How to Save a Fae (Heir of Dragons Book 2)

was momentarily lost in her eyes, caught himself studying the curve of her lips, before he finally began. “Minx, what are you doing here?” he asked in a haughty tone. It wasn't his usual way of speaking, but rather a deeper register intended to convey authority.
Minx wasn't having it, and stepped past the guard who'd brought her, placing her shackled hands against the edge of the stand. “Kaleb, I need your help. Mau and I came all the way here from Pandling Grounds. The Wuffs, you see... they're still attacking us. Since the end of the great battle—since the two of us last met...” Here, Minx trailed off for a moment, her gaze drooping and her cheeks reddening. “Since then, the Fae have faced many attacks. The dark army is still out there, slowly recovering. Waves and waves of warriors threaten our lands, and it's getting to be too much for us. We can't keep up the fight, not like this. We need your help—the help of your people.”
The others in the courtroom sat up in their seats. “A charge of trespassing?” muttered one of them, an older man with thick lenses and a feathery beard. “This is a violation of the treaty, your honor. The penalty must be great!”
Kaleb silenced his fellow dragon with a wave of his hand. It pained him to see her in chains, and the earnestness in her gaze moved him. Nevertheless, he had a job to do. “Minx, I'm sorry, but you're trespassing on our lands. Per the terms of the treaty, I have no choice but to charge you with this crime.” He watched as her jaw dropped and her brow furrowed in anger. “The laws of this mountain do not allow unchaperoned Fae to wander freely. I thought I made that clear to you during your last visit here. What happened last time, with you two tagging along... It was something of an anomaly.”
The Fae huntress looked on the verge of exploding. She balled her fists and stepped away from the stand. “What are you saying?” she demanded. “I know I'm not supposed to be here—that this isn't ideal. But what else was I supposed to do? It isn't like I had any other way to get ahold of you!” She kicked the corner of the stand angrily, and the nearby guard moved to restrain her.
Kaleb called him off with a hard glare. “That's enough, Minx. I understand your people are troubled, but this isn't how things work. We have rules that must be followed here. Duties.” He sighed and picked up his gavel. “Where was she found?” he asked the guard.
“Me and another guard discovered her and the Faelyr on one of our rounds, near the eastern entrance. They didn't appear to be up to anything, and merely wanted directions.” He chuckled, adding, “I'm familiar with Minx, and I know she came here with the best of intentions. In accordance with the laws of the mountain, however...”
“Yes,” replied Kaleb. “Thank you.” He turned to the others situated about the room. “Gentlemen, there doesn't appear to be any other evidence to present in this case. A cut-and-dry instance of criminal trespass, no?”
“Correct, your honor,” answered one of the lounging jurists. “This Fae has no rights here. As a result, we needn't hold anything like a formal trial. She will be charged by your authority, and serve whatever sentence you see fit. An outsider does not have the right to trial by jury.”
Kaleb sat up and delivered a swift crack of his gavel. “Very good. Minx, I hereby charge you with trespassing in the Talon Range. Guard—take her away from here.”
The portly guard nodded, approaching Minx. “To the dungeon, with the Faelyr?” he asked.
Kaleb shook his head. “To the suite—the one for special prisoners, if you wish.” He punctuated his order with a wink while the other jurists returned to their private conversations.
“Oh... the suite?” After a moment's hesitation, the guard obeyed, taking hold of the chain around Minx's wrists and carefully guiding her out of the courtroom. “Please, this way.”
The Fae huntress would have none of it, however. “What's the meaning of this? Kaleb, where is he taking me? Are you really going to have me locked up? You of all people?” She resisted the guard's pull, but when the stone-faced judge turned away from her, she lost her fight and fell suddenly into despondency. Minx shuffled behind the guard, head low, and passed back into the antechamber. As she left, she spared Kaleb one last glance, the pain in her eyes apparent.
Kaleb slipped out of the courtroom through the rear entrance, a knot in his stomach. OK, so that's not exactly how I hoped our reunion would go... Even if he somehow managed to smooth things over, to calm down the Fae huntress, he knew he'd never hear the end of this. Because he'd had the authority as judge to charge her however he liked, he'd skipped all the formalities and declined to send her to the dungeon. Instead of having Minx locked up as an actual prisoner, he'd asked the guard to deliver her to his suite—a plush and inviting room where she would be comfortable.
At least there she'll be out of sight. What was she thinking, coming all the way out here without warning? She could have gotten herself killed...
There was no getting around the fact that he had feelings for the feisty huntress. Even so, most of his countrymen had nothing but disdain for the Fae. Recent events had not radically altered the relationship between the two races; things remained icy. Allowing Minx to wander wherever she liked was a recipe for disaster. She was liable to get attacked by stubborn dragons or to stir up more anti-Fae sentiment with her smart mouth. Minx was skilled at many things, but she wasn't always the best at biting her tongue. Her stubborn streak could be her undoing in dragon country.
Kaleb navigated the hidden passages in the mountain, marching through