Faethfully Yours: Unbound

Chapter Three

Kheelan’s shadowed eyes narrowed, and he approached them, each step shattering beneath him like ever falling chandeliers. “How dare you leave Migols to roam the lands without their masters? Queen Aeval will hear of this—“

“It is the Queen who ordered their release,” a voice rumbled from behind the line. The groaning of gates resounded, and the towering doors opened slightly. I stopped breathing as the line of Fae parted. Though their faces remained expressionless, every single one stiffen. I did too.

 A Migol stalked out first, his talons hooking onto the icy ground.  Blood red eyes glowed through the white breaths clouding his face. He was the biggest of the wraiths, his flaming collar doubled. Looking up, I bit back a gasp, the memory of Kala’el whipping into my mind when I beheld the Migols’ master. But whereas Kala’el’s glamour sparked waves of desire and, well, mischievous thoughts— this Fae sent lashes of fear down my spine.

He strode to the middle of the field, broad chest leading. Stopping, his glacial blue eyes slid past Elena with a smirk, dissected Kheelan with a scowl, and stopped at me with enough glamour to burn my skin off. But the pain I felt from the wraiths burn forced me to straighten my spine, clouding over my fear and weakness to his glamour.

“State your name,” Kheelan ordered, superiority seeping in his tone as he stepped forward, demanding the Fae’s attention once more.

“I am Loch, Commander of the Fire Legion, and Faithful servant to her Majesty, Queen Aeval.”

Kheelan chuckled coldly. “Then, servant, I demand to be escorted to Aeval immediately. I will ask her myself if such carelessness was truly ordered by her.”

Loch’s eyes widened slightly. Kheelan’s words seemed to hit him like slap in the face. “Carelessness? Are you questioning the Queen’s orders? You will be wise to know that insulting the Queen carries a penalty of death. Pray that she is expecting you, or my Migol will feast on an early meal.”

“Trust me, I do not need an invitation, never have—”

Loch’s expression grew grim. “Things have changed.  The kingdom has been raided by the Resistance three times in the past two weeks, many of our brethren slaughtered by the arrows of those bastards. Rumors say some of our own kind have gone against the code of their fathers, of our people, and have joined the filth that is the Resistance…and here you are, arriving uninvited, and travelling with a human....”

The guards behind him all clenched their hands, and the wraiths sunk to an attacking level.  My stomach tightened at his implication.

Loch’s slid his gaze to me. “What is your name, human? What region do you belong to?”

 “She is mine, and answers to no one but me,” Kheelan answered readily.

“A Domis?” Loch’s lips curled. I didn’t like the predatory glint in his eyes. “If the girl is truly your Domis, then let her show us her marks and I might believe you.”

Elena cursed under her breath and dismounted, gnawing at what little hope of safety I had left. Clearly we’d overlooked the fact that I would need to be explained, and clearly we’d have to fight our way out of here. I gripped onto my sleeves tightly, and Loch whirled his wrist, unwinding the leash around his hand.  The slackened Migol stepped forward. Kheelan didn’t flinch.

“Marked, or unmarked, she is my property,” Kheelan said through gritted fangs, “And I suggest you tighten your hold on that beast. I may not be able to kill him, but I will obliterate you if he touches her.”

Loch smiled, the tips if his fangs sticking out ever so slightly. “And who are you to stop me?”

 “He is Kheelan Stok’yael from the Water territories of the Inner Circles of Hillenia,” a frail voice echoed all around. Startled, I spun, cringng when pain shot down my back. An older Fae stood at the mouth of the forest. He was much older than any Fae I’d ever seen, and looked strangely...human. His skin, though glowing, had lost the youthful elasticity and glasslike nature that all Fae seemed to be blessed with.