciousness, but was blocked at every turn by the dense layer of heavy fog. Nearly to his limit, he backed out of her mind, trying not to let his frustration show, but it was nearly impossible when he saw the smug smile on her face.
“That’s not going to work on me,” she said, grinning at him.
Keaton was close to resorting to physical violence when he heard the king laughing behind him. “She’s right. Warrior Fae are immune to our mind control,” he said, then got to his feet. “But that was fun to watch. I thought he had you for a moment there, Rainie.”
The woman dropped into a deep curtsy, then stood back up. “I’m sorry to come barging in here like this, but I have news that can’t wait for the proper channels.”
Keaton looked from the woman to the king and back again. “You know her?” he finally asked.
The king smiled. “I’ve known Rainie since she was a little Fae,” he said. But the smile quickly faded from his face. “Is it too much for me to hope that you’ve captured Samuel?”
Rainie shook her head. “I’m sorry to report that he killed one of my men and wounded another badly, but how did you know?”
“I think we’d better discuss this over breakfast,” the king said, looking over at Queen Isabella, who nodded her head. “Jamison and Colin, join us, and bring Darby as well.”
He was still standing in the same spot when the door closed behind them, leaving only he and Reese in the room. “I feel like I missed something,” he said, turning to look at Reese.
He shrugged. “Haven’t you ever met a Warrior Fae?”
“I never knew that there was such a thing,” he said. “And what is the Alpine Guard? I’ve never heard of it either.”
Reese looked at him in shock. “How did you make it so far in the Imperial Guard without learning about Warrior Fae and the Alpine Guard?”
Keaton was beginning to get annoyed. “Will you just tell me already?” he said.
“Okay, okay, but I think we need some breakfast too. I’m starving,” Reese said.
“Fine,” he said, realizing that he was hungry. “But start talking. I hate not knowing something I should.”
Reese rolled his eyes. “You haven’t changed any, have you?” he asked. “The Alpine Guard is an elite group of Warrior Fae who have protected the mountain pass since the Seelie moved here centuries ago.”
“The pass over the mountain has been closed for a long time,” Keaton said, following Reese out of the room. “Is that why I’ve never heard of them?”
He nodded, and Keaton fell in step next to him. “But that’s only one of the reasons. The Alpine Guard is our final defense against the Unseelie, the power that will defeat them if they ever attack Ballantine.”
“Then how did Samuel get past them?” he asked, still not all that impressed.
Reese shrugged. “I guess that’s what Uncle Alexander wants to find out.”
After they’d eaten their fill from the extensive breakfast buffet that was always served at the castle, they went back to the library, but it was still empty. “I suggest we get some sleep while we can; Uncle Alexander will know where to find us if he needs us.”
