Kingdom of Crimson: Crown of Faeries Prequel

6 | Children of the Fair

      Taran walked ahead of us as we rode through the rest of the night towards the edge of the rift. The Unseelie prisoner was quite adamant about walking, refusing to ride astride either one of us. Cade took zero offense, but his words had stung a little when coupled with the look of absolute disgust he shot me.

My eyes narrowed as I watched the once taunt muscles of Taran's back loosen the closer we got to the rift.

"What do you know of Unseelie prisoners?" I whisper towards Cade. Our horses walked side by side, often nuzzling noses playfully as we wound our way in and out of the trees.

Cade continued to glare at Taran as he says, "Not much. I know the Unseelie still like to capture humans and enslave them secretly, but his ears are rather pointy." His lip curls back in slight disgust.

I raised a quizzical brow. "Don't like the new competition?"

Cade huffed out an incredulous snort. "Hardly," he says roughly. "I'm more skeptical as to why Unseelie riders were tracking him down. He might be a murderer and I don't like those kind of odds."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Taran let out a low whistle as he chuckled. "Murderer?" He looks at us from over his shoulder. "Truly honored that you would think so highly of me."

Cade growled low in his chest as Taran bat his eyelashes. "Alright then," Cade snips. "Then tell us the reason why you were a prisoner to the Unseelie court."

"Again," Taran turns his head back around so he's not looking at us anymore. "I don't know anything about Unseelie courts."

"Enough with the trickery!" Cade hissed.

Taran shrugs and continues forward as if the conversation never happened. He remains silent for a while but eventually says, "I come from a land where Children of the Fair use light to blind our people and where Children of the Darkness use shadows to deceive. I was not a prisoner because I murdered anyone, but because I plan on murdering a kingdom."

The gravity of his words sing throughout the forest. The trees recoil backward, giving us a wider berth. Cade shoots me a look as if to say I told you he was dangerous.

I shrug, not wanting to continue on with the conversation. The king's warning at lunch about half-fae's came ringing through my mind. Had he known about Taran's escape? Is that why he agreed to my father's request to send Cade along with me?

Something dark and ugly coiled in my gut as I watched Taran jump over exposed roots and then sink into the growing foliage. For a half-fae, the boy presented with otherworldly ethereal qualities that would have marked him as more faery than human. His uncanny sense of shadows and molding into them sent a cold chill down my spine. Not to mention all his features screamed Unseelie. The dark hair, the tanner skin, the lithe grace, and sturdier frame all pointed towards the other court.

My eyes slid over towards Cade. His white hair shimmered and his pale blue eyes seemed shadowed as he too stared at the Unseelie prisoner. I wanted to ask Cade what he was thinking, but the vibrations of the rift up ahead caused us all to inhale sharply.

We were here.

• • •

Cade walked ahead with his hand gripping his hilt. His body language had my chest fluttering in unease. Sidelong looks were given our way as we wound our way through the dirt crusted streets.

Taran, to my surprise, seemed relaxed. He whistled as he plucked fruit and bread from stands, tossing coins at the venders. He even winked at me a few times, causing me to draw my hood up to hide my face. Something felt...odd about the half-Fae. I just couldn't put my finger on it just yet.

"You two draw so much attention to yourselves with your hoods and dark cloaks," Taran torn into the loaf of bread, moaning to himself as he looked up into the heavens in thanks. He waved to the crowds that started to come and go in waves around us as more tents and shops were set up along the side of the street. "Weekend markets are time for celebration in these parts," he explained. Cade raised a brow at the same time I did.

"Weekend?" I shrugged as Cade asked the question.

Taran laughed. "Forgot you've been stuck on the other side," he offered me a chunk of bread but I waved him away. "Weekends are a time where people take time to themselves to relax."

       Cade rolled his eyes. "Lessers always need a reason to be incompetent," he shook his head.

       I elbowed Cade in the ribs. "Don't be rude," I hissed in a low whisper. Taran didn't seem phased Cade's comment. In fact, he was more focused on plucking fruits and nuts from the carts and tents rolling out all around us. Cade and I shared an uneasy look.

      "I don't like the crowds," Cade's eyes flashed back and forth through the throngs of people weaving around us. We had to pick up our pace to stay within eyesight of Taran. I got a bad feeling that Taran purposely led us into the market to confuse Cade and I into losing him.

       "I don't either," I agreed with Cade.

I was about to call out to Taran to slow down, when the half-Fae came to an abrupt stop at the opening of a tent. I took in the red and gold flaps of the tent and the sign hammered crookedly into the soft dirt that read Lunar Oracle.

"What game are you playing at?" Cade stormed forward and gripped Taran by his collar. The boys glared at each other for a moment before Taran twisted and shoved away from Cade. "You took us to a Lesser who dabbles in magic? We asked you to take us to Soren Pyper."

Taran pulled at the end of his tunic, evening out the wrinkles. "You obviously weren't listening to me before," he rolled his eyes at Cade. "Soren Pyper is the Lunar Oracle."

       Cade huffed out an incredulous breath. He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the worn down tent skeptically. I couldn't blame him, the colors were weather worn, patches of muslin were haphazardly sewn into the top, and the sign appeared to be written by a child who had just begun to write.

      Before either one of us could say another word, Taran slipped between the front folds of the tent.

      I sighed. "Well, it can't be all that bad inside," I tried to sound optimistic, but Cade cut me a glance that told me he wasn't buying it.

     "This feels like a trap," he said.

      "You always think everything is a trap," I brushed my hair back from my face.

       "I'm usually right," he deadpanned, and I felt my heart sink as his words settled in and the truth in them weighed heavily.

      "It doesn't matter," I said. "Soren Pyper is the one man we're supposed to see, and he's right through there." I pointed at the tent flaps. "So, here goes nothing." I stepped away from Cade and entered the tent.

•••
Thank you for reading!!

Short chapter, but I wanted to give you all something to read! Chapters for this book are still currently PAUSED, but I'm hoping to start publishing regularly soon again!