Finding the Prince

I type in a code and take my phone apart. The last thing I need is for Maya to track me down. I've already wasted enough time. Had Fie not been captured, I could have killed Maya for giving me the fake stone. Everything's been set back.

"I need you to take the wheel," I tell Sparrow, as I start to shift for whatever reason wolves are never asked for documentation. Perhaps no one wants to risk insulting them. I mean how would you even phrase it.

"That's your plan?" he switches with me, the five winds nowhere in sight. I guess they're flying in. Sparrow pulls up to the checkpoint and I crawl into a ball pretending to sleep.

"Documentation," the mortal guard asks.

"Here you go," Sparrow hands him something and the guard lets out a grunt.

"Sir, shouldn't you have some kind of escort?"

"No need," Sparrow says, "as long as you don't tell anyone I should be safe. If by some misfortune someone tries to kill me, I'll assume it's your doing."

"Of course, not sir," the guard sounds a little shaken, "enjoy your visit."

"Thanks," once we're in motion I open one eye.

"Who are you pretending to be?" I shift back pulling clothes from my duffle.

To Sparrow's credit, he keeps his eyes on the road, "the Summer Prince."

"Seriously?" I lace-up my corset fastening a silver and iron cover over my throat that extends to my shoulders and all the way down to my waist.

"Yeah, met him once found we have a slight resemblance," Sparrow does a double-take, "how can you move in that?"

"I'm used to it," the armor I'm wearing is magically infused and is something I had to learn to fight in and sleep in. It's designed to keep your most vital organs safe. Even my thigh-high boots have a special binding within that not only provides support should you obtain a fracture but keeps your legs safe from any loose blades.

"Do I get one?" Sparrow makes a turn stopping only when pedestrians are present.

"What do you think?"

"That's not fair."

"Your magic," I pull my hair into a bun and secure it with special hairpins, then pull the black mask tucked into the throat cover up to my nose, "if anything goes wrong just fly away."

"You're magic too," he says pulling up to the forest I told him about.

"I'm too use to being mortal," I pull leather cloves on then place a silver covering, "what?"

"You were never mortal," he says summoning armor of his own something tells me if he were to summon his wings even they would have a protective covering light enough to let him fly yet strong enough to protect his beautiful wings, "in case you've forgotten, your wolf was never locked away."

"That's because they didn't know about it," I say, remembering my first kill. It was an accident really a woodsman found me by the ravine and thought I'd make a pretty coat. How wrong he was. His family found him torn to shreds come morning.

"Why the red cloak?"

"It was a gift," I fasten the cloak pulling the hood up I hop out of the truck. The Five Winds stand by the River of Sorrows shrouded in darkness and shadows the only armor they need.

"The Red Death," Falcon says.

"What?" I lock the truck and watch with fascination as Sparrow cloaks it.

"That's what some of the locals call you," Raven says a glint of approval in her golden eyes.

"I had completely forgotten about that," I call out Nightmare earning a gasp from Mariposa.

"That's the last Shadow Queen's mount," Mariposa's eyes look at Nightmare as if the last Shadow Queen were standing before us.

"Master said he needed a rider," I climb onto Nightmare's back, "you know where to go."

"Well see you there," Hawk flies off followed by Hummingbird, Raven, Falcon ad Mariposa.

"Don't get killed," Sparrow takes of scouting ahead of Nightmare and me.

Nightmare moves too fast to be seen my cloak billowing behind me as we transverse the terrain. "Fie," I call out as we near the City of Sanguis the capital of the Vampire Realm.

"Miss me," he sends back.

"You're an idiot," I send," did he move you?"

"Not as far as I can tell," he sends back, "also I did this for you."

"Still an idiot," I send.

"Yet rescuing this idiot will allow you to kill Andreas without starting a War," he sends

"Just so you know," I ride past the Fountain of Val Rai the Deity of Thunder, "you're just another assignment," the pedestrians I must seem like nothing more than a red blur.

"Whatever makes you happy sweetheart," he sends, "though I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd hurry up. 'I'm getting tired of pretending."

"Almost there," I send dismounting two blocks away Nightmare takes his place on my rib.

"Where are you?" Sparrow sends.

"Close," I send as I scale up the building before me and call Nightmare out once more. We gallop from rooftop to rooftop until we're galloping down towards Andreas's Manor.

Nightmare retrieves to my rib as descend upon Andreas men. Nothing more than a red blur, Vampire heads role as my blade comes into contact with their necks. Somewhere in the distance screams are heard as the earth begins to shake.

I slip into Andreas Manor cutting down anyone that gets in my way. The Five Winds will get Fie out while I take care of Andreas.

"I'm being moved," Fie sends.

"Where?"

"The Red Death!" someone shouts.

Dammit, why did I stop, "Fie."

"They covered my head," he sends, "I feel like I'm going up."

"Sparrow their moving him," I send twirling my blade in time to pierce a Vamp through the heart.

"Where?" Hummingbird sends.

"I don't know, he said they covered his head," I slip into an alcove, "he said they're moving him up," a female, rushes into the parlor eyes scanning every inch. I take one of my poisoned throwing stars nicking her in the calf.

"Show yourself," she hisses if I remember correctly from Zinia's memories this is Karla, Andreas's lieutenant.

"I see why Zinia was jealous of you," I say, stepping out of the alcove, "you're quite lovely."

Karla sneers fangs catching in the candlelight, "who are you?"

"I thought that was obvious," I twirl my blade around taking precise steps towards her.

Karla tries to move but the poison's taken effect, "what would the Red Death want with us?"

"Your Master has something of mine," I say, moving just in time to the rhythm of the sweet melody only I can hear. Karla turns to dust the moment my sword pierces through her back.

"What have you done?" Andreas's voice has a powerful boom to it. It would make most quaver but then again, I'm not most.