Chapter 20

Anna

 

The prince had been surprisingly cooperative last night and this morning, so I was pretty confident that disaster would befall us at any moment. True to his word, Drake had arranged for me to spend the morning with a midwife who had successfully helped multiple fae women give birth. She had been suspicious of me at first, but had warmed up to me once she realized that I had a genuine desire to help others. I now had an entire notebook filled with clinical pearls that she had given me, along with a promise of assistance in the future.

Drake and I had come up with a plan to stop the hurricane. It was currently being fueled by magic heating the surface of the water, so we were going to do the opposite. We were going to cool the ocean water so that it would run out of steam and peter out to a mild storm. We were practicing now but on a smaller scale.

I flung my arms up as if I was throwing my magic across the empty field and Drake laughed. “So dramatic, Anna.”

I blushed but kept going. So what if I needed some over the top gestures to help me visualize what I wanted to do. I was getting it done, right? I focused on pouring out my magic as wide as I could, using it to freeze the foot of snow on the ground - not that it wasn’t already frozen. I was freezing it better… or more. Whatever. I was practicing what I needed to do. We were going to have to cover a hundred miles or more of the ocean with our magic to make this work. I needed all the practice I could get.

I was grateful that Drake taught me hot to use my magic on a larger scale. It made me realize that I hadn’t come close to what my limits were yet. Making balls of fire and barriers had seemed so cool at first, but I was starting to realize that was child’s play compared to what Drake could do. Drake was alternating between critiquing me and merging his magic with mine. “You have to get used to working with others to enhance your own magic,” he had explained to me. “When you work with others your creation takes on a whole new flavor, combining the different strands of magic from each fae, making it stronger.”

Cody was prowling around in wolf form behind us, keeping watch for us. I wished I could shift and play in the snow with him. It was doubtful that we would get a foot of snow in Virginia anytime soon. The last time it snowed that much was several years ago.

I felt the prickle of someone else’s magic a moment before I saw the glowing form of a portal growing between us and the house. The portal flashed into existence, and Froston stepped out. I saw a flicker of surprise on his face before he smoothed it into his usual jovial expression.

“Anna, darling. I had no idea you had decided to visit our realm,” Froston called to me as he walked toward us.

I gave Drake a side glance. “I thought he was too busy to make a portal for us.”

Drake flashed a grin at me. “That’s what I assumed. Your father is always busy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Drake promised me his help if I came to a meeting with his brothers,” I explained to Froston. I decided it would be better if I left all the ‘be my queen’ comments out of the story. I wasn’t sure where Froston’s opinion would lie with that, so I decided it was best not to find out.

“You’re testing the bounds of our alliance,” Froston told Drake with a smile that didn’t match his hard eyes.

Drake shrugged. “I’m just asking her to sit with us.”

“You’re putting her in danger. She doesn’t need to be a part of this.”

I decided that I would keep quiet for now while they fought over me. It irked me that they were speaking as if I wasn’t here, but I wanted to get a feel for what their individual motivations were toward me. The more information they let drop, the better. At least this way I didn’t have to sneak around to eavesdrop on their conversations.

“I’m making it clear that she’s under my protection.” Drake and Froston circled each other, dropping the pretense of a friendly conversation.

“The best place for her is out of sight,” Froston countered. “That’s where she’s safest.”

“Out of sight, out of mind?” Drake mocked.

“Hardly,” Froston said arrogantly.

Drake kind of had a point there. Froston had spent most of my life ignoring my existence.

“Did you know Summer is after her?” Drake questioned him. Froston froze in place. “They’re bearing down on her territory now, trying to force her out. And where were you?”

“Helping you attain the throne,” Froston spat out.

Drake swept his arm in front of him to encompass me. “And that’s why I’m helping to take care of your daughter.”

Froston turned his gaze back toward me. “Anna…”

“Drake is coming back to Seaside with me once the meeting is over,” I told him. “We could use your help in cooling parts of the ocean. That’s your specialty, right?”

“And we could use a ride there,” Drake added with a grin. “Right, Anna?” He turned to Froston. “I don’t think she likes Shika as much as you.”

“Shika,” Froston scoffed. “You’re lucky he could hold the portal open for you.”

I decided not to mention that Shika had held the portal open for way longer than I had ever seen Froston do it. “It would be nice to have your help,” I said quietly.

Froston gave a sharp nod. “I will come back with you.” He turned his gaze to Cody, who trotted back up to us. “It’s good that you kept one of your wolves with you.”

I reached to rub the top of Cody’s head as he bumped into me. “I would have preferred to stay with them,” I murmured. “Not that I’m not grateful for your help, Drake.”

Drake smiled but his eyes glittered with dark amusement that made me think the punchline was still coming. “Froston, why don’t you and I withdraw to my study while Anna and her wolf prepare for the meeting?”

“Of course.” Froston glanced at the jeans and hoodie that I had dressed in again for our work outdoors.

I shrugged self-consciously. “Female fae clothing doesn’t seem to be made for the outdoors.”

Drake laughed. “Because our female counterparts are delicate little flowers that prefer to be pampered and catered to. They’re nothing like you.”

I blushed. I think Drake meant that as a compliment, but it brought me back to my school days when the other kids would tease me for being a giant or call me big bird. I used to wish I was one of the petite and delicate girls that everyone wanted to be friends with. Now that I was an adult, I realized that there was more to a person than their height or their looks. But I still had that niggling little thread of self-consciousness that threatened to get the best of me every now and again.

I shut down those thoughts completely and stood tall as we walked back to the house. If I showed any hints of weakness in front of the fae they would be on me like vultures. The best thing I could do was make them not want to mess with me.