Page 169 of A War of Three Kings

Titania’s eyes slide to mine, and she tips her head to the side with amusement, her shimmering black hair cascading over her shoulder. “Don’t look at me with death in your eyes, Aldrin. All the fae here know you are nothing but an angry puka with its claws pulled out. You won’t kill me, despite whatever promises you make yourself, because you still dream of winning a fair election. Of gaining back the warm and fuzzy love of the people.”

Morgana cries, her sobs escalating into an urgent wail, her tiny face turning pink. Titania ignores the baby, but Caitlin looks ready to strike, and Maeve shakes with restraint.

Flashes of red light ripple across Edmund’s skin. He is barely holding it together, and if he turns into the full might of his fae form, he will unleash utter destruction on the woman beforehim. I have seen how the Lord Protector reacts when he believes one of his family members is under threat.

For four, he would turn feral.

It would be a bloodbath and a slaughter. Titania does not understand the beast she pokes, believing him to be pure human.

I swallow my pride and push down the maddening dread, the blinding anger, and try to de-escalate. “Tell us what you want, because open negotiations were never on your agenda.”

“Aldrin, Aldrin, Aldrin,” she laughs. “You always ruin my fun.” My scowl deepens, but she dismisses me with a glance, returning to Edmund. “You will bind yourself to the trade agreement my advisers have taken the liberty of writing up, and I will take certain precautions to ensure you cooperate with its terms. Then I will leave your rather plain castle within the hour.” She clicks her fingers again. “Torin, if you will.”

Her son’s narrow-lipped mouth twists as he shoots her a dark look, clearly disappointed in the lack of violence, but he pulls a scroll from his satchel and hands it to Edmund, who skims the words.

My heart hammers erratically as my hands itch to pull the parchment from him and read it. Titania is known as a ruthless and cunning businesswoman. For catching her partners in treacherous deals that ruin them with sneaky clauses.

Edmund’s eyes slide to his crying granddaughter, then back to the fae tyrant. “I do not have the authority to sign this. Allow me to send word to the king. It won’t take long. In the meantime,please, hand the crying baby back to her mother.”

Caitlin reaches for Morgana. Titania ignores her, resting the babe on her own chest and patting her back rhythmically until she settles. The contrast between the evil of her nature and that single glimpse into competent motherhood is unnerving.

Titania looks at Edmund with a predator’s gleam in her eye. “Keep the contract. I will send a diplomat to collect it in a week. But I demand assurances that you will play nice. What I have in mind will motivate your human king as well, considering he probably wants to keep happy the pretty young bride he just took.”

“What assurances?” Edmund’s voice is dead.

Titania’s black lips curl into a cruel smile as she leans forward in her seat and points a long nail at him. “I will take three generations of your family with me to my court. Your wife. Your daughter. Your granddaughter.” She counts each woman off the tip of a finger as she glances at Maeve, Caitlin and Morgana. Then her eyes lock on me. “And, precious Aldrin, I haven’t forgotten about you. I will have you dead before I leave here.”

Chapter 45

Aldrin

The entire room falls silent. Horror churns through me, and not at my own fate. Edmund stares at Titania, lips peeled back from his teeth in a snarl as his magic wells and grows within him.

Fire flashes in his narrowed eyes. True raging flames, not the parlor trick in Titania’s gaze.

He is going to kill her, rather than allow a fae to steal his family.

I throw out shields around the baby, Caitlin and Maeve. As I reach for Keira, I find she is moving, running, and her mind is completely blocked to me.

Keira throws herself at Titania’s feet. Titania pulls back a jeweled slipper as though worried she will sully it. Keira looks up at her with desperation. “I beg of you, take me instead of these women. I am a greater prize.”

“Keira! NO!” I reach for her, and she shoots me an apologetic glance over her shoulder. Before I can thread my arms around her waist and drag her behind me, Titania’s guards converge on me. They kick out my legs and twist back my arms, so I am forced to watch her on my knees.

I fight with animal ferocity, throwing my head back to catch one man in the groin and whipping out sharpened threads of air, but there are too many humans pressed around me for me to fight properly. Thick ropes of air attempt to bind me as I continuously destroy them.

Titania reaches down and grabs Keira’s chin, forcing her to look up. “And who are you?”

I rise to my feet with a guard hanging off my back, punching another in the face to get him out of my way. Someone stabs me in the side with a short blade, and I tear it out and use it on his throat. Beside me, Edmund is similarly attacked. Even Caitlin is pinned down by two women.

“I am the Lord Protector’s second daughter. The one he loves so much that he just went to war. And I am Aldrin’s mate. With me, you hold leverage over both men.” Keira’s voice is calm and confident as she barters her life away.

Pain explodes in my chest, far worse than the knife wound.Keira, no!I scream down the bond. I wail and sob.Don’t give up your freedom. Not for me. Don’t bargain yourself to her.

Keira shoots me another look. One of deep sorrow and immense love. She sends me a warm embrace of our souls. It is almost like a caress down my face.

I stagger forward, reaching for her, and more of Titania’s guards intercept me, leaping on my back and dragging me away.

“No!” I scream as her eyes flick between me and Keira. “No! Don’t you dare take her! Your grievance is with me, not her. Not the Lord Protector and his family. Leave them be and I will return to the Spring Court with you, to be humiliated however you please.”

---