The Fae Princess (The Pacific Princesses Book 2) Ektaa Bali (free ebook reader txt) 📖

“Don’t know what other type of war there is, really,” said Lobey dully.

Wings twitched anxiously as the girls stood staring down at the King in silence.

“But the Fae have never fought a… war.” Toad spat the word like it was something gross she had found under her shoe. Vidya chewed on her lip and shook her head in agreement. The Fae had never needed to fight in any way against any sort of enemy. Ill-meaning humans sometimes, yes, but never in the Fae realm.

“But a war against what?” asked Toad softly. The triplets exchanged shrugs, blue wings jostling up and down.

“It’s got to be something to do with what happened yesterday!” Lobey threw her hands in the air angrily. “When we were in class, remember? The commotion Master Sunny wouldn’t let us know about! Something happened right then!”

“No,” said Luna. “It can’t—”

“Lobey is right,” said Vidya, breathing in deeply. Three pairs of the forest green eyes spun to stare at her. They should know, she decided. Everyone needed to know.

“There was an attack,” said Vidya. “Nani told me. It was in the letter I was asked to take to her. Yesterday morning, Captain Silver and her patrol were attacked by something in the Safe Zone.”

“That’s impossible,” whispered Toad.

Vidya nodded. “That’s exactly what I said. But Nani seemed to think that with the Fae magic fading, something is changing.”

“So you think whatever attacked Captain Silver is going to start a war with us?” asked Lobey with a deep frown. “I just can’t imagine this happening, really, I can’t—”

“Well, it is happening,” said Vidya irritably, gesturing at her father snoring on the floor. “Look around us, Lobey. Everything is going wrong. My father wouldn’t just say something if he didn’t mean it. If he says we are to prepare for war, then that is what we will do.”

Vidya’s jaw was set, and she knew she was right. Her father had given her instructions, and so she would follow them. There wasn’t really a choice she could see.

“But, Vidya,” pleaded Luna, stepping forward, wings drooping. “The Fae have followed one rule since we woke up from the beginning of the earth.”

“Do no harm unto another being,” stressed Toad. “War means fighting. It means hurting something. And if it’s true this thing in the forest is out to hurt us, we are not allowed to hurt it.”

But Lobey stepped forward this time. “No,” she said slowly. “We are Fae children. The exception to the first rule is us. Fae children are allowed to hurt other creatures if it means defending ourselves.”

Vidya’s magenta brows furrowed deeply at Lobey’s words. It was true; she was right. Vidya had herself injured a human saving The Unicorn Princess Sonakshi just earlier this year. She had used her bow to shoot an arrow at the poacher, Glen, while he kept Princess Sonakshi under lock and key. All Fae children knew the rule.

“It’s not right,” said Luna, shaking her head.

“None of this is right,” said Vidya. “You heard my father. The King has given us instructions.”

That seemed to shake them out of their fear. The triplets nodded slowly. Whatever was happening, the King’s word was Law, and they had to follow that.

“First thing,” said Vidya. “We should check on all the parents,” she said. “We can’t have people sleeping in dangerous positions, like in a Fae pond, or half out of a tree. Let’s make sure everyone is safe. After that, tell all the kids to meet in the entrance hall of the Palace. Tell them Princess Vidya is calling a meeting.”

The triplets nodded.

“Everyone is probably frightened,” said Luna. “What are you going to tell them at the meeting?”

Vidya chewed her lip. She had no idea, so she just waved her hand at them.

“First, I need to find Nani. I’m worried she’s stuck in with the Devil’s Fingers.”

Luna gasped. “Oh god, what if they eat her?”

Vidya didn’t want to think about that. “That’s why we have to hurry. You three spread the word about finding the adults and the meeting. Toad, you’re the best with babies, can you come back and look after baby Mahiya? I’ll go to the greenhouse.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Lobey bossily, to which Vidya frowned. “It’s too dangerous,” said Lobey. “At least two of us should go. Plus, I’ve always wanted to see them. Now’s my chance.”

Vidya shook her head and shrugged. Once Lobey got something into her head, she wouldn’t let it go. There was no use arguing with her.

“Fine, you two,” she waved at Luna and Toad. “Be bossy, tell everyone to meet us in the entrance hall in one hour. Got it?”

They nodded, and, blue braids swinging, ran out of the room.

Lobey and Vidya followed, making their way out of the palace and into the garden.

“I need to send a letter first,” said Vidya, veering off to the left where the Messenger Tree sat. A short, fat gum tree created by one of the old Queens so they could communicate easily with other people far away.

Vidya clasped her hands in front of the tree. “Messenger Tree, I need a leaf to send a letter, please.” A second later, a broad leaf fluttered down from high in the branches. Vidya grabbed the leaf from the ground and taking a pen out of her pocket, roughly scribbled a message on it.

She threw it into the air with a jump. Whispering the name of the person she wanted it to go to. With a magical wind, the leaf whipped into the air.

“Who are you sending that message to?” asked Lobey suspiciously.

Vidya watched the leaf as it spun high into the air away from them. “A good friend from the Blue Mountains I haven’t seen in a while,” she said softly. “The Unicorn Princess, Sonakshi of Macuata.”

Lobey looked impressed. “Will she help us?”

“I helped her once, and she has her own unicorn magic. And right now, we need all we can get.”

Lobey nodded, and they continued down the greenhouse path, all