Page 8 of Whispers of Fate

“It turns out Leo isn’t king anymore.” Ristan’s tone sharpened like a knife, and he grunted aloud, jerking forward to prop his elbows on his knees. “His spoiled bitch of a daughter overthrew him months ago and executed him.”

“The king?” I countered, confused about who he spoke of at the moment, not following his rapid words. “Wait, the king is dead?”

He snapped his fingers, and a bottle of dark amber-colored whiskey tipped, pouring into the glass that he held. Ryder had barely managed to secure the second glass as it materialized before the bottle tipped to fill it as well. “When I arrived in their courtyard, the bitchshotat me. It was utterly unprovoked as well as unwarranted, and the moment I’d finished explaining who I was and why I’d come, she fucking shot at me again, repeatedly. Can you believe the balls on that bitch? Afterward, I smashed her fucking weapon, and she demanded I get the fuck out of her territory. That isn’t how shit works anymore. She can’t just murder her own father and crown herself ruler of the Summer Court because the bitch feels like it, right? Right! Fuck that, and fuck her too,” he roared, slapping the glass down on the table.

“She executed the king?” I asked gently, not knowing how to deal with Ristan being so angry at the woman. Of course, he had every right to be if she’d shot at him. He was an emissary, which could be taken as an act of war by doing it while knowing my decree had sent Ristan to her court.

“Exactly, and that’s not how shit works anymore. Now it’s up to the lords and ladies within the court to appoint a monarch, and they haven’t voted. That fucking traitorous bitch told me they weren’t presenting us with shit or willingly recognizing the newly crowned motherfuckers of Faery. According to her, we can all get fucked in the same fashion as the twisted bastards that created the world. She went so far as to state she’d offered us all we would get from her court, and if we expected more, we’d have war. War! Who the fuck does she assume she is?She-Ra?The bitch doesn’t have the tits to be She-Ra.”

Ryder sat quietly behind me, but his hand had stopped its slow circles over my stomach. He leaned against the arm of the couch, watching as Ristan downed his drink, which replenished itself as quickly as he drained it.

“Do you know what else she fucking said to me? She reported they’d paid enough for our bloodthirsty war and wouldn’t be producing anything else for the orphans who no longer have parents because we craved more power. It wasn’t about power or gaining more. We fought to prevent Danu and her sadistic prick monger of a husband from destroying the fucking world. How dare she assume otherwise or claim they paid enough blood for our war. They fucking paid nothing! Nothing!”

Ristan’s hands were flying in the air with his frustration, and fervent tone was filled with . . . excitement? My focus narrowed and I watched his body tensing. He either liked this girl, or he was intending to unleash some serious hate-fucking sessions out on her. It was a tossup to which he’d do first. Fuck her, or murder her for thinking she was better than him.

“We fuckingbledfor them and to protect the realm from being decimated by those assholes that used us for their sadistic needs. I buriedOliviabecause she died to protect this world and the assholes within it. The Summer Court? They paid nothing, sacrificed nothing. Fuck her, and fuck them. You know what? I’m traveling back there, and I’m going to take what we’re owed and show that little pampered bitch what suffering is until she knows it intimately. I plan to march right into her palace and dethrone her ass in front of her full court.”

He leaned back, letting out a furious growl as his eyes flickered and a bitter smile danced on his lips.

“I don’t assume that’s what . . .” I hesitated when Ristan’s body language morphed from scary to sexy before my eyes. A frown flittered over my lips, and worry creased my brow.

“I’m going to teach her why we’re the fucking assholes who go to war, and that she’s nothing more than a sunbathing, bronzed bitch who wouldn’t be able to identify a real man if he was drilling his cock between her cherry-red lips. All those sunbathing bastards inside that court? They’re nothing more than little bitch boys wearing speedos and flouting frilly fucking girl drinks while sitting poolside. Yeah, she wouldn’t know how to handle an alpha who would enjoy her pain-filled screams.”

“That escalated rather rapidly, I fear,” I said, pulling Ristan from his ruminations. He opened his mouth, but I held up my hand to continue. “I don’t think feeding her dick is how we should get the tithe. I mean, it just seems like there’s better ways to ask for it, right? Plus, it may not look so good for you to shove your dick between her lips and then get paid,” I rambled, frowning at Ryder, who was chuckling softly. “Especially when it isforus.” His golden eyes sparkled with mirth, but he turned to where Ristan sat, unhappy with my deduction.

“You’re confident she’s of the Summer Court royal bloodline?” Ryder countered, which had Ristan on his feet.

“Eden, remember? That spoiled little bitch who used to insult me when we were young? It was her, and she knew exactly who she was talking to. How many other fucking demons in this realm change color when provoked? That fucking brat disrespected me and the two of you! My plan is to call on the barracks in a few days and take a squad back to that court with me. I’ll string her up by her feet and remind her of what happens when you poke the demon and he comes out to play.”

“In the morning, I’ll send a garrison of troops to bring the princess here to be questioned on why she shot at you. In the meantime, you should rest,” Ryder offered gently. “I know you don’t like to be away from Orion, so let someone else handle this.”

Ristan tilted his head, rubbing his chin. “No, it needs to be me. I want to do this, Ryder. I can’t keep running in a circle and smothering my son. It will not bring his mother back, and it’s an endless loop that I’m perpetually remembering every single fucking day. Olivia’s gone, and if she were coming back, she’d have done so by now. Holding on to her is driving me crazy. I hate everyone for their happiness, and I don’t want that any more than I want to carry this loathing anger inside me. I fucked someone last week, and I made her bleed because my demon is becoming more dominant when I unleash the pain. He’s not been in control since Danu used me last, and even then, I made certain I was in too much pain to fully unleash him against her. He never made a peep in Olivia’s presence, and I thought she’d sated him, but I’m not so sure anymore. I think he was biding his time and healing inside me.”

“Why do you think that?” Ryder asked hesitantly as wings expanded from Ristan’s spine, dwarfing us in their shadow. Something slithered from his waist, slinking around to wiggle in front of us. “Bloody hell.”

“Yeah, the wings returned rather suddenly. After Alazander removed them, I was under the assumption that re-growing them was impossible, but I woke up two weeks ago in agonizing pain. I cut the skin that had sealed closed over them, and they released. I don’t know if it’s because this world is shifting or because my demon is awakening and his lust for chaos is coming back.”

“It isn’t a bad thing that they’ve returned, brother.” Ryder exhaled, returning his focus to Ristan.

One of Ryder’s hands was on my belly; the other was drawing the infinity symbol on my arm, teasingly. I felt something else slowly teasing my belly, which made me search out what it was. Dropping my attention to Ryder’s hand, I discovered the tip of a tail drifting over my belly. Concealing the shock, I found Ristan grinning before he moved it away.

“Might I suggest you use that aggression on the Summer Court’s newly crowned monarch? As the high king, I hold the authority to grant you permission.”

“I don’t think that’s—” I started, only to be cut off by Ristan.

“I very well intend to do just that. I bet she fucking screams for me when I unleash my demon on her silky skin. I will have to wait until after the solstice concludes since it will be Orion’s first, and I also want to help search for Kahleena.”

“We’re done searching for her. I think the bastard who took her intends to bring her here,” I stated, swallowing over the knot in my throat. “You’re going to want to sit down for this, Demon. It’s a long, horrible realization that both Erie and I have concluded to be probable.” I started at the beginning, telling them about what we’d assumed was occurring within the land before moving on to the predicament and probable fight coming straight for us. Then I filled Ryder in on what was happening with Alden and Zahruk.

“Is that all, or is there more?” Ryder asked harshly. His body had gone rigid behind me. I adjusted, slipping from his lap sitting beside him, fidgeting with the worry of him being disappointed with me. “How do you know that he means to bring her here? You’re not even certain of who this asshole is, but you assume he’s the one who took Kahleena?”

“I think it’s probable, yes. If Danu stole Faery from them, and they’re free of the prison, then we need to consider that they’re pissed off and want revenge. The timeline of events fits, and it is the only thing that actually makes sense. We’ve scoured the entire realm and not found one single sign of her or anyone who’s seen her, Ryder. She’s not in this world or any of the others we’ve been searching. Adam and Adrian are using the guild’s technology, scouring the cameras of every city, and nothing. They’ve discovered nothing. We’ve searched everywhere possible, and not found anybody or anything that links back to her.”

“I know,” Ryder admitted, scrubbing his hand down his face before exhaling. “Has Zahruk returned?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I’ve not seen or heard any news on Zahruk since you were here last.”

“So he’s still avoiding us,” he stated bluntly, which had Ristan snorting in agreement. “And did you say Alden feeds until death, and you’re positive he fed off an immortal?” he countered, watching me carefully.

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