Caledonia Fae 04- Druid Lords Read Free Page A

once,” Munro said. “Can you send your fastest runner with a message?”
    “If your need is official and urgent,” the Watcher replied, “I will send a signal.”
    Munro hesitated a moment. “Do that,” he said.
    Bran nodded and turned to another. Raising his voice, he said, “The druid lord summons the queen.” The somewhat younger Watcher’s eyes went a bit wide.
    Munro had only lived in the Otherworld for a couple of years, but he knew summoning a queen was a rare occurrence. He opened his mouth to explain, even though technically he didn’t have to, when a familiar voice intruded into his thoughts. How I love to sense your presence, Quinton. You seem disturbed. I hope you plan to stay in Caledonia for a while. I miss you.
    His inability to answer her frustrated him. He hoped she would receive whatever signal Bran sent and come quickly.
    “If you’d step back, my lord druid. The beacon will become quite bright,” Bran said. He lifted his right arm to the sky and whispered. All the Watchers in the circle did the same. From his fingertips came a blinding golden light. The beam shot into the air and joined with lights each of the other Watchers created.
    Munro realised he didn’t have cause to worry that she would miss the signal The higher it grew, the more the vast ball of light dwarfed the portal itself. Together the Watchers called, “Advance!” and the light flashed once, then zoomed away, leaving a glowing trail behind it.
    “She’ll come?” Munro asked Bran. He’d never seen them use anything like this before.
    “Yes,” Bran said. “Her majesty will most certainly come.” He smiled. “That was exciting. We haven’t sent a signal in a long time. I cannot help but express my curiosity,” he added.
    Munro didn’t see any harm in telling the Watchers the news. Nobody had indicated he should keep the events to himself, and with the big ball of light flying towards the queen, his message wouldn’t stay secret long. “The gates are shifting,” Munro told him.
    The faerie’s eyes widened and swirled with a flash of magic. “Caledonia?” he asked.
    “I don’t know. The keepers are summoning all the queens.”
    “They always do,” another faerie nearby said.
    Munro didn’t quite understand, but the Watchers were clearly worried about the implications of what he told them. “I’ll send word as soon as I have some information.”
    Bran looked startled. “You are too kind, my lord druid.”
    With worry now weighing more heavily on him than before, Munro stepped through the portal and returned to the Halls of Mist.

Chapter 2
     
    Demi Hartmann locked the door behind her and pulled the bolt into place. The habitual action wouldn’t stop him , locks never had, but the sound of the metal sliding into place comforted her anyway. Leaning against the door in the darkened entryway, she breathed for a moment. Damn. She’d needed that job. The savings she and her grandmother lived on wouldn't last forever.
    Her grandmother called from the other side of the house, in German, of course, “Is that you?”
    “Yes, Omi,” Demi shouted. “It’s starting to rain harder now.” She unwound the long scarf from her neck and hung it on a hook near the door, then placed her jacket next to it. She shivered, but not from the cold. She didn’t want to tell her grandmother she’d been followed home. She was tired of moving. When they left Berlin, they’d moved to southern Germany, then over into Austria. Then when he found them, they’d doubled-back to Zurich. The larger the city, the longer before he found her, but he always did. Omi had been the one to choose the Netherlands. Nearly three-quarters of the population spoke German, and even more English, which Demi had learned in school. Her grandmother’s English was passable, but they hoped this time, they would have a while before he caught up with them. Part of her dared to hope he might not find her at all.
    She tousled the damp out of her hair and