To Catch a Queen Read Online Free PDF

themselves.
    “I think she might even be aware of it, but she doesn’t seem to want to do anything about it.” She leaned back in the chair. “And I don’t know what to do. But I’m afraid she might do something stupid or crazy in order to feel something.” She hated to make this next request, but she didn’t feel like she had any choice. A fairy might be the only person other than herself who could handle this situation. “Do you think you could keep an eye on her?”
    “I can do so at night.”
    “That’s when I’m most worried. But in case you need the extra strength …” She took the remaining bundle of cookies out of her bag. “Please accept this offering.”
    His eyes lit up. Eamon was awfully fond of humanity, as could be seen in his huge library of human literature and his old-professor wardrobe. He was as much of an oddball among fairies as he was among humans. He’d developed a particular taste for human food, which gave fairies power to function in the real world when offered as a gift, but which was poisonous otherwise. “I will do what I can for her, your majesty,” he said fervently, taking the cookies from her.
    “She’ll be at the theater tonight.”
    “I will go to her there.”
    She stood and picked up her bag. “Then I’ll leave it in your capable hands.” It went against her Southern-bred manners not to say “thank you,” but that was taboo among fairies. Eamon was enough of a human-phile for him not to mind, but she didn’t think it was a good habit to start in the Realm, even if she was the queen.
    That reminded her… “Have you heard anything about a queen forcing captive humans out of the Realm?”
    “You wouldn’t do such a thing.”
    “I know I’m not doing it, but apparently someone is.”
    “I’m afraid I’m out of the loop—that is the right way to say it, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, it is.” Eamon’s grasp of human slang wasn’t always so accurate or timely. He was as likely to use hot expressions from the twenties as today. To him, it was like last year’s buzzwords.
    “I have been avoiding the courts.”
    “Oh well, thought I’d give it a shot. I’ll check in on you later. And try not to let Emily know I sent you. I don’t want her to think I’m suspicious.”
    Though she was pretty sure Emily knew she realized something was wrong. The thing that bothered her was that Emily wasn’t asking for help. What could be worse than being so chained to a magical world that you couldn’t live properly in the real one?
    Once she was outside Eamon’s hut, she decided to make one more stop before leaving the Realm. While she was here, time didn’t have to count in the outside world, so she might as well make the most of it. Forming the mental image of a clearing in the woods, she stepped out and found herself in a space that looked like a ruined temple, with fallen or falling pedestals surrounding a marble floor. The wind blowing through pine branches had a musical quality that sounded perfectly natural until one listened for a while and discerned melody and rhythm.
    She knew Tallulah would expect her to dance before they spoke, and she might not even appear until Sophie had paid the price for an audience, so since she was already dressed for class, she removed her cover-up and put on her slippers. She paused to listen to the music of the trees before she picked up the subtle beat and began dancing.
    It came as a surprise when she heard the sound of applause. She came out of a turn to see a tall, flame-haired fairy with a gauzy dress floating around her. “You wanted to speak to me?” Tallulah said.
    “Yes. Do you know anything about putting humans under a thrall to tie them to the Realm?”
    “I know about it.”
    “Do you know who’s done it to my sister?”
    “She is not my affair.”
    “Do you know how to break such a thrall?”
    “Why would I? It is something that affects humans, not fae.”
    Trying not to show her growing frustration, Sophie