Free Ever Fire by Alexia Purdy

almost twinkling as they converted to a honey-brown when filling up with slight mischief.
    He knows I’m thinking about him. How does he do that?
    Shade suddenly felt so invaded by his penetrating stare that she had to pry her eyes away, and stared back at her plate of food. Popping another piece of fruit into her mouth helped to distract her from her present company. Dylan and Soap were getting harder to ignore, which was what she wanted to do. She’d rather think about what Draden had said about her family and the Scren Seelie Court that rightfully was hers. She didn’t know how in the heck she was supposed to be a ruler. She almost choked on the grape as she thought about it, and took a swig of juice to wash it down.
    “It’s okay, Shade, just breathe,” Dylan interrupted. “I know you didn’t expect this and it’s all sudden, but you have got to get a grip on yourself, or you’re going to choke on your breakfast!” Dylan’s urgent whisper in her ear brought her face to flush. She turned towards him, pressing her lips into a straight line.
    “I know that. Just back off okay? I’m just a little in shock. I have to digest what Draden told me. I don’t even know who I am, and that scares the crap out of me. Tell me you wouldn’t feel the same way? You’ve never had to deal with this kind of stuff in your entire immortal life, so you can just leave me alone,” she snapped as she stood up. She glanced down the way towards Prince Ursad’s table where he was also watching her. She felt the weight of a thousand eyes bearing down on her, and the room was wavering as she regretted her decision to stand up so fast.
    She sucked her breath as her stance wavered. The Prince whispered something into Camulus’ ear. The green Elven-Pixie glanced at Shade and nodded his head. In a flash he was at her side, catching her and gripping her in his arms gently but firmly. Another flashing swirl swam around her and brought her back to her room. She was still at the glass castle, but in the bed she had slept in that night. Camulus helped her slip into the soft sheets.
    “Shade, it’s okay, you’re in your room. Prince Lotinar wanted me to make sure you made it here safely because you don’t look well. I will return with Sary momentarily.” He was readying himself to teleport out of the room when Shade stopped him.
    “Wait!”
    He returned to the bedside and bent down towards her awaiting her words. “Yes. Is there something you need?” His orange-fire eyes blank of any emotion, he seemed like a colder version of himself within the castle walls than when they had first met out in the forest of Faerie.
    “Thank you, Camulus. I feel better now. Sary doesn’t have to come right away. I just think I’m overwhelmed with all of this. Thanks anyway.” She stopped because his apathetic face seemed so foreign and unfriendly at that moment. “I’ll see you later,” she said as she lay back against the pillow and watched him swirl away like a dream in the night.

Chapter Eight
     
    “ SHADE, CAN I come in?”
    Soap’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. She sat up in the bed and watched him peek around the crack of the door. She was relieved to see the Teleen-Changeling Faery, and motioned him to enter. She felt a lot better away from the atmosphere of the castle’s occupants in the dining area. The silence of the room had felt like an antidote to the madness she had felt swimming in her head, making her sick and faint. She watched Soap enter and quietly click the door behind him.
    Soap’s flowing movements towards the bed caught her attention. He was wearing a thin, soft-blue, gauzy, tunic and matching pants that were loose and flowed in the soft breeze of his movements. The outline of his smooth muscles stood out, and she could see his chest and stomach muscles ripple under the half buttoned tunic. His long, golden-brown hair fluidly draped around his shoulders and spilled down his back. He was definitely fit, and his