Forever Fae by L.P. Dover Page A

need to find Xylia fast , before everyone leaves for the night. 
    I say quickly, “Good, Kalen will show you the way to our rooms.  I have a few things I need to do first.”
    Warren looks at me skeptically, but I keep my face blank.  I can’t let him know what I’m doing.  The outburst he had about the p rincess has me very cautious around him.  I don’t want to have to hurt my oldest friend, but I will if I have to.  They both leave and I look around to find the one person I need.  Once I spot her and get her attention she comes right over.
    “Is there something I can help you with , Prince Ryder?” Xylia asks skeptically.
    “As a matter of fact, there is.  Can you do me a favor?” I whisper.
    “Depends,” she says smiling. “W ill there be stealth involved?” She looks all around darting her eyes back and forth and rubbing her hands together in anticipation.   She reminds me of my brother with his sense of humor and spunky personality. 
    Laughing, I say, “Yes, there will be lots of stealth involved.”
    “Then I’m in, sweet thing,” she says and winks.
    I lean in closer to her and whisper, “I’m going to meet Calista tonight and I need you to make sure Merrick doesn’t come looking for her if he suspects she is missing.”
    Her face falls .
    “Do you realize how much he is going to hate me if he finds out ? Not to mention the amount of trouble I could get into?”
    “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could n’t do it. ” I look around quickly to make sure no one is listening and then I look back at her. “ Please, I really need to speak to her in private.  It is very importa nt that I talk to her.”
    She smiles .
    “Okay, I’ll make it happen.”
    We separate and head out of the G reat R oom .  I have one hour to kill bef ore it’s time to meet Calista . What should I do in this hour?

 
    Chapter 11
    Calista
     
    Merrick takes my elbow and leads me out of the Great Room.  We walk through the palace and head to my room, or my rooms is more like it.  In my wing of the house I have a total of ten different rooms to choose from.  I have my library and my bedroom that I mainly use.  I have a game room, a media room that’s basically a mini theater, and the other six are just bedrooms.  Xylia stays here a lot with me and she pick s a different room to stay in each time.  Merrick and I finally reach my bedroom door and it fe els like an eternity walking all this way in silence, but I was trying to plot my escape.
    “Which room would you like to be yours, Merrick?” I ask.
    “Whichever one is closest to you,” he says with a slight grin.
    “I don’t think you will approve of that room because the closest room to mine is the pink one,” I laugh.  I can just imagine him taking residence in a pink room.  The other warriors would never let him live it down. 
    He shakes his head and grins.
    “I know it’s pink.” He gives me a sly smile. “Remember a few years ago when I refused to help you paint that room because of it ? ”  He raises his eyebrows in question and I shake my head in memory of that fun - filled day.  Xylia and I tried so hard to get him to help paint that room.  Xylia even offered to flash him if it would get him to help, but he still refused. 
    “I just wanted to see what you would say about me taking that room.  I’ll stay in the one across the hall.”
    That’s actually the only room he helped paint . I call it the “blueberry room.” The whole room is a mixture of shades of blue.  There’s a king size bed that would be perfect for him, and a huge bathroom that could shower the whole army at the same time. I guess he knew a long time ago that the room would be his someday.  He can be so arrogant sometimes.
    “Calista . ”
    I turn to look at him and his face is weary. His voice sound s unsure. He grabs both of my hands and looks down at the floor.  I lower my head to peek up at his face .
    H e finally lifts his head and says, “Do