30. Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty
“You want me to follow the queen and king around?”
I nodded beneath my hood.
Despite being hidden in the woods outside Crysia, my gaze darted in every direction. Being caught with a spy wasn’t a punishable offense. But paying for him to spy on my parents would get me in trouble.
The Goat Fae smiled. The shiny ring pieced through his bottom lip kept stealing my attention from his brown eyes and short black horns.
“Laura said you were the best spy in Crysia.” Crysians loved to gossip and they loved chatting over pastries. Laura knew everyone in the kingdom. When I asked if she knew someone sneaky, she snapped her fingers and said she knew the perfect spider for the job.
If it wasn’t for the large ears close to the horns peeking out of his messy black hair, I’d assume this spider was human by the way he dressed. Black jeans and a leather jacket screamed human fashion.
“I like a challenge. The palace is easy enough to maneuver around.”
His fingers ran along his chin as if he was reminiscing breaking into the palace. I hoped that wasn’t so.
“I don’t want you to hurt them or anything,” I said quickly. “I just have my reasons. Report back to me and I’ll pay you—”
He waved his hands.
“Nah, don’t worry about it, Princess. You’ve created a fun game for me. I’ll watch the royals and see if they’re up to something interesting. Then, you’ll let me in on the bigger stuff. I can tell we’re going to be best friends.” He winked.
“There’s no bigger stuff. Crysia is safe.”
The so-called spider rolled his eyes. “Of course, future bestie. Now, let me get to work on your parents.” He lifted two thumbs up and vanished. Leaves crumbled where he’d stood. “See ya later,” the spider said, his voice close but I didn’t see him.
The spider was invisible. Well, that was a cool and terrifying power.
One item off my list crossed off. Time for Nyx to keep Mother away from her room while I snuck in.
The sun caressed my nose as I stepped out of the woods and was immediately slammed back into the shadows by a broad body.
My fingers flexed and I heard rock cracking behind me, ready to pound int—
“You’re all right?”
Rune.
The rocks fell to the ground and I climbed my mate. Arms and legs wrapped around him, squeezing him tight. I hadn’t seen him in days.
My mate.
His nose ran up the length of my neck. He sniffed, long inhales pulling my scent, my emotions, my heart, and soul into his body. Animal Fae were different that way. Wolves were driven by scent. It told them everything they needed to know.
When his canines scraped my skin, I shivered and pushed back to see his face. His hand cupped my ass, keeping me close. He was so warm, and intoxicating. We’d been apart for too long.
“I’m all right. But I’m on a mission.”
“What mission brings you to collude with a spy?” His eyebrow arched.
“My parents are lying to me. Something is happening and it involves me. I want to know what.”
Rune’s face pinched up and I leaned upward to kiss the puckered skin between his eyebrows. His eyes flared. I had to put some distance between us before we traumatized the tree at his back.
“What do you know?” he asked as I untangled myself.
“My mother claims I got sick from a family member named Desmire touching me in Crystoria. Then she went maniacal in my bathroom and suggested you and I should run away together. Which makes me think something serious, and she’s lying to me.” All those words felt like slick oil in my mouth.
“What is your plan?”
I shrugged then eyed my mate with a smile. “I’m gonna sneak into my mother’s chambers and snoop.”
It was all I could think of in the middle of the night. Even my father didn’t go into her private quarters. If she was to keep anything secretive, it’d be in there.
Rune shook his head but didn’t say anything.
“I’m not planning a hostile takeover. I simply need to see what she’s hiding. So, while the spy does his thing, Nyx is keeping my parents away from their rooms for me to sneak in.” And by sneak, I meant walk in because the guards wouldn’t question me.
“I’m coming.”
My head shook so fast.
“Me being inside my mother’s suite is one thing. You being there would complicate things. Could you imagine if we were caught?” No, no way was he assisting me.
“We could say we were having sex.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
In my mother’s room? Gross.
I rolled my eyes and took a step to leave but he was there. Rune’s body stopped me. His hand lifted, and his fingers caressed my cheek.
“My instincts are telling me not to let you out of my sight. The beast was roaring in my head while you were ill. The need to be there, to take care of you, and I couldn’t.”
I pressed a kiss to his fingers.
“I’ll be okay. I need you to trust me.”
His head leaned down, his mouth inches from mine. “Find me when you’re done.” His breath tickled my lips and I closed my eyes, readying a kiss for good luck.
“If I kiss you, it will be a kiss for every hour you were away from me. We do not have such time if you are to uncover your family secrets.”
Fluttering in my belly triggered shivers over my skin.
“Cruel mate.” I groaned and stomped out of the woods, and into the palace.
Nobody asked me where I was heading, or what I wanted from the queen’s room as expected. It was only after I closed the door, I realized the gravity of the moment, and that I had no clue what I was looking for.