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

the Flower of Awakening, who glowed so weakly, she was barely glowing at all. She nodded at Will, and they spread out in the sky in front of her. If all went well, they were going to meet their arrows right in front of the flower.

The Bilberry juice was fading, so Vidya could barely see Willow out there in the dark. But this was the best she had. She took a deep breath, took a clean arrow, and dipped it into the jar full of oil and Mahiya’s fire. The arrow lit up, and she dropped the jar into her backpack.

Vidya knocked the flaming arrow and pictured the Flower of Awakening in her mind. Willow aimed his arrow.

“Go!” he shouted.

Vidya shot hers into the air, and half a second later, Willow shot his. And true to his aim, the two arrows met in the night air.

Lobey and Lily ran into the palace, over ten Bunyips on their tail. Their best bet was battling them in a confined space, she decided. Three Fae kids waited for them in the small back door they were heading through, in the process of pushing a heavy wardrobe across the door.

“Barricade the door!” cried Lobey, darting through after Lily.

They heaved the wardrobe into place as the Bunyips made it to the door, shoving and pushing at it while the Fae kids pushed with all their might from the other side to keep it in place.

Lobey checked the entrance hall and saw a Bunyip was crouched on the floor, an arrow in either leg. It was the Bunyip King, injured and faint. Another large Bunyip lay on the floor next to him. Was this it? Had they won? But a roar reminded her that ten more perfectly healthy Bunyips were trying to get through the back door. It didn’t matter that their King was injured.

Lobey reached into her quiver and found it empty. Her heart fell. She was out of arrows. She spun around, looking for her options as the Bunyips smashed the wardrobe from the other side. A broken cupboard sat against the wall, nothing more. She turned to Lily who looked back at her, dirty faced, torn clothed, and tear streaked, panting. Her quiver was also empty. The wardrobe burst and splintered to pieces.

BOOM!

A ball of purply orange flame blared into the night sky, making Vidya and Willow cover their eyes. As the light dimmed, Vidya looked around.

The molten light dispersed in the sky, but it didn’t fade away. Strangely, it hovered in the air, glowing above the two Fae children. Something was holding it in place. Vidya looked around to the Flower of Awakening.

Beams of purple and orange light were streaming toward the flower. She was drawing the light in like she was drinking water, her petals gleaming brighter with every second that passed.

Vidya grinned at Willow.

The Bunyip King froze on his spot on the palace floor. Like a jolt of lightning, a great pain pierced through his body. It hit him in the brain first, then shot down into his heart and belly. It was an awful, stinging sensation.

On his knees, eyes screwed shut, he came to the stark realisation of what the pain was. The word came to him, matching the sick feeling in his stomach.

Guilt.

He opened his eyes and looked up from the floor.

Around him, the Fae palace was in tatters. Tiles were cracked, walls were covered in dirt and ash. Two Fae children clung to each other toward the side of the entrance hall, one with electric blue hair and the other with orange. They were crying. Three other Fae children were cowering in the corner, screaming. His army poured through an open door, stepping over the shattered pieces of a large… wardrobe. How did he know that word?

He had done this. He was responsible for these children’s pain. He was responsible for the destruction of the palace. The shock of his new emotions made him tremble on the spot. The backs of his eyes burned. Why was that? Hot liquid seeped out of his eyes and down his cheek. He raised a large claw to his face and wiped it, then examined his claw. As his throat tightened, he knew the word for what the clear liquid was. Tears. To his right, his General rolled around the floor, legs and arms curled in tight. A high-pitched rumble was coming from him, and with a jolt, the Bunyip King realised his General was sobbing. Further up the stairs, another one of the Bunyips was standing as still as a tree, peering around the palace in confusion. A whole swarm of his Bunyips lumbered slowly toward him, their faces contorted with fear and confusion. They looked around their surroundings with wide eyes.

The Bunyip King suddenly understood what he had to do. He cleared his throat.

“Retreat!” he roared, his voice not sounding like it was his own. He cleared his throat again. “You all!” he pointed a claw at the Bunyips now gathering in front him. “Spread the word, gather the others, the Bunyips are to retreat!”

20

Reunion

For even the darkest of creatures, when given the light, will choose it, every single time.

—The Book of the Fae, Queen Mab the First, 3333 B.C.

Behind the secret door in his hiding spot, King Farrion was the first to awaken. He sat up bolt upright.

“Vidya!” he cried.

He was met by a red faced Linaria holding baby Mahiya, and Pancake held by Daisy.

“Toad?” he said, looking around him at the Fae children gathered there, confused. “Luna? Daisy?”

“Uncle!” Toad cried,

“Aunty!” cried Luna, looking past him.

King Farrion shot a look to his left and saw the Queen was stirring in her sleep, blinking her eyes open. He looked around at the stirring adult Fae, all carefully placed on beds, then he looked to his right and saw tiny children and infants, sleeping together in cots. He understood immediately.

“Tell me everything, Toad,” he commanded.

The adults woke up