Chapter 12
TWELVE
Dirge
Nobody knew how to party quite like the fae.
I probably looked like a wide-eyed rube, but everywhere I looked, there was something insane or impressive happening.
The entire court had been transformed into a magical nightscape, with floating fairy lights, night-blooming flowers, and living sculptures made of foliage.
One of them changed right next to me, and I jumped, watching as it transformed from an elephant into a thin, willowy woman dancing.
“This is nuts,” Shay murmured, dodging a throng of boisterous dancers, the flutist in the center of them twirling and leaping as he played for his adoring fans.
“You’re telling me,” I agreed.
We both wore the finery the queen had provided, and my mate looked breathtakingly stunning in her fae attire.
It was a backless dress made of the same shimmering material the queen favored for all her gowns. It moved and felt like silk, but it shone like the stars against their lovely dark skin.
Shay’s was less ostentatious than the queen’s—a fact Shay was glad of, because it gave her better range of motion—but it was perfectly tailored to her in every way.
Her curls were artfully styled, and her subtle makeup flawlessly applied.
And to top it all off, there was a simple circlet, the only acknowledgment she would accept of her position here as princess of the fae court.
A single diamond shone from the center, but otherwise, it was minimalist.
My mate was not one to flaunt wealth or prestige, and through the bond I could feel her discomfort with even the small display of royalty.
Taking her hand in mine, I squeezed it reassuringly. “You look fantastic tonight,” I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes, but I saw the hint of a blush that pinked up her cheeks. “Thank you. It’s too much, though. You know I prefer to blend in.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I think to blend in here, you have to be over the top.”
The fish-fae girl we’d seen on the very first day strode by, the rainbow of scale colors creeping over her skin her only adornment.
“You may be right. You look handsome too.” She slowly scanned me from my toes upward until her eyes met mine, and she smiled. “Devilishly handsome,” she added, planting a kiss on my lips that made me want to drag her back to our room and strip her out of that dress.
A throat clearing nearby interrupted the wickedly perfect kiss, and when we pulled apart, I saw my father-in-law grinning like a fool a few feet away.
“Careful, now. The fae parties tend to get a little wilder than most wolves are comfortable with. It’s in the air.
” A bubble floated by, popping as if timed to punctuate his words.
“Understood.” I looped an easy arm around Shay’s waist, letting her back rest against my front.
“It’s about that time, if you’re ready?”
“Of course,” she spluttered, and her anxiety hit me square in the chest. “We wouldn’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
I kept my grip firm, stopping her from pulling away. “You’re the princess. They’ll wait.”
“He’s right, they will.” Brand gave me an approving nod.
Shay exhaled slowly, her shoulders squaring up, and the anxiety that had been so high a moment before began to ebb. She’s ready, my wolf practically howled with pride.
I released my grip on her waist so she could follow her father, but she took my hand, bringing me along with her. Brand stopped at the edge of the stage, where the three of us were tucked in behind a towering floral arrangement.
“This is for you.” He handed me a small, spiral pendant made of the same material as their castle, pearly like the inside of a seashell. “It’s for the immortality. If you stayed in the fae realm, you wouldn’t have to wear it. But you need to take a piece of the fae realm with you when you leave.”
I looped it around my neck and tucked it under my shirt with a nod. “Thanks.”
“Do I need one?” Shay asked, touching the hollow of her own throat, where her Etruscan coin lay on a simple black cord.
“No, my dear. The fae realm is in your blood.” He gently traced the back of his knuckles over her cheek in a fatherly caress. They exchanged tentative smiles, and then he gestured for us to follow him up on the stage, where Queen Lyrica waited.
She reached out both hands for Shay, wrapping her in a near-smothering hug, then doing the same to me.
“Now, we’ll just do a quick demonstration for the court.
Once you’ve shown them your full form, you’re the indisputable heir to the fae court, and the assassination attempts will finally stop for good. Are you ready?”
This time when Shay said yes, I felt only firm resolution down our bond.
She released my hand and took her mother’s, the two of them gracefully floating out to the center of the stage in their coordinating gowns while Brand and I stood off to the side, watching them with love and pride.
“Get used to this, boy. This is your future.”
“She was always my future.”
He slapped me amiably on the shoulder, and we fell as quiet as the rest of the court when the queen began to speak.
“Welcome all, and thank you for coming on such short notice. Though, most of you rascals were already here for the trials, weren’t you?”
A chuckle rolled through the attendees, none of them seeming offended by the callout.
“We’ll get straight to the point. It is my immense pleasure to present my daughter and heir, Shailene. She has come into her full form and, as such, is entitled to the full rights and responsibilities of her position in this court, both here and in all realms.”
The queen nodded to Shay, and within seconds, her shimmering wings burst forth, almost perfectly matching the dress as they towered over her back, slowly flapping as the court oohed and ahhed and applause broke out.
The band kicked up a peppy tune, and the two of them bowed, then walked back toward us, still smiling and waving at the gathered fae.
We ushered them both through the side exit, to a private room.
As soon as the door shut behind us, Lyrica exhaled as if she’d just finished running a marathon. “Well then, it’s done. And I see you figured out how to share your immortality with your bond mate?” She cocked an eyebrow, and Shay blushed again.
“Well done. Now, I’m afraid as much as I would love to keep you here and catch up on what we’ve missed, your pack is in dire straits, and you’re needed urgently back on earth.”
“What’s happened?” I asked, my wolf’s ears perking up at the news that our pack mates were in trouble.
“There’s a battle, and it’s not going their way. But never fear, you can take yourselves directly to them from anywhere. Now that you’ve got access to all your powers, light travel will always take you home.”
“Light travel?”
The queen nodded. “Some call it flashing, but light travel is the technical term for how fae travel any distance quickly.”
“Can you tell me how?” Shay asked, worry creeping into the question.
“Of course. Take his hand and focus inward. Concentrate on your pack, feel what they feel, and let them draw you toward them. When you get there, tell that troublemaker Narshall that I need to see him immediately.” She turned my way.
“And whatever you do, don’t let go. You could get lost between dimensions, and it’s a real bitch to pull you back. ”
Shay hugged her parents one last time, then closed her eyes and gripped my hand tightly. As I began to feel a siphoning sensation, the queen sniffled. The room warped in front of my eyes as Shay’s powers took effect, but the last thing I heard was Shay’s voice.
“Thanks, Mom. Don’t cry. We’ll be back.”
The fae court winked out of existence.
Thank you for taking a side adventure with me into the fae realm. I hope you enjoyed a little extra behind the scenes with Shay and Dirge!
If you haven’t already read it, the story completes in book six, Fated to the Wolf Maiden.
Otherwise, check out A Beast of Old, releasing Fall of 2026.
XOXO,
April