Fire Weaver (Fall of the Fey #1)

Chapter 23

It was decided that Carmel and Dresdan would take the Wolf Prince to Gregor's house.The walk didn't stop Carmel from peppering the Prince with questions while Dresdan rolled his eyes about the contents of the questions. Carmel was glad that they walked there at night, it would have been impossible to hide the Wolf Prince's blue hue in daylight. His otherness was much easier to avoid prying eyes at night.

'So you were asleep for three hundred years?' Carmel asked him, 'that's how old the legend is.'

'It would appear so,' was his response.

'If you are Fair-folk, what is your power?'

'I am gifted, as all are in the Fey line.' He told her. This was a non-answer, which didn't surprise Carmel, most wouldn't have revealed their powers to a stranger.

'How did you sleep?'

'My friend.' The Wolf Prince's expression darkened as he considered his answer. 'I am compelled to always have two guards with me. I told them to wait downstairs but Vamot had a vision and Melfot healed me before I could die.'

'Why did they put you to sleep?' Carmel asked, trying to steer the Wolf Prince away from memories of his wife, she could imagine that he would not respond well to questions about her.

'It took a long time for me to heal.' He told her. 'Jacoby had gone into hiding. So, I decided to sleep until I was needed.'

'So, I woke you up?'

'Yes, I heard you begging.'

'Is Jacoby the Demon King in your story, Dresdan?' Carmel asked. The Wolf Prince looked appalled.

'The Demon King?' The Wolf Prince said while Dresdan nodded. 'That is how the speak of him? How disappointing.'

'Well, they called you the Wolf Prince.' Carmel told him.

'I feel the need to repeat myself.' He responded and Carmel caught a glimpse of arrogance that was said to be in all rulers. 'You can call me Lucius, my true name.'

'It's nice to meet you Lucius. I'm Carmel... I used to be part of the fire elementals.' She hesitated to tell him that but it was an unavoidable part of her life so she decided to own it. 'That's Dresdan and he's a Skin Walker.'

'I know of the elementals but what are Skin Walkers?'

'Legends say that we are the offspring of man and beast.' Dresdan said. 'A cursed species never meant to exist and that is why we are given the gift of choosing our form but the agony of the Shift.'

'I would like to speak to the Fair-folk, I set up a council before I slept.' Lucius said abruptly changing the subject.

Carmel scratched her head, they had come to the edge of the forest and she knew that the time had only gone faster because they were walking down hill and talking had distracted her but she couldn't shake the feeling that the walk should have been longer.

'Are you fire resistant?' She asked Lucius. Dresdan looked back at her, as he stepped onto the street, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

'Yes.' Lucius told her wearily. 'Is it that far?'

Carmel shouldn't have been surprised that Lucius knew about travelling through the flames considering he knew about the elemental people. 'The Fair-folk don't live in this country. The history books say we have always been in Vogel.'

'Vogel?' Lucius said, looking around himself, he seemed uneasy about his surroundings and it took Carmel a moment to realise that many things had changed since he had been put under the sleep spell.