The Winged Fae

Chapter 2

Two days later, Niall woke with the most excruciating headache, wondering what in the world had happened to him.

And then he recalled bits and pieces. He had seen the most remarkable Mabara winged fae painting on the wall in South Padre Island and meant to stop her. Now, he was lying in his mostly cloaked bed, although the curtain was opened on one side, which he thought odd, until he rubbed his temple, and a woman gasped. He turned to look at who had made the feminine sound and saw a maid sitting in a chair, watching over him.

Which confused him. A maid wouldn’t be sitting beside his bed, unless he’d been terribly ill, but he didn’t recall having come down with any sickness.

Her eyes wide, she quickly stood, offered a hasty thanks to all the goddesses, curtseyed, and hurried out of the chamber.

She’d tell the queen and everyone he was awake, and he would be questioned mercilessly about what had happened. Which meant he had to hurry and wipe away the cobwebs of his mind so he could remember what had happened to make him feel this way.

Heavy footfalls immediately headed in the direction of his chamber door. He was surprised to see the crown prince stalk into his chamber first, not a physician.

Prince Deveron entered the chamber and closed in on the bed, then stood right next to it, crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at Niall for some time, then grinned at him. “So, what happened? Exactly?”

The most intriguing female Mabara had knocked Niall out with her debilitating sleeping potion! That’s what had happened!

Deveron’s dark hair was windswept, and he was wearing blue jeans and a T—shirt and sneakers, meaning he’d just been human side recently. Rarely did he visit anywhere in his invisible fae form, so he always dressed right for every occasion.

“Here I expect to see my loyal count at my side later in the afternoon, but you don’t return to the castle. Then Ritasia grows concerned for your welfare, although I wouldn’t have bothered looking for you until you’d missed evening meal. And here she finds you sleeping beside a fae–painted wall. She sees the girl who shot you with the sleeping powder. A fae of the royal house of Mabara. Who left a cryptic message for the Denkar. Care to explain?” Deveron continued.

Niall closed his eyes and groaned, his head splitting in two. “Later.”

“No, not later,” Deveron said. “Now. I will go easier on you than my mother. So consider this practice for the real inquisition. She hasn’t been home to hear of this news and no one will send word to her because you know what a terror she can be when angered. Not only did the osprey fae enter our territory, leave a message on our wall, but she put one of the members of our royal house in a sleep–induced state for two days, and she managed to elude our trackers for all that time.”

Niall groaned again. Every word the prince spoke grated on his nerves. He might have slept for two days straight, but he felt he could sleep for another whole year and still need more rest.

“Niall!” Deveron snapped. “Come, come. My sister said she was quite beautiful, this winged fae. So tell me, what did she look like?”

“The devil,” Niall ground out.

Deveron smiled. “Have a hangover, do we?” Then he frowned. “Serves you right for not warning us the winged elf was wreaking havoc in our domain and not seeking help in apprehending her.” Deveron let out his breath. “My mother will be furious. What can you tell me about the girl?”

When Niall didn’t say a word, though he almost smiled at Deveron’s reference to the girl being a mischievous winged elf, Deveron continued, “Ritasia was so shocked to see her, and then to find that she’d knocked you out with one of her toxins, she didn’t get enough of a look at her. Except to say she was beautiful.”