The Winged Fae (The World of Fae) Read Online Free PDF Page A

their kingdom, to disobeying the queen’s ruling on making mischief in one of the Denkar’s related minor kingdoms. Some fae thought if they were members of the major kingdom, they could get away with pulling shenanigans on the fae of the minor kingdoms. Although it depended on the time of year, just like some humans celebrated April Fool’s Day or All Fool’s Day. Even the Romans had celebrated such a day known as Hilaria and in medieval times in Spanish–speaking countries, the Festival of Fools. The fae kind had set a couple of days aside for tomfoolery as well. As long as the trickery wasn’t too severe, then no problem existed.
    Niall recalled the history lessons concerning the fun–loving fae from the various kingdoms, who had descended on the human populations all over the world in ancient times, to begin the All Fool’s Day tradition. One of his favorite lessons was concerning the trickery that a fae concocted whereby several humans arrived at the Tower of London to observe the lions being washed. Or the one where the Swiss had learned of a way to eliminate the dreaded spaghetti weevil and were producing a bumper crop from spaghetti trees.
    That was the way of the fae after all. To encourage the most outrageous of fool–worthy pranks and see just how many humans fell for them.
    So hoaxes such as those wouldn’t have received a second notice in the fae kingdoms.
    But one of the jailed Denkar had stolen a turtle fae’s bride right before she walked down the aisle to the altar, which would have been acceptable if the bride had agreed, but she hadn’t. Since the girl was a distant cousin of Prince Deveron’s, the queen had been incensed.
    One of the incarcerated fae had tried to steal a kiss from Princess Ritasia, Prince Deveron’s sister—whether she had encouraged it or not—when the queen had no intention of his seeking her daughter’s hand in marriage!
    The last confined male fae had made the grievous mistake of saying that Queen Irenis’s dark and fathomless eyes didn’t inspire terror like the cobra fae queen’s did. Whether Queen Irenis’s eyes did or not was mere speculation. But saying such a thing landed the fae in a cell for his impudence. Which made the point: her subjects could believe anything they wanted, but they’d better keep their thoughts to themselves if the queen should take offense.
    As soon as Niall made it to the very last cell for prisoners deemed warranting special treatment, isolated from the other cells by stone walls and a metal door with only a barred window that guards and the like could look into, he was surprised to see Deveron and five other fae in attendance.
    He had mistakenly assumed, since he was needed because of his special connection to the girl, that he’d have a private audience with the winged fae. Maybe the Denkar thought the girl would try to kiss Niall and convince him to release her if they left him alone with her. As much as his head was pounding, he silently scoffed at that.
    He meant to stand erect next to Deveron, scowling fiercely, intimidatingly like all the rest of his kind looked, but by the gods, he could barely stand!
    Teetering and forcing himself not to lean against Deveron’s solid form, Niall frowned even more at the winged fae.
    She should have appeared afraid, as darkly dangerous as his kind looked. They were hunters, after all. And appeared damn displeased. But the nerve of the creature!
    She was lying on her back, wrists manacled, her hands beneath her head, legs crossed at the ankles, wearing long silk gowns of pale blue of a fashion suited to fae royalty, and looking more alluring than he was willing to admit, as she stared up at the ceiling with a contemplative expression even. She didn’t appear in the least bit scared. Which made everyone else in the room look even angrier.
    “Speak with her, Niall!” Deveron demanded, sounding highly agitated.
    Before Niall fell down, his head was in such a state of fuzziness, he took