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.I’d chosen pure white granite for the façade with heavenly stained glass and crystal chandeliers to cast an otherworldly glow.The problem was it looked mortal.Once we recovered the Elementals, I would have to work on something more suitable to this place.Most of what I’d made had come from something I’d seen in a magazine or imagined.I hadn’t gotten much travel time growing up, so the only castles I’d been exposed to were Faeresian.As much as I’d loved the places, I couldn’t bring myself to recreate something Valen had been instrumental in building.The last thing the fae needed was more of the same.The morning was bright with rich sounds of birds and rustling leaves.In Faeresia, the air not only offered the musky scent of fresh dew, it lingered most of the day.Once the sun came out, the floral breeze brought exactly enough vitality to wake up any lazy soul.Today, the experience fell flat.We walked into the labyrinth and meandered until we were completely alone.Gibbit stopped at the red bench, which remained in the shade.He lumbered onto the seat and heaved a sigh.I was grateful when he began without having to be asked.“Three lines have vanished.From what I can tell, there ain’t no O’briens, Halloways, or Campbells.Strange doings are happening.like I never saw.”Before he could go on, I butted in, “Campbells, are you sure?”“Checked all my sources, Miss.‘Tweren’t one.”Well, I knew two who were about to join the masses.“Anything else?”“I’ve located a group of Elementals I believe are being targeted.Several have gone missing within the last few months.None have information to share.”Every tick of the clock brought a sense of dread.Were the women missing or worse? With Lambert involved, it was anyone’s guess.“Which family?”Heath straightened, his head whipping to the right.“Quiet.Someone is here.”If Travis were lurking in the bushes, I was going to kick his butt.I cupped my hands on the sides of my mouth.“You’re made.Come out.”A dark figure emerged from behind a distant tree.It didn’t take long to identify the culprit.“Lacey?”She smiled before Heath said, “She’s not alone.”“Who else is there?”Natalie stepped from the shadows, her head held high.I nearly laughed.“What are you two doing?”Lacey folded her arms.“Following you.No one seems to want to let us in on this mission, so we’re making our own.”My stomach dropped to my toes.I hadn’t considered the Elementals here, and Natalie was purely mortal.Both women came nearer.No matter how long I stared at the bushes, no one else emerged.It seemed someone was missing.“Where’s Roger?” I searched the shrub line again looking for him.Lacey gave no outward reaction, but there was venom in her tone.“Staying here.He’s got his hands full of fae women.”Once a Snake.“I thought you two were patching things up.”She clicked her tongue.“He’s more interested in what this place has to offer.I should have known.”I’d seen slices of decency in the man, but he seemed to have left them somewhere between an island in the Pacific and Lombarda.I pulled her close until our foreheads touched.“I’m sorry.Want me to blast him with a bolt of lightning?”She chuckled, her hazel eyes filling with a wicked light.“Wouldn’t do any good.He’s a boy and always will be.”“We’ll find you a man,” I said, sneaking a glance at Heath.He’d told me someone had it bad for Lacey, but he wouldn’t spill.Traitor.Lacey straightened.“Who said I want one?”Wounded as she was, I let her talk.When we were on the island together, she’d shown me her softer side in the quiet of the night.No matter what she said now, I knew she wanted someone to love her.I’d thought the man would be Roger, but it was totally his loss.I avoided looking at Natalie long enough.When our eyes met, she gave me a halfhearted smile.Sadness permeated from her as if she’d marinated in it.It wasn’t as though I expected her to get over Sam’s death in a day, but she’d tucked so far inside herself, I wasn’t sure when she’d emerge.I gave her a hug, hoping she’d break the ice.When she didn’t, I asked, “Are you sure you want to get into this mess?”We’d brought her entire family here, and I was certain her mother would throw a hissy fit if she knew what her daughter was about.“I’m going crazy, cooped up like I am.I need something to do.”I had hoped she would find a mystery to investigate here, but she hadn’t shied away from danger when we were back at school.Made sense she’d volunteer.Really, the only danger she’d be in is if Lambert or one of his flunkies recognized her.The truth was she could be a real asset in the field.“Thanks for coming.”She offered a dubious frown.“You aren’t going to tell me I can’t go?”For dramatic effect, I shifted my eyes right and left, then gave her a secretive smile.“Like that would keep you here, anyway.Who am I to tell you what to do?”She glanced at Lacey as if I’d lost my brain.“Last time I checked, you were queen of the fae.”I shook my head, pushing down the insecurity.We still had a lot to do before we could leave; the first was to find out everything Gibbit had learned.He still sat on the bench, staring at us as if he watched a late night drama.All he needed was some popcorn.I left Natalie and Lacey to sit by him.“You were saying …”His smile revealed his chipped and missing teeth.Surprisingly, his breath wasn’t horrendous.“It’s the Jamison clan, my lady.Like I said, they’ve had abductions.Normally, I’d say it was fae business as normal, but I’ve never seen so many girls taken at once.Most Elemental families know about the light and dark court —”A grave realization hit me.“What do you mean by dark court?”“Those fae what followed Valen are calling themselves by the name.”Valen had once explained to me the yin-yang relationship between dark and light elements and how they were symbiotic.The thing was he’d taken people from all the houses, which totally blew his theory to the next galaxy.“So we’re the light court, then?”He stared, giving me a sneer.“Jokingly.You know, miss, if you keep interrupting me, we’ll be here ‘til next week.”“Sorry, go on.”He cleared his throat
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