Fairy Tale: Winter's Bite

Chapter 8: Wrath (Part 1)

At the main entrance to Pyxis, General Cygnus Gustave was waiting for news from Chibougamau. He had barked at every Gray Coat and Crown Champion, told each not to bother him with guesswork or excuses, and now he was alone with his thoughts.

As he played over recent events in his head, he still could not fathom how two ignorant brothers could have accomplished such an improbable escape with only the help of Andromeda's wingless daughter.

Apparently, Cassiopeia was not to be underestimated. She had that in common with her mother. And Cygnus should have never disregarded the princess when she left the palace. Andromeda had wanted her closely monitored, but Cassiopeia fell through the cracks. A meek and cowering runaway hardly seemed worth the time and resources when the Extermination List was lengthening by the day.

Hours passed. Despite the dagger-sharp blasts of arctic wind, Cygnus was sweating profusely. His career and probably his life depended on the two witless Gray Coats stationed in Chibougamau.

Where did this operation go wrong?

The apprehension had gone smoothly enough, with only two Gray Coat casualties. Christopher was an unexpected force to reckon with. Still, they overpowered him with relative ease. Then they all slept soundly through the transport into Canada and were well supervised throughout the queen's interrogations. The children, however, had caught them off guard. Royal Modifiers? Who would have thought it possible?

The queen was certainly a believer. In addition to her plots for vengeance, she had spent a fortune searching for Royal fairies who could also change to human size. She had gone through numerous husbands and years of trial and error in attempt to give birth to a son worthy of becoming her heir. Power and legitimacy in both the fairy world and the human world were at stake. Ironically, the family of her despised first husband had turned myth into reality without either knowing or trying.

After they had all vanished from the guarded cage, the misfit group had the audacity to enter the Aerial Palace, the most unlikely of places, and slip right through Andromeda's fingers. A jammed gate and a naked and unconscious Gray Coat later, the MacRaes had managed to hijack one of their vehicles and escape. Somehow, those Bottom-Dwellers and the broken little princess had outmaneuvered his best Crown Champions and evaded his Gray Legion. The entire mission had become a fiasco, a boondoggle, a bust, and the queen would hold someone responsible.

Cygnus's attention shifted to the sound of approaching snowmobiles. The Gray Coat–driven machines crested the hill, and Lieutenant-General Crux Chevalier's battalion of the Royal Air Brigade flew in from behind. They were back, at last, but their carriers appeared empty.

Cygnus swooped up and landed beside his lieutenant-general. "Where are they? How dare you come back without them!"

"I'm sorry, sir," Crux said. "They Modified after abandoning the vehicle, and we lost sight of them. But surely they are hiding in Chibougamau. And I've already increased our numbers there. We'll apprehend them soon, General. I'm fairly confident—"

"Apprehended soon? Fairly confident? They could be halfway to America by now!"

"We'll keep looking. They'll resurface at some point."

"You had better hope they do," Cygnus growled between clenched teeth.

"General Gustave," a soldier at the entrance gate called out. "Her Majesty has requested your presence in the Strategy Room."

"I'll be there momentarily."

Cygnus fluttered to a rock beneath a black spruce tree and lit his pipe. While he took a puff, he considered flying off and never returning. If only he were a Modifier. He would be a vile, detested creature, but at least he would be able to assimilate into the human world. As a Royal fairy, where would he go and what would he do? Every decent fairy society across the globe had some of Andromeda's eyes living there. He would be a fugitive for the rest of his life. And at this late hour he would only be able to save himself. In his absence, the queen would undoubtedly kill off his entire bloodline, currently nestled in luxury on Royal Way.