Aed Ruad turned and leaned his arms on edge of the table. He closed his eyes. A moment later he asked, "How are Nyles, Ráild and the rest of their team?" 

"They are under arrest," said Maple, as fury rose in her chest. She was so sure that Nyles would convince Anastasia to come back, but the princess uncovered her secret and things just went downhill. From what Nyles revealed to them, Anastasia's magic had started showing and the fae land was resonating with her energy. If it continued, it would hardly take time before she turned into an extremely powerful fae. Anastasia was the true descendent of those who created the Lore. She continued, "Somehow Ileus emulated the magic that we had cast over Anastasia's wings and transferred it to them. Now none of them are able to open their wings." 

Aed Ruad pounded the table with his fist in sheer anger. All at once he narrowed his eyes and said, "You want to go and get Anastasia? Are you sure you can do that?" 

"Yes I can!" Maple replied. "Give me a chance. I know they are at Óraid. I can get her." She wanted to avenge Ileus. She trusted him blindly for the man had endured all her tortures. She fell so hard for him that it pained when she came to know that he had come for her cousin. She hated Anastasia for being his mate. 

Maple was so strongly attracted to him when he was in Kaizan's disguise that she was overwhelmed. Every other day she tried to seduce him. She would keep him stationed outside her room only to show her sexual prowess, but the man was hardly interested. 

After he had escaped, she was craving to take her revenge all the more. No one but him had rejected her. She was itching to kill him. And if she won't kill him, she would kill the original Kaizan. No, she was itching to make him her sex slave. It was impossible to forget him. Aed Ruad's voice broke her reverie. 

"Remember that in Sgiath Biò, your abilities are limited, but not Anastasia's." He turned to look at her. "And Mother will be coming here in two days. She won't be happy to see that Anastasia has escaped." 

She nodded and walked out of the room with excitement, with fury. Her eyes narrowed into a yellow slit for a moment. 

The twins had practiced immense control over their natural instincts. Their mother had trained them well. 

--- 

It took a day for Maple and her group of four royal guards to travel through Sgiath Biò. She had to travel to the first portal, which brought them to lands before Gavran Wilds. Travelling through Gavran Wilds was extremely difficult and thankfully one of her guards knew of a portal that led directly to Óraid. 

As soon as the fae guards entered Óraid, they turned into shadows, but Maple could keep her corporeal form. 

Maple had cultivated a large group of rogues across Sgiath Biò over the last couple of years ever since her brother had become the crown prince. The rogues had kept a keen eye on all those who infiltrated the realm. However, she didn't know how they could miss Ileus and his group when they arrived in Sgiath Biò. Not only that, the group managed to stay hidden for a year and Ileus had disguised as Kaizan. According to Nyles, he was supported by six more people. How the hell did they stay undercover for so long and that too just outside the bend of Vilinski? She was seething with temper about the fact that none of them could catch them.

With the help of the rogues, she had been able to send the letters, and it was through them that she had come to know where the group was staying. The second letter was a ploy. 

When they reached Óraid, it was dawn. Maple had visited Óraid only once before with her mother Etaya about five years back. The mountain hamlet was just the same—poor and hadn't developed much. Her mother had imposed high tithe on this town specially, but no one knew why.

Since it was morning, and they had become shadows as soon as they were out of the fae realm, the faes had to conceal themselves in the forest. 

Dawn broke over the valley slowly, bringing golden light like amber colored molasses. Snow gleamed a beautiful golden wherever the light reached. Pooling shadows of the night turned blue in its wake. The first hazy lightening of the sky gradually turned into the pinkness of a new day. Buildings, which had seemed but faint boulders in the dark, gained definition. A roof here, a chimney there, all made of solid sturdy wood to retain the heat. The sun brought with it little warmth to chase the chill of the night, and the air mixed with smoke from the chimneys still seemed sharp enough to prick their lungs with icy needles. 

Disguised as a barmaid, she had set out to find if the group had moved anywhere away from the inn. She muttered a curse because tucking her wings under a cloak was difficult. She hated that her wings had to be wrapped in this way. She wanted to spread them, fly if she wanted to. The cloak was such a cage for her. "Ugh!" she grunted. Then a thought cheered her mind. Anastasia was shackled permanently. She tittered at the thought. 

As she approached the inn, she gazed around. There were no signs of life. People were still sleeping. She was craving to enter the inn but knew that if she forced herself in, the dark wizard along with his men would be too much to handle. The only option was to wait and watch the movement of people coming in and out of the inn. She didn't want to create unnecessary drama because Aed Ruad had mentioned to keep it low. 

Maple walked ahead of the inn. It was best to wait. 

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