Fae and Flatfoot (Keeley & Associates Book 3) by Layla Lawlor

Author:Layla Lawlor [Lawlor, Layla]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

As it turned out, it wasn't. With Prudence's butterfly-flecked luminescence at the head of the procession and Oz in the middle, flanked by unfriendly-looking fae guards, they wended their way out of the trees and onto the grounds of a vast, rambling complex of buildings.

In the darkness, the fae palace shone with light. There was no coherent design or architectural style. It was a byzantine mishmash of slender towers and glassed-in solariums, domes and pagodas, flying buttresses and verandas and gardens. They rode through gardens lit with colored lanterns and tens of thousands of . . . was it appropriate to call them fairy lights here? Among the lanterns and the lights and the ornamental trees, there were dancing specks of color that James took for pastel fireflies until one landed on the back of his wrist. It was a miniature winged horse, the size of a bumblebee.

Prudence brought the unicorn to a halt. "We shall provide you rooms in the palace. Your dragon will go to the stables with the other mounts."

"Stables?!" Oz started to rear in horror. At the yelps of dismay from his riders, he slammed back to all fours. "I am not a horse."

"It's nothing like it sounds," Valor's war-unicorn said, and James felt Oz jerk in surprise. "It's actually just as nice as the palace, but with amenities that are made for us instead. Nice pastures and indoor accommodations built for four legs instead of two. You'll like it."

Oz growled low in his throat. "We shall not be separated."

"He's right," James said. "We're staying together."

"Your dragon won't fit in the palace," Valor said. She rode up alongside Oz, who pulled his head back and wrinkled his muzzle in a doglike, silent snarl. "You are our guests for the night. Honor dictates that we will not harm you."

"Excuse me if I don't entirely trust your honor right now," James said.

"I personally guarantee your safety," Valor said, touching a hand to her chest.

"You do." James glanced at Prudence. "What about her?"

"Such melodrama." Prudence glissaded off the back of her unicorn. A pair of retainers came up with a bridle that looked like it was made of cobweb and starlight, finely spun and softly luminescent, which they slipped over the unicorn's head. "I give you my word that no harm will come to you or yours tonight, human knight." She smiled, displaying small, sharp-looking teeth. "What kind of fun would that be?"

Oz twisted his neck around to give James a dismayed look.

"They're telling the truth," Vic said, between harsh breaths. "We do not break our word. We can't."

"Is it possible to put us up in the stables too?" James asked.

"It's possible, I suppose," Valor said. "But Victorious needs medical attention. You would probably like a bath. We can provide both more easily in the palace."

Vic grunted, and then with effort he stirred, twisted around, and began, with difficulty, to climb down one-armed from Oz's back.

"Seriously?" James demanded.

Vic struggled with the climb, his blood-covered hands slipping on scales.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.