To Spark a Fae War (The Fair Isle Trilogy, #3)

by Tessonja Odette

After all that, I think I understand warfare. The pursuit of justice.

To the fox’s surprise, the male doesn’t seem even remotely alarmed. Instead of backing away, he crouches down before her. “Aspen sent me to find you.”

In fact, she should bite his hand. His pale fingertips are only several inches away— “Hey, Evelyn.”

face contorts with a terrifying snarl, eyes going black, skin nearly translucent as purple veins bulge beneath the surface. The monster lets out a shrieking hiss.

glare up at Prince Franco—the familiar Prince

Franco, not the nightmarish glamour he donned to frighten me—smiling over me with his hand extended.

“He said he made you a promise that he wouldn’t use the Bond to look for you, whatever that means.”

I snort a laugh, his answer relieving me of my momentary tension. “So he sent you to find me. A clever way to work around a promise.”

“You’ll find I’m long in the ways that matter the

most.” “If you haven’t noticed, Franco, King Aspen is my mate.”

At that, the laughter is leeched from his expression. His voice comes out quiet, hesitant. ...

“Franco, I know we had a moment before Aspen came to Selene Palace. Unless I imagined it, there was something between us. But…Aspen is…”

Even now, I confess you give me a thrill. Much of what I say to create a rise out of you is said in jest, but only partially

know you do. I hope to find a love like that myself someday.”

for you at your mother’s trial because I thought I stood a chance at winning you from Aspen. Same reason why I flew to the Briar House for you without question. I did it because we’re friends. I like you and I always will.”

His expression falls, wounded like I’ve never seen before. His words come out quiet, strained. “Is that what you think I’m doing here, Evie? Controlling you?

Something breaks inside me, and guilt swarms my heart. Suddenly, I feel the barbs of the words I said to Aspen pricking my chest. That was my fire talking, not me.

“I love you, Evie. You devious, reckless creature.”

thought that went without saying from the very start. I need you, Aspen. I love you.” He

can hardly contain my joy, and before I know it, we’re embracing again.

while my free hand flies to my obsidian dagger. Before I can slide it from its sheath, I realize Amelie’s arms were reaching for an embrace, not an attack. At least, that’s how it appears now. Hurt replaces the

magic rolling off my tongue. “By the power of your true name, I order you not to hurt, harm, sabotage, or incapacitate me in any way.” My sister sighs, shoulders sagging as her breathing returns to normal. With her eyes still closed, she says, “If you’re going

missed you last night, he says through the Bond, and with it pulses his desire. His eyes flicker to the figure at my side, and all heat is extinguished from his expression, gaze turning to steel. The same goes for Foxglove and Lorelei, who’d been engaged in animated conversation until we walked in.

“They would be idiots to retaliate,” Aspen says. “They’ve already lost Spring. Once they realize they no longer have Star, they’ll see they’re outnumbered.” “That may be the case,” Estel says, “but they find it all too easy to replace those who’ve joined the Alpha Alliance with pretender kings and queens.”

That’s when another nagging thought creeps up on me. There is a way for fae to lie. Cobalt discovered it. What if that’s Amelie’s true purpose? What if she gave a piece of herself to more than just him? What if she made similar bargains with all the

Palace and that no Renounced know of this plan?”

to the door of the throne room. There I see a slim figure with silver hair leaning against the doorframe. Franco. The sight of him warms my heart, and I flash him a smile. He winks at me, then turns and enters the hall at his sister’s side.

filigree await at the opposite end of the tile floor, surrounded by a breathtaking palace that spans from one side of the wall to the other.

“It’s beautiful,” I say under my breath, shoulders relaxing as my hand finally leaves my dagger.

curl into a smirk. He opens his mouth to speak, but movement near the front doors of the palace catches my eye. The others notice too, and silence falls over our group as one of the doors swings open.

Stand down before your queen!”

begin their slow approach toward the djinn, stopping several feet from him and the palace steps. Breeda speaks first. “Your Most Large and Powerful Servant of Irridae Palace, I represent your new master, Queen Evelyn of Fire.”

The djinn lifts his head to find my gaze. “Forgive me, my queen. My name is Fehr, and I am your humble servant. Welcome home.”

With a grunt, Aspen doubles over. My heart races as I whirl toward him and bring my free hand to his cheek. A sheen of sweat coats his entire face, expression twisted in agony. My throat feels tight, and a sudden stab of pain comes through the Bond, pain that isn’t mine. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, although I’m not sure what I’m apologizing

Fehr’s gaze slides slowly from me to Aspen. “Am I to listen to his orders, Your Majesty?” Aspen tenses, hands clenching into fists, but says nothing in reply. “Yes,” I say to Fehr. “King Aspen is my mate. His household will arrive here shortly, and you will allow them entrance onto the palace grounds. Same goes for the fire fae who will arrive from Lunar.”

awestruck tone shakes me from my giddy daze. “You’ve truly come to find love with the Stag King.” Her words wipe the smile from my face. I try not to read too much into the tears that glaze her eyes. If I did, I might think she’s genuinely happy for

in his chest, a soothing reverberation against my ear. “Your pain was so strong, I could feel it as if it were my own.”

I force a grin as I grasp for a distraction. “Has there truly never been any other Bonded pair that can communicate the way we can?”

allies Bonded by name. We love each other.”

our previous conversation. “As a queen, you have access to all four elements now. It’s only a matter of learning how to manipulate them.”

“Of course I do. I know how capable you are. Not only are you a queen, but you were strong enough to steal my cold, dead heart. If you can do that, you can do anything.” His tone is teasing, his crooked smirk such a wicked sight it has my heart racing. More aware now of the heat of

thought, and I move against him, rocking my hips to sate the craving for a deeper feel of him.

Then suddenly, Aspen tenses, and it isn’t from desire. Completely still in my arms, his lips press into a tight line as a low growl rumbles deep in his chest. I pull away, brow furrowed. I study his face, but his eyes aren’t on me. They’re locked somewhere behind me.

“The mainland army comes even as we speak. Warships by the dozen. The time of the fae is at an end.” My blood goes cold. I don’t need to know the name he refuses to say. It could be but one person. He grins, opening more fissures at the corners of his mouth. “Mr. Duveau sends his love.”

My fingers fly as I go to work, ignoring the ache in my chest that

suppresses while I clean and stitch the wound. Only a few tendrils of black branch off from the lesion, but his blood has yet to be tainted. He will heal. He will heal.

promise me you will let me kill Cobalt.” Like last night when I looked at her and saw my own rage reflected in her eyes, the fury in her tone feels like a mirror to mine. It leaves me speechless.

kind remain, and those who survived were punished with eternal slavery.” “Even after all this

hand light upon my lower back. Warmth floods my chest with a steadying calm. Are you ready? he asks through the Bond. Am

that sounds pretty but lacks execution.” “Nyxia’s right,” Aspen says. “Even if we could get the strongest earthen fae to begin construction at once, we can only do so in our own courts. How are we to ensure the wall gets built around the courts belonging to the Renounced?”