The Wizard's Queen

Chapter 42

Wren dreaded his next mission. He also hated who had been assigned to come with him. Leona was being surprisingly calm, so he was sure he could handle her, but Zain was a different story. The blonde had been upset he missed the battle with all the demons and was ranting about it as the group headed to meet with Wren's own father.

"Man, if I was there, I would have roasted the place!"

"You would have burnt everyone else too," Leona grumbled.

"Well, demons come from hell, so the only way to deal with them is fire."

"Actually, regular fire won't do anything," Leona said.

Wren tuned the two of them out as they walked down the Charleston streets. With Michael Noble placing anti-apparition wards not only around his home and the city but the whole state, the group was stuck on foot. Well, they took a cab but ended up getting out and walking because traffic was so backed up and Wren couldn't handle sitting in an enclosed space with Zain and Leona for a second longer.

Since he had killed her sister, Leona had been strangely quiet and less obnoxious than usual. She even had been less handsy. Not once had she forced herself on him. Her behavior was odd, but maybe she didn't know how to act around the man who killed her little sister in cold blood.

Cosmo, it's ok. Just trust me and do it. Anna's words played on repeat in his mind. Wren couldn't figure out why the sly devil was okay with sacrificing her cousin to keep Wren alive.

Anna had been the only one besides Kas who Wren would talk to at school. Devan never liked Anna hanging around Wren and would try to keep her away. Maybe if he hadn't, then things would have been different for her. At one point, he had even offered to make her Queen of the Fairies. She turned him down, saying she'd prefer to be friends. It wasn't until after Anna had died that he started dating Leona. They were at the same university. They never spoke to each other in high school. She had dated Ryder some, but broke it off with him in College and ended up with Wren. The only thing Wren had ever liked about her was her eyes. They were the same as Anna's.

He chuckled, realizing he was thinking about his first love. He didn't really like Anna either. The only reason he grew infatuated with her was because she was the only one not afraid to talk to him because he was "royalty". She treated him like he was normal and the two of them got into a lot of mischief together. Well, Anna caused the mischief and drug him along on all her insane plans.

"Wren, where is the place again?"

Leona's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Leona should know where the coffee shop was. She had been there before. He started to insult her, pausing at the sight of her face. She really has changed. Her face reminded him of Anna's. It was kind and warm.

Zain groaned, stomping his foot. "Come on, I'm cold and just want to get this stupid diplomatic mission over with already!"

"I still don't know why they sent you to speak with a king," Wren snapped.

Zain shrugged his shoulders. "Still buddy, what's going on with you? You can't even stay focused for more than two seconds!"

Wren sighed as he pushed forward, taking a right around the corner onto Meeting Street. The shop was tucked away outside the tourist area. Leona was the type to not care to remember little details like the location to the direct portal to the Fairy Castle, but he actually has never taken her to the realm. No, only Anna has used that portal with him. All he ever took Leona on was a date here, which she complained the whole time.

He shoved open the doors to the shop, pausing in surprise that his father was on this side of the portal. At least that demon kid wasn't with him. Wren wasn't sure what his father had done with him, but he wasn't going to ask him either. Zain would only set Declan off, and then Charleston would be obsolete. No, the whole east coast would be obsolete. It was better if Declan was far far away from this war.