Free The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones

perhaps I will find a cure in their pages.”
    â€œThe cure for a Mortal disease?” Cordelia said dubiously. “I fear not.”
    â€œNevertheless—” Sancha began, but Oberon interrupted her.
    â€œWe will not dwell here,” he said. “But neither will we return to the Royal Palace. Many folk remained there who may have none of this pestilence in their veins; I would not put them in danger. Let us go to Veraglad upon the high southern cliffs. There shall we stay until this thing is defeated or until its evils are spent.”
    Tania knew of the Summer Palace of Veraglad, although she had no memories of the times she had spent there with her sisters in her lost Faerie childhood.
    The King turned to her. “Tania, go with Rathina and Sancha. Spread the news of our departure; have all make ready to board the ships.”
    Tania nodded and with a final miserable glance at Earl Valentyne, she left the tent with her sisters, intending to let everyone know that they should start packing up and making their way to the harbor.
    Edric was standing just outside the tent.
    No, she thought. Not now. This isn’t the time.
    He stepped into her path. She lifted her hand, as though trying to ward him off.
    â€œWill you talk to me, please?” he said.
    She paused, aware that her sisters were looking at her. “You go on ahead,” she said to them. “I won’t be long.”
    She felt the quick squeeze of Rathina’s fingers inhers, and then she was alone with Edric. She looked into his face, holding her emotions in check, caught between the need to be comforted by him and the urge to launch her fist into his face.
    â€œWell?”
    â€œYou’re blaming me for what happened, and that isn’t fair,” he said quietly. “I didn’t accuse your parents of anything. They came to me.”
    â€œBut you were quick enough to agree with them, weren’t you?” Tania said, glad that her voice sounded steady and level. “You were happy enough to let them be punished for it.”
    â€œNo, I wasn’t happy. But what else could I have done?”
    â€œYou could have stood up for them like I did!” A poisonous edge came into her voice. “Ever heard the phrase ‘innocent till proven guilty’?”
    A muscle twitched along his jaw. “Ever heard the word ‘epidemic’?” he retorted. “Don’t you care about what happens here? Because I do. This is my world, Tania, and your Mortal father has put it at risk.”
    â€œYou don’t know that!”
    â€œOh, wake up, Tania! What else?” His eyes burned. “Tell me!” he said. “Tell me what else could be going on here? You’re so blinded by loyalty to them that you’re not thinking straight.”
    â€œLoyalty? Is that all you think I feel toward my parents?”
    â€œI presume you mean your Mortal parents,” Edric said coldly.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, you’re very quick to remind me of that, aren’t you?” she said bitterly. “Tania the not-really-full-blood Faerie. Who is she? Who is this strange girl? She’s neither one thing nor the other; she’s Tania the half-breed!”
    â€œI never said that. I never thought that for a single moment,” said Edric. “Why would I have asked you to marry me if I felt like that about you?”
    â€œWho knows?” Tania exclaimed, the anger surging unstoppably through her. “Nothing in this stupid world makes any sense. Maybe you were thinking of starting a freak show with me as the main attraction.”
    Edric moved toward her, his face now more concerned than angry. “Tania, calm down,” he said.
    â€œGet away from me!” she exploded. “Don’t touch me!”
    He backed off, his hands raised. “Okay, okay,” he said. “I’m going. You obviously need to cool off. We’ll talk again when you’re being a bit