The Wood Witch's Daughter by Kate Seger

Author:Kate Seger [Seger, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781952665905
Publisher: Copper Canopy Press
Published: 2020-04-19T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

THE JOURNEY

The entire palace was in a state of frenzy the morning they were to leave for the Court of Flames. Arianette had not even realized there were so many Fae in the palace. Everywhere she looked Fae servants scampered hither and thither hauling trunks, reading off lists, hustling to and fro with supplies. She tagged along behind Lorna, trying to keep out of the way. Together they darted and dodged through the palace, emerging in the rear Courtyard. What greeted their eyes was a veritable caravan of coaches and carts all pulled by…

“Pegasus,” Arianette breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. Their silvery manes were braided with bells, their wings white as angels.

“How did you think we would get there?” Lorna grinned and took Arianette by the arm, pulling her towards a coach at the front of the caravan.

“May I, Lady Arianette?” a voice asked as they approached a splendid carriage draped in silver and blue silks.

Braedin appeared before them, swooping in to hold the door to the coach open. He spread his wings regally out behind him and he wore a silver and blue military uniform with wing shaped pauldrons and a wing tipped helm. His antlers extended from the helm, painted in the colors of the Court of Sky as well.

Before he could take Arianette’s hand and help her into the carriage, though, Varik appeared at her other side. His silver hair was tied back with a leather thong and his blue eyes sparkled.

“My lady,” he said, coming up behind Arianette. She squealed with surprise as Varik lifted her from the waist, twirled her around once, and then set her down in the coach.

A cloud passed over Braedin’s expression, and he glanced pointedly at Lorna, who only shrugged. The two of them slid into the carriage, seated beside one another, across from Varik and Arianette.

Arianette grabbed Varik’s arm and clung to him as the coach lurched into the air.

“Don’t count on him to save you if this coach falls out of the sky. He’ll be too busy saving his own hide,” Braedin muttered under his breath. Arianette blinked at him, startled by his acidic tongue. Varik only arched an elegant brow at his brother.

Lorna threw an elbow hard into Braedin’s rib cage. He grunted in response. Feeling awkward, Arianette relinquished her grip on Varik’s arm.

“You’re always such a barrel of laughs, brother,” Varik said. He pulled a flask from the pocket of his sky blue doublet and took a swig from it.

“For your nerves?” He offered it to Arianette.

“I’ll pass,” she said. The morning after their night of debauchery was still a little too fresh in her mind.

“You might lay off the wine, brother. It’s barely dawn. Unless want every Faery between here and the Court of Flames to know what a drunkard and a –”

“Knock it off,” Lorna chastised. “Can we please behave like adults? Give me that flask” she snapped, extending a hand.

Varik narrowed his eyes at her as if he expected her to pour the wine out the window of the coach, but he placed the flask in her outstretched palm.

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