See Me (31 page)

Her warning was clear. We were not to humiliate her in front of her peers, or else.

“Aye, Princess. That I understand. I’ve only come to thank ye for yer time as the clan’s Shoe Mistress. Ye’ll be missed, ye will.”

“Especially by
you
,” cut in one of the mermaid girls.

McKale cleared his throat. “Aye. And… I’ve come to return something ye left behind when last ye visited.”

He withdrew the golden chain and talisman from his pocket and everyone looked at the Princess, aghast that she’d be so careless. She stared at it, very still, but did not reach for it. In her stance it was clear that she knew, for sure, we were up to something now. For the Leprechauns, a returned gift was like a broken promise. A break-up.

With an uncharacteristic stiff movement she stuck out her hand and took the chain. There was a stillness to her body that made the others stare, wondering what was really going on here.

“You left your heartsong trinket with a human?” one of the girls asked, aghast.

“Do not be ridiculous, Melindalah!” The FFG laughed. “I was called back into our realm and…” Her throat seemed to close up and she gave a dainty cough. “A simple misunderstanding, is all.”

She couldn’t tell a lie! It was one of the many facts we’d learned about Fae from Dad over the years.

“Well, do be careful with it from now on,” the other girl teased. “You may want to take the Prince up on his offer to bind for a time someday.”

The girls glanced toward the bronze Fae male and smiled. Our guide was a Prince? He cast a warm glance at the Princess, whose eyes stared out at the distance. For that brief second I experienced a pang of pity for her. She’d given McKale a token that was apparently supposed to be given to someone she wanted to bind with, for a time. Fae didn’t do anything “forever” except keep living. Temporary bindings were as close as they came to love and commitment. But I didn’t feel sorry for her for long.

Khalistah’s eyes suddenly widened. “Where is my Paulie?” Her head swiveled to scan the sky.

“Pardon?” McKale asked.

“Her Pixie,” one of the M-girls clarified.

McKale and I shot a glance at each other.

“He’s, erm, still in Chaun land, Princess,” McKale answered. “I’m certain he’ll return soon.”

In a dangerous whisper she asked, “What have you done to him?”

Her friends took a step away and looked at us like we were in big trouble.

“He’s not been harmed, I promise ye. He was causing no end of ruckus last night and the boys… detained him.”

Her hand flew to her chest. “Not with iron?”

McKale dropped his gaze and shoved his hands in his pockets. In a swift move the Princess glided forward and slapped him across the cheek with a startling
whack
. He let out a muffled sound and stared at her, stunned. My hands balled into fists at my sides and I rocked forward before reminding myself not to move. She would use any excuse right now to finish us. She stood close to McKale with her chin lifted to his face. His eyes met hers.

“Let it be known, McKale of the Leprechaun: I do not take kindly to others touching something that belongs to me. You will take me to Paulie.
At once
.”

This was about way more than her stupid pixie. We’d flustered her. But it was good that she wanted to return to Chaun land. Now we just needed to somehow get her to reveal her plan again.

“Will you be joining us on the return journey, Princess?” asked the bronzed Prince.

“I will.” She smoothed down the front of her dress and stood tall.

The Fae Prince held out a bent elbow to her but she ignored him, gliding past and leaving her court without a backward glance. The Prince glared after her, ego bruised, and then pointed to the steps.

“Go,” he commanded us.

We followed the FFG with the Prince close behind.

I kept my eyes down and was careful not to touch anything as we skirted the Gala festivities and made our way back to the initial tunnel. I made the mistake of looking up at the guard as we were passing through and he raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me, silver eyes caressing my curves. My heart fluttered and I rushed to stay close to McKale. The Fae Prince was on my heels.

For a tiny being, the FFG moved fast. Even in her graceful gliding, the set of her shoulders gave the image of a female on a mission. As she moved along, buds from the tunnel’s branches and vines turned to her and opened, then closed again and returned to their positions when she’d passed.

“Princess Khalistah?” McKale called out.

She didn’t answer. My heart couldn’t race any faster as I realized McKale was going in for the kill right now.

“Princess, might I speak with ye a moment?”

Without turning her head she said, “I cannot imagine what thing of importance you think is worthy of my hearing.”

The Prince gave a snort behind me and muttered, “Your father gives the Leprechauns too much grace, Princess. He coddles them into believing they are equals.”

McKale picked up his pace to walk at Khalistah’s side, and I hung back. The Prince let out a huff of air like he couldn’t believe McKale’s tenacity.

“I wish to speak with ye about the terms ye set forth when last we met,” McKale whispered.

A loud group of Fae turned down our path and Khalistah shrieked, “Move!” Her eyes flashed with a swirl of icy white and the Fae scattered out of her way. They bowed as she passed.

“I have not the slightest clue of what you are speaking,” the FFG said to McKale once we’d left that tunnel and entered a smaller one.

The narrow path was confining, and I wanted McKale to stop pestering the FFG for information. I knew he felt pressure to get her confession soon, but I wished he would wait until we were on Chaun land again. We weren’t safe here.

“What is that human blathering on about?” the Prince grumbled. Then he raised his voice and called out to McKale, “Leave the Princess alone.”

The FFG answered without stopping or glancing back. “He has been like this since childhood. I am accustomed to his need for attention. Do not worry yourself,
kind Prince
.”

The way she said “kind Prince” sounded as if she were just as annoyed with the Fae as she was with McKale. But McKale was undeterred. I chewed my bottom lip and practically jogged to keep up.

“I thought since a few days had passed… perhaps ye’d had time to think on it and change yer mind?” When she didn’t respond he said, “Do ye still require me to come to ye after the binding—”

She halted in her tracks and the walls seemed to contract inward on us. The FFG pivoted to face McKale, eyes flashing white once again.

“You will come to me of your own free will.” Her voice was level.

“What is the meaning of this?” the Prince asked.

Without looking away from McKale, the Princess held up her pointer finger at the Fae male and said, “Silence.”

His perfect brow creased with confusion as he watched her address McKale with maddening calmness. She moved close, her chin jutting up to point those scary eyes at his face. Each word she spoke was laced with a venomous punch of enunciation. McKale looked ready, hopeful.

“Nothing changed, McKale of the Leprechaun, until you dared to enter my realm with
her
. You are the one who has broken our agreement. Now I am forced to break mine. I
will
have you. And your precious betrothed
will
be punished. My Fair Folk will have her sister as a Gala gift this very night!”

Air caught in my lungs and I sucked in a choking breath. McKale, however, wore an expression of relief. The FFG had revealed herself, just as we’d wanted. But what if the video equipment didn’t work? Or what if it did and the King didn’t care? I would lose both of them. I reached out to steady myself against the wall, but the thick vine under my hand was wet and it squirmed at my touch. I yanked my hand away.

The Prince sputtered behind me and came forward. “Explain yourself, Princess.”

She turned her frosty eyes to him and smiled. “How would you like a human girl all to yourself?”

“I…” He considered this. “Humans are a lot of work, and then they die. I have never seen the value in keeping pets. My only interest has been you; however, now I am not so certain. It seems you have been keeping unsavory secrets.” He eyed McKale with disdain.

“I have wanted to do this for a long time,” she whispered.

The Prince cocked his pretty, bronzed head to the side. “Do what?”

“Alter your memory.”

His face paled at the sly grin on the FFG’s face, and he took a step back.

“You cannot do such a thing without the King’s permission. He would never allow it.”

“He will never know.”

She stepped toward him and he stepped back. McKale and I moved to stand together. I was sickened by the entire spectacle taking place. I grabbed McKale’s hand.

The Prince put up his hands and shook his head, a frightful expression contorting his immaculate face.

“
Ar oscailt intinn
,” Khalistah whispered to the Prince.
Open your mind.

He dropped his hands and relaxed, captured by her eyes. She whispered everything that he would forget, and what he would remember in its place. His feelings for her had changed and would now only be those of friendly admiration. We’d never stopped in this tunnel to carry on a conversation. Once on Chaun land he would take a fancy to Cassidy Mason and request that he be allowed to have her.

I let go of McKale’s hand and wrapped my arms around myself, chilled to my heart.

When the FFG said the closing words she spun and continued down the hall as if we’d never stopped. I was trembling uncontrollably. I glanced back at the Prince who was blinking, his face scrunched with mild confusion. The four of us followed down the twists and turns of living tunnel-work until we reached our portal with the brutish guard standing vigilant. He bowed low for Khalistah.

“A pleasure to see you, Princess.”

“Open the portal,” she commanded.

He obeyed.

WE PUSHED THROUGH THE
thickened atmosphere between realms into the warmth of Chaun land. The light blue sky and sunshine seemed pale in comparison to Faerie’s atmosphere. The green plants appeared duller and the scents too faint. I experienced a fleeting moment of longing for the beauty we’d left behind. Next to me, McKale shook out his arms and cracked his neck. Khalistah moved through the tall grass toward the clearing and the Prince gave McKale and I small shoves from behind.

A heightened sense of anticipation rose up from the crowd as we approached. The musicians didn’t dare to stop playing, even as the dancers stilled, all heads pointed in our direction. Brogan and my parents stood beside the Fae King and his people. Cassidy jumped up from a nearby table and bypassed Khalistah to run toward me. I gave my head a frantic shake, but she didn’t notice. She flung her arms around me just as I heard the Fae Prince whisper behind us, “Glory be. Is this Cassidy Mason?”

Surprised, Cass pulled away from me and looked at him. I tried to catch her eye. I wanted her to run like hell, but she was riveted by this bronzed article of perfection who knew her name, giving her a stare worthy of a Princess.

I tilted my head away from him and hissed at her between my teeth, “Get out of here!”

She spared a short, confused glance at me before taking a step back. Her movement was stopped when she met the Prince’s golden eyes again. There was no passion in his glazed expression, only a robotic sort of fascination. He held out a beckoning hand to Cass.

I grasped her elbow.

“Pardon us a moment, er, Prince,” I said.

“
Prince
?” Cassidy murmured as I pulled her a few feet away.

“He’s been brainwashed by the FFG to take you back to Faerie!” I whispered.

I’d never been more relieved than I was in that moment when Cass’s curiosity turned to mortal fear. Her tanned face paled and her forehead gleaned with sweat as she stared at me in disbelief. I’d been hoping she would run somewhere and hide, but instead she spun away from us in her summer dress and sprinted to my parents.

I cleared my throat and whispered to the Prince, “She’s really high-maintenance for a human.” I left him standing there, dazed.

Khalistah and McKale were just making their way to the King’s presence where the Princess curtsied low and McKale gave a respectful bow of his head. I lifted the hem of my gown and rushed forward to be at McKale’s side.

Mom and Dad formed steely towers around a cowering Cass who’d linked her arm inside Dad’s. The three of them watched me for some sign that everything had gone as planned. I gave a small nod, and my parents’ faces smoothed as they shed their tension.

I was not relieved in the slightest. I clutched the chain around my neck and closed my eyes.

Please work.

“Father, King.” Khalistah’s musical voice rang out.

“I see you decided to join us after all,” he said. His fingers were linked in front of himself, at ease.

The FFG held her head high. “I have not come to join the festivities, Father. The Leprechaun are holding my pixie captive. I have come to retrieve Paulie from his iron prison.”