Now, normally, I like the sound of my name as it echoes through the kingdom. Mixed with the sweet song of the birds singing in the trees, it usually heralded my successful return from a guardian mission and was music to my ears.

But today, the pissed-off tone in Prince Foster's voice made me cringe. Shit. Not polite speech for a faerie, but it summed up my feelings after last night's debacle. Obviously, my immediate supervisor, Foster, also had words to pile on top of my already large dose of chagrin.

"Zuzanna!"

I scurried off to bow and scrape in front of him as he sat on his throne in the shade of the largest apple tree in the orchard. Despite the fact it was winter in North America, it was spring here in the kingdom, so, the tree was in bloom, and the apple blossom scent was intoxicating. I resisted the urge to sink down into the grass but stood instead, my head bowed.

"There you are." Foster's voice was as sharp as a rose thorn.

I looked up into his eyes. Their green depths glittered with enough frigidity to freeze the titties off my faerie body.

In response, my nipples puckered tight against the fabric of my gossamer lace dress. I suppressed a shiver. "Yes."

"This is the third guardianship you've botched in less than a year."

"Yes, my liege."

I gritted my teeth. It wasn't my fault Foster only assigned me teenagers. All faerie godmothers agreed that to do a good job, you had to take children under your wings while they were impressionable, while they still believed. But, arguing with the liege prince would only make things worse. He'd had it in for me for years, the unforgiving imp. As a child, he'd misled a human. The poor man had been trying to reach his ramshackle cottage before it burned to the ground. His only intent was to save the lives of his wife and children. I had intervened and, behind Prince Foster's back, I'd led the human back home in the nick of time. When Foster had found out, he'd run to the King, who had only laughed at his temper tantrum. Then came the clincher. Foster had been put in charge of the faerie godmother division. Now, he could finally do something about his feelings for me. He'd proceeded to make my life miserable from day one.

"You do remember at the beginning of the year I only gave you three chances to improve your performance?"

"Yes, I remember." I bit my lip to keep from speaking further and found my hands were clenched so hard, my knuckles were white.

"Well, Cindy Rella was your last chance." Foster's voice was gleeful. "As of midnight, you will be stripped of your powers and banished from the kingdom."

"What?" I'd expected to be punished, perhaps be put in charge of some wilful, rich child in Hollywood or even demoted to being the scheduling secretary, a miserable and stressful job. But this was beyond imagining. Very few faeries had ever been cast out of the kingdom. My heart stuttered in my chest. With no magic, I would be ... mortal. The thought was horrifying.

"But I am the only faerie godmother for the entire western region!" I protested.

"We've had to downsize. Times have changed, children have changed. Faerie godmothers are out of date and old-fashioned. You can personally attest that they aren't needed anymore. Just be grateful you have a chance to make a fresh start."

A fresh start? As a mortal? Was he nuts? I opened my mouth, but from the look on Foster's face, I could see there was nothing I could say to change his mind. Then I took a closer look at his expression. I couldn't decide on an appropriate adjective for it--contemptuous, ludicrous or just insane. I guessed it really didn't matter. He was the faerie in line to be King. But it would be a cold day in the garden of Hell before I, and many of my fellow faeries, allowed him to take the throne. He needed to mature. A lot.

"You are dismissed until the circle convenes at midnight." Foster flipped his hand at me.

I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue. Dismissed until midnight? That was hours from now! What in the world was I going to do until then? Stew in my own dread? Then, I got an idea. A really brilliant, awful idea.

Oh, I would leave the kingdom, all right. I'd be gone long before midnight. And, I was taking my wand with me.