Forged: Fae Fantasy Romance (A Court of Passion Book 3) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Their island adventure over and the coronation finished, Elina and Marcus settle down for a quiet life together. Their joy lasts for two days before chaos erupts.

That chaos is the arrival of a monstrous beast at the city's wharf, a creature never before seen even by Marcus. Its arrival is explained when Amos the burke topples back into their lives to accuse the loving pair of attracting the creature. They must seek the help of Marcus' old friend to try to avoid further catastrophe.

Their travels take them to the legendary Wisen Academy where spells and trouble are being woven. Little do they know that an old foe is making havoc among their friends back at the capital.
Torn between helping the citizens and helping their friends, will Elina and Marcus be able to save everyone, or will the ultimate sacrifice be made?

Leseprobe

FORGED

Fae Fantasy Romance

A COURT OF PASSION

BOOK 3

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Sneak Peek: Enchanged Sea & Song

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

About Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Forged: Fae Fantasy Romance (A Court of Passion Book 3). Copyright © 2025 by Mac Flynn.

Published by Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or artist. The only exceptions are excerpts or the cover image in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author’s or artist’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or artist.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me on a journey through my imagination. If you’re looking for romance and adventure with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then you’ve come to the right place. My books contain paranormal plotting and fantastical action, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

* * *

You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.

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Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!

- Mac Flynn

CHAPTERONE

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing went right? I was about to have that, but not before I enjoyed a lovely late-morning sojourn with my husband.

I tilted my head back and smiled up at Darius. “You make a wonderful pillow.”

He chuckled, and I could feel the vibrations of his chest against my back. “I’m glad to be of use.”

We sat at the lake on the hill overlooking the long dock. A gentle breeze blew past us, rustling the long grass and disturbing a rabbit that munched on its early lunch. Ducks swam across the rippling surface of the water, some with little ones trailing behind them.

I leaned against his chest and sighed. “This is perfect.”

Darius wrapped his arms around me. “Do you think so?”

I laughed. “Don’t you?”

He brushed the backs of his fingers against my cheek. “We could be doing more enjoyable.”

“We could, but not here.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but a shout from the direction of the palace interrupted me.

“Your Majesty!”

Darius stiffened and whipped his head about. I sat up at his sudden seriousness. “Isn’t that just Praesel shouting at us?”

“Yes, and Praesel never shouts,” he told me as he stood, helping me to my feet.

Praesel rushed up to us, out of breath and clutching his chest. He gathered himself and straightened. “Your Majesty, terrible news. A monster has been sighted off the coast!”

Darius’ eyebrows crashed down. “Monster? What sort of monster?”

“By all accounts, it is a giant squid fifty times larger than any that has been seen.”

“Where is it headed?”

“Straight for the wharf.”

Darius tightened his grip on me and leaped to his feet. He set me down and turned me around so we faced each other. “I need you to stay here.”

My mouth dropped open. “But why?”

He set his hands on my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes. “Because my people-our people wouldn’t want their new queen to be injured by this monster.” He looked up at Praesel. “Have all the queens sent to their rooms, and have Verstand watch over them until I return.”

Praesel bowed his head. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

I grasped the front of his shirt. “But I want to be with you! I know I can help!”

Darius clasped my chin in his hand and smiled down at me. “I’m not even sure how I’ll help in this situation, so it’s best that you stay here with the others. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He pecked a light kiss on my lips before he swept past me and hurried up the hill.

I rushed after him, but Praesel stepped into my path. He crossed his arm over his chest and bowed low at the waist to me. “Allow me to escort you back to the palace.”

My shoulders drooped as I watched Darius disappear around the trees. “Alright. . .”

Praesel’s eyes twinkled at me. “It is admirable that you wish to help His Majesty, but this is a situation that has never occurred. He is worried that some unforeseen danger would arise in dealing with the monster and that you would come to harm.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned. “And what about him?”

Praesel stepped to one side and swept his arm toward the palace. “He is King Marcus Tullia, the dragon king of Calida. Very little can harm him, but a broken heart would destroy him.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “Alright, but I still wish I were going with him.”

“Of course you shouldn’t be going with him!”

The scene had changed to my chambers, where I sat on the bed and leaned my cheek against one of the foot posts.

Hilda stood in front of me with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. “Who knows what dangers are out there! Perhaps this creature has children!”

Bianca stuck out her tongue. “I hope not. I don’t like squid.”

Hilda rolled her eyes before she spun around to face her old acquaintance. Bianca and Farah sat at the small table, enjoying a game of cards. “Is your stomach all you can think about?”

“When I’m this frightened, yes,” Bianca countered as she played her hand.

A knock on the door made her jump, and she scattered the entire deck onto the floor. Farah sighed and laid her hand on the table. “Well, I guess we’ll have to play a game of pickup.”

I perked up at the knock. “Come in!”

The door opened and Verstand stepped inside. Her eyes flickered over our group. “Do you all intend to remain here until His Majesty has returned?”

“We thought it better to stay as a group,” Hilda confirmed.

“Is there a problem with the queens?” Farah inquired.

Verstand stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “A few of you are missing, no doubt shopping in the city.”

Hilda leaned her arm against the same post as me. “Please tell me Jana is among them.”

“Actually, she is,” Verstand admitted as she folded her arms over her chest. “She received her monthly stipend as you all have.”

Hilda wrinkled her nose. “The money does flow off that woman.”

Farah looked up from the floor where she was picking up the cards. “At least she keeps many shops in business.”

I stood and walked over to the window that faced the city. The wharf was too far off to make out anything more than the glistening rooftops of the warehouses. I wondered if Darius was standing beneath one, looking out on the creature.

Standing there in the sunlight, my light was suddenly blotted out by a small shadow. I squinted my eyes and watched the shadow grow larger and larger. Whatever it was, it was careening toward the window.

I stumbled back and prepared for a shattering, but the palace opened a porthole in the window. The tiny round ball of fluff flew through and rolled across the ground before it crashed into the small table. The stand toppled over onto the intruder, blocking my view of whatever had fallen through the hole.

“What in all the realms?!” Hilda screamed as she lunged at me and tackled me to the floor.

Verstand rolled her sleeves up and marched toward the table. “I will not have a fiend invade the sanctity of the queen’s chambers, especially not an intruder who hasn’t learned how to use the door.” She reached the table and dove behind it. A terrified squeal came from the intruder, and Verstand revealed herself a moment later. She had a family ball of fluff wrapped in a death hug against her chest.

“Let me go!” Amos demanded as he squirmed in her grasp. “Let me go, you hag!”

Verstand’s eyebrows crashed down and she squeezed him tighter. “You were saying?”

Amos’ eyes bulged out of his head and a strangled cry escaped him before his air supply was cut short. “Please! I have an important message for the young queen! It concerns the monster!”

Verstand narrowed her eyes at him. “What about it?”

He twisted around and his eyes fell on me as Hilda helped me off the floor. “It concerns that queen. We tried to warn you, but would you listen? No, of course not. The burke doesn’t know what he’s-ack!”

Verstand had tightened her grip on his throat. “Get it out now, creature, or you will not say another word.”

Amos gathered enough air to speak his peace. “She’s the reason for this thing’s arrival. It’s all her fault the city is in danger.”

CHAPTERTWO

A small troupe of horsemen rushed down the busy streets of Ortusia. The men’s voices shouted above the din of the city.

“Step aside!”

“Get out of the way!”

“Steer clear of the road!”

The people rushed off the thoroughfare and gaped at the plain black carriage that rolled past after the horsemen. The curtains were closed, but they bounced around so furiously that one could catch a glimpse of Darius and Lord Praesel seated opposite one another.

“What further details can you tell me?” Darius questioned his adviser.

“The creature is nothing like we’ve ever seen, Your Majesty. It’s almost as large as one of the warehouses.”

“And it’s been confirmed to be a squid of some kind?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, but-” Praesel ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Its size bewilders us.”

“Where did it come from?”

“From the north. It was spotted twenty miles up the shoreline about three hours ago. A horseman was dispatched with the warning, and he reached the castle ten minutes ago.”

“Has it damaged anything?”

“Nothing as of yet, but the horseman couldn’t provide very many details other than it was headed for Ortusia.”

Darius crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brow. “How strange it should head straight for the capital without a thought to anything else along the shore.”

Praesel studied his master with a sharp purse to his lips. “Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to remind you, but there was that creature that arrived only a week ago. It did warn of calamities should the union between Queen Elina and yourself occur in its official capacity.”

The king closed his eyes, and Praesel noticed a distinct tightening of his hands over his arms. “I haven’t forgotten.”

“I have never heard of this Lady Sybella to whom the burke professes his allegiance. Is she a powerful sorceress?”

“The most powerful since the fall of Rutilo.”

“Do you believe what she says is true?”

Darius opened his eyes as the carriage slowed to a stop. The scent of the sea and wet wood floated into the carriage. “I’m not sure.”

He opened the door and stepped out. Praesel followed with a frown on his lips.

The two men stood before the wide ramp that led up to the wharf. The imperial docks were fifty yards deep, and the land side was lined with warehouses of various shapes, ages, and uses. Most had large sliding barn doors that opened into their single-room interior. Crates and boxes filled the buildings, ready to be shipped out to both the empire and the far seas.

Some of the men still plied their trade of loading and unloading, but many stood frozen, their eyes fixed on a large shadow a few miles up the northern coast. A murmur of tension ran through them as they pointed and whispered to one another.

One of the dock workers, the tallest and burliest of the bunch, turned at the pair’s coming and strode toward them. “Nice to see ya, Your Majesty, but I wish you were coming under better times.”

“As do I, Alarius,” Darius replied as he nodded at the shadow on the horizon. “Is that the creature?”

Alarius stepped up beside them and turned to face the shadow. “As far as we can tell, yeah, but nobody’s taken a boat out yet to greet it.”

“Have any of the trading or shipping vessels been attacked?”

“Not yet, but most don’t sail that close to shore. If it were half a mile further out, then we’d have problems.”

“Are any of the workers willing to take a ship out to inspect the creature?” Praesel inquired.

Alarius scoffed. “I wouldn’t bet a day’s wages on it.”

Darius took a step forward. “Then I’ll go inspect it.”

Praesel’s eyebrows crashed down as he looked over his lord. “Anyone in the kingdom would rather take your place than allow you to go out there.”

“But only I have the ability to swim fast enough to evade any attacks, should the beast be aggressive,” Darius countered.

The clatter of frantic hooves caught their attention, and the two men partially turned toward the road. Renard hurried up on his black horse. The creature’s nostrils were flared and its mouth was partially open, panting out its exertion.

Alarius’ eyes darted to Praesel, and a faint, disgust-tinged smile curled onto his lips. “I think we just found someone who wouldn’t be willing to take his place.”

Renard hopped down and tossed the reins to a nearby dock worker. “Handle my horse for me.” The worker sneered at the lord, but a look from Praesel and the dock man shuffled off, leading the steed.

“This is a pleasant surprise, Mr. Renard,” Praesel greeted the gentleman as he hurried up to them.

Renard leaned to one side and looked past the group at the shadow. His eyes widened for a moment before he narrowed them. “Then the rumors are true. There is a monster on the loose.”

“Is there a reason for your coming here other than to inspect the creature?” Praesel inquired.

Renard nodded at a nearby building where the men stood outside the huge rolling doors, gaping at the shadow in the distance. “I heard about a beast approaching the wharf and came to check on the welfare of my men.”

Alarius scoffed. “Your wares are just fine, Renard, but if that thing comes ashore, then it’s every man for himself.”

Renard wrinkled his nose. “Then I should call some wagons to have my goods taken from this dangerous spot.”

“I can’t allow that,” Darius spoke up.

The wealthy man frowned. “And why not? It is my property, after all.”

Darius nodded at the dozens of warehouses that lined the shore. “It is, but if we allow you to remove your goods, then others will make the same demand, and then there will be panic as wagons and horsemen arrive and overwhelm the docks.”

Renard waved a hand at the far-off shadow. “Then what do you intend to do about that creature?”

“I’ll head out there myself and see whether it’s hostile or not.” Darius didn’t wait for a reply, but turned and strode toward the beach between the wharf’s edge and the ocean waters.

“Your Majesty!” Praesel protested as he rushed after his monarch. “You cannot be serious!”

Darius smiled at him. “You’ll take charge of my clothes, Praesel. I would hate to emerge and look undignified in front of my subjects.”

“I would take charge of your senses if you had any!” Praesel scolded him as he hurried along at his side. “What if something were to happen to you?”

“I have the best chance of recovering from such a scenario compared to any of my subjects, and what king could face them if he can’t even face a monster that threatens the kingdom?”

They reached the edge of the wharf and took a set of stairs that led down to the beach. The pylons of the long, wide docks surrounded them as Darius removed his clothing. Praesel reluctantly took them over one arm, his worried eyes ever on his king.

Darius had just stripped to his underwear when a shout came from the crowd. Both men jerked their heads back to look through the cracks of the docks. Workers raced to the edge of the wharf and along the dock. Many of them pointed at something in the distance in the water.

“A boat!”

“What are they doing?”

One of the onlookers cupped his hands over his mouth. “Get away, you fools!”

Darius spun around to face the ocean. A small rowboat could be seen in the distance, having cast off from the shore a mile north of the wharf. Two small figures could be seen rowing their way toward the monster.

Darius shot across the sand and dove into the water. A flash of blue light told Praesel his master had transformed, and in a moment, the sea dragon that was Darius darted through the waters as fast as an arrow through the air. The flash of his blue scales caught the attention of the onlookers above Praesel, and the shouts changed.

“What is that?”

“Another monster!”

“It’s the king! He’s going to rescue them!”

Darius cut through the ocean toward the small boat, his brilliant eyes focused on the small pair who sat together in the middle. The rowers had a head start and came within a hundred feet of the monstrous creature. They stopped their work and gawked at the monster.

A monster it was. The squid was as large as a house with eight eggs filled with suction cups as large as the bottom of a cask. The thing’s sickly, purplish, wet skin shimmered in the sunlight as it cut through the currents on a direct path toward the capital. A single set of large, bulbous eyes stared ahead, devoid of any semblance of sentience.

But it did have malevolence, and it turned those dark orbs on the pair in the rowboat. One of them stood up and waved at the creature, and Darius realized they were both children about ten years of age. The boy was the one who stood while the girl trembled at his side. She tugged on the hem of his shirt and pointed at the mainland.

The squid raised one of its long tentacles and swung it downward toward the boat. The children scrambled to the stern, but they couldn’t escape the destruction of their vessel as the tentacle crashed down on the flimsy wood. The boards snapped in two and the boat promptly sank into the waves, taking the screaming children with it.

CHAPTERTHREE

Darius dove down and beheld the children thrashing about. Neither could swim with enough skill to master the waves created by the squid. He darted over to them and wrapped his lithe body around their flailing forms. The children screamed and air bubbles escaped their open mouths.

Darius shot up to the surface and breached into the air. His precious cargo coughed out water as their lungs sucked in the air. The boy was the first to recover, and he beat his fists against Darius’ scaly body. “Let my sister go!”

“I’m here to help!” Darius shouted at him. The boy’s mouth dropped open.

Any further chance at an explanation was interrupted by the shadow of one of the creature’s tentacles. Darius darted out of its way as the sticky limb came crashing down in the spot they had just escaped. The creature had seven more arms, and half of them went on the offensive. They were slow, but they made up for that in size and numbers. Huge wakes shoved Darius this way and that, tossing parts of his body in different directions.

The squid swam closer to him, its black eyes burning with blind rage. More of its tendrils shot up from beneath Darius while the previous four slapped the water around him. Only his quick reflexes saved them from being grabbed and squeezed. The children let out frightened screams as they were pulled through the water. Their shouts distracted him, and the girl was ripped from his grasp by the waves and flung into the water.

“Julia!” the boy shouted as he thrashed in Darius’ hold.

She flailed about, unable to keep the water from spilling into her mouth. “Titus!”

Darius spun around and dove for her, but one of the arms slapped down between them. The wake pushed the girl away, and her side slapped into a suction cup. She was stuck to the sticky limb and lifted out of the water. The creature hung her over its bulbous head as she kicked and screamed. The other limbs blocked Darius’ efforts, and his eyes began to glow a bright golden hue with each frustrating attempt.

Something black shot across the water and wrapped around the girl, covering all but her head. The black object turned out to be a cloth, and the material yanked her free of the suction and darted across the water. It stopped just out of reach of the tendrils and used a corner to beckon to Darius.

With one less child to worry about, Darius dodged the creature’s tendrils and managed to dart out of its wake. He joined up with the cloth, which stretched out half of its length toward the boy. The dragon understood and loosened his grip on the child. The child yelped as he was scooped up by the cape and lifted high into the air. The children were pressed close together, shivering and dripping wet.

“Take them to the shore and search the area for others!” Darius commanded his dark friend.

The cloak gave a one-corner salute and flew off toward the mainland. Darius turned his full attention to the monster. The squid hadn’t taken its defeat lightly. It released a roar and charged toward Darius.

He spun around to face his foe and narrowed his golden eyes. His body lit up with bright blue power that exploded the water outward away from him. The sudden blast made the squid skid to a stop. Darius shot forward with lightning-fast speed, sending spray and waves everywhere. The squid lifted all eight of its limbs and tried to slap him down, but Darius’ thin body twisted out of the way of every attack.

He swam around the squid, faster and faster. His speed created a whirlpool beneath the squid. The creature tried to climb its way out of the deepening hole, but magical funnels shot up like bars on a cage, trapping the thing. The squid flailed about, screeching like a hoarse owl as it tried to grab at him.

Darius and the current were too fast. The creature was drawn into the watery depths, flailing about to the very end. The columns of water that had trapped the creature now followed it below the surface, pinning the arms and sending it to a watery grave.

Darius made sure of its end before he popped above the surface. A crowd of onlookers had gathered along the shore, and they let out a joyful cry at his reappearance. He swam to the shore, but so many onlookers prevented him from coming onto the land.

Praesel stood in the front of the crowd with a bemused smile on his lips and the king’s clothes draped over his arm. A shorter figure stood at his side with the black cloth dancing across his shoulders and behind his head. The two bedraggled children clutched Praesel’s robes, shivering but smiling.

The caped man crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot on the sand. “You’re lucky the cape dragged me down here, or what would’ve happened to you?”

Darius gave him a toothy grin. “I would have thought of something, Mr. Laetus, but I’m glad you’re here.”

Lucas scoffed. “I’m sure.” The cape tossed itself over his head. “Hey! Get off!”

The crowd, relieved at the disappearance of the fiend, laughed at the cloth’s antics. The mischievous cloak slipped off him and floated over to the children. It glided around them and tickled their noses with its corners before zipping back to Lucas.

Praesel caught Darius’ eyes and nodded at the far northern part of the beach. The adviser sauntered in that direction, leading the children with Lucas in tow.

Darius stretched himself out of the water to tower above his subjects. “Be mindful of the sea until we’ve had a chance to inspect the waters for others. Report anything at all suspicious to the guards of the city and your news will quickly reach me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Right away!”

Darius bowed to his subjects as they did the same, and he dove under the surf. He darted down the beach, passing the crowds until they faded away. That left only his familiar companions and the two children.

“Titus! Julia!”

The shout came from the far end of the beach. A woman rushed toward them, sliding and slipping along the sand. She wore a simple dress with a shawl over her shoulders.

“Mama!” Julie answered as she hurried to meet her parent.

“Mom!” Titus chimed in, and the three met in a tight embrace.

The woman drew them to arm’s length and looked them over. “Where in the world have you been? I was so worried when I heard about the monster and couldn’t find you.”

Titus bowed his head and scuffed his foot across the sand. “We kind of took the boat and went to look at the thing.”

“And it tried to kill us!” Julia added.

Titus shot her a glare. “We were never in danger! That snake had us, remember?”

His mom blinked at him as Praesel and Lucas came up to them. “What in all the realms has happened?”

“Your children were rescued by the king and his associates,” Praesel informed her.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. The woman’s jaw flopped a few times before slamming shut, at which time she turned her ire on her children. “How could you do something so foolish?”

Titus winced. “We just wanted to see what it was.”

“But we’re alright, Mama,” Julia pointed out as she patted herself with her palms. “It didn’t even hurt when it picked me up, and we had so much fun flying with the blanket!”

The cape fluttered at the title, and Lucas grinned at his companion who was still draped over his shoulders. “Still want to fly them back home?”

“I’m so sorry about this, sirs,” the mother apologized as she took her children’s hands and stood. “Where is the king that I might thank him personally?”

Julia pointed at the ocean. “He’s right there, Mama! Isn’t he neat?”

Their mother gaped at Darius as he emerged from the depths. She swallowed hard and bowed her head. “Thank you so much for saving my children. I truly cannot thank you enough.”

“It was my pleasure, but-” He leaned down and gave them a toothy grin, “-you’ll think before you act next time, yes?” Both children had wide eyes, and they eagerly bobbed their heads.

“Thank you again,” their mother repeated before she hurried them off.

Praesel looked down at his robe and sighed. The wet children had left dirty handprints on his attire. “They were very bold children.”

Lucas grinned at the mess on his companion’s clothes. “You should see what happens to a white shirt after you’ve entertained two dozen of the eager kids.”

Praesel stared ahead as he imagined it, and then wrinkled his nose. “I would rather not.”

“Has there been any other news along the shore?” Darius spoke up as he climbed out of the surf in his human form.

“Nothing as of yet,” Praesel told him as he handed his king the clothes.

“Where did Renard run off to?” Darius wondered as he slipped into his outfit.

“He sought to assist Alarius in managing the wharf, specifically in trying to get his items moved out first in case of an emergency.” Praesel handed him the last of his clothes and nodded in the direction of the wharf. “Several other warehouse owners arrived and a dispute arose.”

“What was the outcome?” Darius wondered as he finished dressing.

“The conclusion hadn’t yet happened before we noticed you coming toward the shore.”

“Cape saw you before any of us,” Lucas chimed in as he studied the cape with a raised eyebrow. “Though how he did that without eyes, I don’t know.” The cape bowed its top midsection as if it were its head.

Darius turned his attention to the wharf and sighed. “I had better see to the owners, otherwise, the warehouses will be stripped before noon.”

Lucas glanced in the direction of the road and his face drooped. “You had better hurry. I think they’re coming for their stuff right now.”

A long line of carts and carriages rolled toward the wharf, eager to remove the goods that supplied the city.

Darius pursed his lips and lifted his chin. “Very well. Let’s see to them.”

CHAPTERFOUR

Silence had followed Amos’ proclamation. Then there was fury.

“Listen here, you little pipsqueak!”

Bianca yanked Amos out of Verstand’s hold and lifted him so their faces were even with one another. “You just can’t go around accusing others of causing a calamity like this!”

Amos grasped her arm in his tiny hands and squirmed in her grip. “Don’t hurt me! I’m only the messenger!”

Hilda came up beside her friend and had the same dark cloud over her brow. “And who is your message from?”

Amos rolled his eyes. “Lady Sybella, of course.”

Bianca throttled the little creature. “Doesn’t she have a happier message? Like a congratulations on the ceremony or something? She didn’t even send a card!”

Hilda frowned at her companion. “How would you know? You didn’t even write out any of the thank-you cards.”

“My hand was cramped from staying up all night orchestrating the orchestra, alright?”

“But they had a conductor! You stole his stick from him and booted him off the stage!”

Farah cleared her throat and caught the burke’s attention. “Is there any way your ladyship could be wrong? Or if she is correct, that there is some way to lift this curse?”

Amos crossed his arms over his scaled chest and shrugged. “I don’t know. I never thought to ask her.”

That piqued my interest. “Where does she live?”

He turned his face away and lifted his long snout. “Why should I tell you-ack!”

“You should tell us because I’m holding your throat,” Bianca pointed out.

A screech from outside the window caught their attention. The hole in the window reappeared, but this time a creature elegantly glided through the gap. It swooped through the room, taking a turn about the chambers, before landing on the mantel above the entrance.

It was a huge hawk, and the creature was less than amused as it twisted its head around to glare at us. The bird opened its mouth and let out a disgruntled squawk.

Amos thrashed in Bianca’s hold. “Save me, Aveline! They’re trying to twist me into a bread stick!”

Bianca’s mouth dropped open. “I was not!”

“Was, too!”

“Was not!”

“Was, too!”