Rescued By The Fae Prince (Fae 0f Ballantine Book 3) Read online

  Rescued By The Fae Prince

  (Fae of Ballantine)

  Serena Meadows

  Copyright ©2020 by Serena Meadows - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Also By Serena Meadows

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  ***Reese***

  Reese stood on the bow of the ship watching Ballantine and its brand-new sparkling dock get smaller and smaller. From this distance, with all the commotion of workers putting on the finishing touches, it was hard to see his aunt and uncle, the king and queen, but he knew that they were still waving from the dock. His cousin, Prince Colin was there too with his wife, Darby. Keaton and Rainey had been missing from his farewell party, but he could forgive them. It was Jamison’s absence that concerned him.

  He pushed that worry away, Ballantine was slowly recovering from the evil that had surfaced so unexpectedly, the crown jewels had been returned, and it was time for him to go home. His long absence had been his own choice, but after what he’d been through over the last two weeks, he was ready for the peace and quiet of Loughmore. When he’d left two years ago, he’d been hungry for adventure, craving excitement, and he’d certainly found it, but now he wanted something different.

  That didn’t mean that he was going to fit into life in Loughmore anymore than he had when he left, but he was determined to find a place in the fanning. Someday, he’d be the ruler of their little kingdom; that alone should have been enough, but in a community like Loughmore, it wasn’t. Surrounded by some of the most intelligent Fae in the world, he’d grown up knowing that he’d never be able to contribute like most, but that he’d have to lead them.

  It wasn’t that he wasn’t intelligent, but compared to most of the Fae in Loughmore, he was just average, and it had always been embarrassing. His parents didn’t seem to care, and had encouraged him when he showed more of an aptitude for anything that involved the outdoors or physical activity. As he matured, it had become apparent that royal blood pounded strongly through his veins, but he’d inherited none of the intellect his parents were so strongly gifted with.

  But he’d come to realize that his talents were just as valuable as those of his parents and the other intellectual Fae, possibly even more valuable if the threat of the Unseelie remained a reality of life. His time away from home had honed his skills and taught him how to control his power, but it had also shown him that he was capable of far more than he’d ever imagined.

  Turning away from the sight of the harbor shrinking as they headed out to sea, he smiled at the people crowded on the deck, all happy to be going home. Knowing that it was time to take his place among his people, he put a smile on his face and headed for the closest group of Fae, proud of the job they’d done rebuilding the harbor.

  * * *

  Sarah put the little car into a lower gear, wondering if it was going to make it up the hill, gritted her teeth and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The car surged forward, making her head bump against the headrest, then sped up the hill, its engine straining the whole way. When she agreed to drive herself to Loughmore, she’d had no idea what she was agreeing to, but as she crested the hill, the view took her breath away, and she was filled with a sense of wonder.

  She’d had no idea that she was so close to the ocean, but it was spread out in front of her, stretching a far as she could see, its blue waters glistening in the late afternoon sunlight. Slowing the car to almost a crawl, she watched the water, wondering how such an unspoiled place could still exist, but happy to experience it. Knowing that she still had a long way to go, she sped up again, suddenly realizing that the road would dead-end at the ocean if it didn’t turn soon.

  She scanned the rolling green hills around her as she slowly followed the road, beginning to become even more nervous when she noticed a thick bank of fog blocking her view of the road just ahead. Stopping the car again, she grabbed the map Professor Kinkaid has emailed her and traced her path, then sure that she hadn’t made a wrong turn, slowly drove into the fog.

  Expecting the car to careen off a cliff at any moment, she held her breath and drove as slowly as she could, her hands gripping the wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Then suddenly, she emerged from the fog, into the late afternoon sun, only to find that the ocean had somehow gotten farther away. All around her, mountains had sprung up from what had appeared to be flat land and for a moment, she was disoriented and stopped the car again.

  She was just reaching for the map again when she saw a sign by the side of the road. “Loughmore, one-hundred-and-fifty kilometers,” she read out loud to the silence in the car, then sighed with relief.

  Putting the car back in gear, she started down the road into the undulating hills of the countryside, the sound of the engine getting louder as she climbed the hills, then quieting as she coasted down again. After nearly a full day on the road, just her and her little car, she began to feel like she was the only person on the Earth. It was a spooky feeling, and she tried to block it, reaching for the map again to reassure herself that she was going the right way.

  But it was too dark to see the map, and she began to wonder if she was going to have to spend the night in the car since there was no way she was going to drive these roads in the dark. Shivering at the thought, she pushed on, cresting the next hill, hoping to see a town, a farm, anything. To her great relief, there nestled in the next valley was a house with a bright light burning on the porch and a big sign that said. “Welcome Travelers!” next to the road.

  ***Reese***

  Reese pushed through the big double doors, wondering why he hadn’t gone around to the back entrance when he stepped into the dark entryway. Although it was bright and sunny outside, the stone castle that he called home was as cold as if it was winter, and he shivered. The sound of his footsteps echoed against the walls of the hallway as he made his way through the old part of the castle to the modern addition his grandparents had built.

  He wasn’t surprised that his parents hadn’t been there to greet him; they were probably holed up in the lab, as usual, working on their latest invention, one that they’d refused to show him the last time he’d been home. That invention, and the hints they’d throw at him when he’d come home the week before were part of the reason he’d been so anxious to get back. Whatever they were working on, they claimed that it might change the world, and when they talked like that always made him nervous.

  As he’d expected, they were in the lab, deep in conversation in front of a whiteboard full of complicated equations. Standing with them was Simon, their long-time lab assistant; face blotchy with anger, he was pointing to the equation and yelling. Reese couldn’t hear him through the thick glass that surrounded the lab, but fro
m the look on his parent’s face, it wasn’t going to be long before they shut him down.

  He walked up to the glass and tapped it a couple of times with his knuckle, winching when Simon threw down the marker he was holding and stormed over to the door. Throwing it open, he started through then turned back and said. “It’s not my fault your idea won’t work; my math isn’t the problem.”

  His father opened his mouth to reply but saw Reese and shut it. Simon stormed by him, giving him a dirty look, then disappeared into the hallway, mumbling under his breath, a few curse words coming through clearly. He stood staring open-mouthed, shocked by Simon’s behavior until his father joined him.

  “Simon’s been a bit difficult lately,” he said, putting his hand on Reese’s shoulder.

  “I’ve never seen him act like that,” Reese said, turning to look at his father, who had a grim look on his face.

  “We’ll get to that later,” his mother said, coming up to join them. “First, we want to hear all about Ballantine. Did you get the crown jewels back? Are Alexander and Isabella going to let Colin stay married to that witch?”

  Reese sighed; he didn’t really want to talk about Ballantine, but it was a pretty good story, and he knew his mother had a soft spot for romance. “She’s not really a witch; she’s more Fae than witch,” he said. “And yes, I think so, considering the fact that she saved not only Ballantine, but the crown jewels.”

  His mother’s eyes began to sparkle. “I can’t wait to hear this story,” she said. “Let’s go have some tea and you can tell us all about it.”

  ***Sarah***

  Sarah climbed the steps onto the porch, slowly looking around her, again feeling slightly disoriented. The house stood three stories tall, painted a bright blue she wondered how she hadn’t seen it from miles away, but she was exhausted from driving all day and the sun had been in her eyes. Before she could knock on the door, it was thrown open to reveal a shriveled old woman, a gap-toothed smile covering her face.

  “Welcome,” she said, holding the door open. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors tonight, but I’m sure we can find you a clean bed. You look like you could use some rest.”

  Sarah sighed with relief at the warm welcome and immediately felt better. “Yes, I could, thank you; it’s been a long trip,” she said, then held out her hand. “I’m Sarah Sinclair.”

  The old woman looked her up and down. “And where did you come from, Sarah Sinclair?” she finally asked.

  Sarah looked back over her shoulder at the road, which was shrouded in darkness. “Umm, I came over the mountains on the road,” she said. “I’m going to Loughmore.”

  “I see. Well, let’s get you settled,” the old woman said, leading the way into the house. “I wasn’t expecting any guests tonight, but now that you’re here, I’ll put something together for dinner.”

  “Oh, please don’t go to any trouble,” she said. “I’m not very hungry.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble, and now that you’re here, I’m sure more guests will be arriving very soon,” the old woman said. “I’m Minerva, by the way; forgot to introduce myself.”

  Sarah followed Minerva up the stairs, down a long hallway to a door that was painted pink. “I think you’ll be comfortable here for the night. You have your own bathroom and a beautiful view of the stars.”

  The room was done all in pink with a huge bed in the center, and she wanted to sink into it right then and there and sleep for hours. “Oh, this is wonderful,” she said.

  “It’s one of my favorite rooms,” Minerva said. “I’ll just let you get cleaned up and then come on back downstairs when you’re ready. Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

  As soon as the door closed behind Minerva, Sarah set down her suitcase and collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes. Promising herself that she’d only lay there for a few minutes, she let herself relax for the first time all day and soon drifted off to sleep. When she awoke half an hour later, her stomach rumbling almost painfully, and she was afraid she’d missed dinner.

  Jumping out of bed, she quickly washed her face, ran a comb through her hair, then headed for the door, pausing for only a second when she realized that she heard voices in the hallway. Sure, now that she hadn’t slept that long, she eased open the door, surprised to find the hallway empty. Deciding she’d just missed whoever was there, she headed for the stairs following the smell of something wonderful that made her stomach growl even louder.

  Chapter Two

  ***Reese***

  Reese couldn’t help but smile at the eager look on his mom’s face as he told her about Keaton and Rainie being forced to get married. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when he finished and she clapped her hands like a little girl and said, “Oh, that’s so romantic.”

  His father reached over and took her hand. “You always did love a happy ending,” he said, smiling at his wife.

  “Well, can you blame me? Rushing rivers, and angry villagers: it’s a good story,” she said. “But what about the witch, Portentia, wasn’t it? What happened to her and her daughter?”

  “I’m not sure,” Reese said. “In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if she’s even real. No one I talked to ever saw either of them, and supposedly when she showed up in town, she brought her own servants.”

  “But she has to be real,” his mother said. “Where else could Samuel have gotten all that magic? From what you said it was some powerful stuff.”

  “I suppose you’re right, but I just think it’s strange that no one ever saw her or her daughter, and then they just disappeared,” Reese said. “It’s been bothering me since we found out.”

  They were all silent for a few minutes, then his mother said, “If I were her, I would have done the same thing.”

  They both looked at her in shock. “Stop looking at me that way,” she said. “I just think she’s smart for not being seen; if no one knows what she looks like, she can hide in plain sight.”

  “And that’s what scares me,” Reese said. “If she’s real, she’s very powerful, and working for the Unseelie, no fanning is going to be safe until we find her and Samuel.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” his father said, “but I doubt we have much to worry about. The Unseelie couldn’t possibly be interested in us.”

  Reese could see that his father really believed what he’d said, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere out there, Portentia and Samuel were lurking, just waiting to pounce when the time was right. He pushed the thought away, deciding he’d spent too much time worrying about the Unseelie when there was something more important going on at home.

  “Let’s hope you’re right,” he said. “Now, what is this new invention you’ve been working so hard on? Are you ready to show it to me yet?”

  His parents exchanged one of those glances he hated so much, and he knew that they were silently communicating in that way of theirs. Growing up, he’d hated it when they did that, couldn’t understand how they could say so much with just one glance, and he still didn’t quite understand. But he knew that they were coming to a decision, so he waited patiently.

  “I guess we really don’t have much choice,” his father said, getting to his feet and holing out his hand for his wife. “Just keep in mind that it’s not finished.”

  He followed them into the lab where he was seldom permitted to go, and over to a tarp-covered heap. “Grab that side and pull,” his father instructed.

  The tarp slid away to reveal an engine. “This is it,” his father proclaimed proudly.

  Reese set down the tarp and walked around the motor. “What is it exactly that I’m supposed to be looking at?” he said, feeling stupid. “Mechanics aren’t exactly my thing. It just looks like an engine to me.”

  “It is just an engine,” his mother said, walking over and pointing to a yellow cylinder attached to the engine. “This is what we’re so excited about.”

  “What is it?” he asked, not so embarrassed.

  “It’s a hydrogen cell,” his
father said. “But this one is different. We’ve found a way to improve the power output, lengthening running time and making it feasible for any kind of vehicle.”

  “Well,” his mother interrupted, “we think we found a way, but we’re having a hard time getting a few things just right.”

  His father pointed over to the whiteboard. “Our problem is somewhere in there,” he said.

  “That’s what Simon was upset about,” Reese said, walking over to the board, which to him looked like it was full of gibberish.

  “We’ve been stuck for a while,” his mother said, nodding her head. “So, we found some outside help.”

  “And Simon didn’t like that either,” Reese said, finally understanding.

  “I can’t blame him; we’ve never brought in a mathematician before,” his father said, coming over to stand next to him. “We’ve tried to be patient with him, but it’s becoming more and more difficult.”

  Reese felt a little bad for Simon, who probably felt like he was being replaced. “Who did you get to come?” he asked, searching his brain for a likely candidate among his parent’s friends.

  “That’s where things have gotten a little difficult,” his mother said, coming over to join them. “We had to search pretty far for the right person, and well, she’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “What your mother isn’t saying,” his father began then looked over at his mother, who nodded her head, “is that we’ve invited a human to help us.”