Page 131 of Lore of the Tides

She could feel the weight of countless eyes upon her, each no doubt finding her wanting. Chitters rose up from the crowd. The king was evidently holding court today; raised seats on either side of the throne room were filled with courtiers—a poisoned sea of silks and brocade, lush skin dripping with glittering jewels. Wicked grins flashed, hidden behind delicate hands that had never had to lift a finger in their too-damned-long lifetime.

Perfect. She’d hoped the king would want an audience as he denied her everything she asked for, because she needed hostages to exchange for Syrelle and his family.

The antiquated king sat upon his throne, a selfish lion lording over his dominion. Despite being fae, time had not been kind to him. His balding wings had lost most of their feathers and sagged behind him like a kite ravaged by the branches of an oak tree. His skin hung from his skeleton like clumps of wet paper. Lore was almost grateful when the commander pressed hard on her shoulders, pushing her to her knees with bruising force, because she couldn’t stand to look upon the vile king a moment longer.

Lore bowed her head in supplication, waiting for the monarch to speak first. He took his time, allowing the silence to press on her ears, making her want to squirm.

She flinched at the sudden bang of a door being thrust open at the back of the throne room. Followed by the soft shuffle of slippers as someone walked across the hall before stopping beside the king.

“Why have you brought this mess to my door?” the king finally demanded of Lore. The king might look old, but his voice was strong, robust. The juxtaposition startled Lore into glancing up at him before he’d permitted her to. She had a moment to glimpse that it had been Coretha who’d just entered and now leaned casually against thegold back of the king’s throne before Commander Arelas shoved Lore’s head back down.

“Do not look upon the king unless given leave to do so.”

Maybe instead of forcing the commander to his knees when she had her turn, she would one-up him and break them instead.

“Oh, Your Majesty, do let her look upon us. Your visage is a gift no human has ever seen before. And I do so like watching her squirm,” said Coretha.

“You may look upon me but stay kneeling, human. It’s only proper,” the king acquiesced, leaning forward on his throne. Lore was surprised she couldn’t hear his bones creaking or collapsing into dust with the movement.

His curiosity had been piqued. Maybe Lore provided a novel experience for him. Could she use this somehow?

“Your Majesty, I bring you the wishes of my people.”

“Oh?” He feigned surprise. “I was not aware your kindcouldwish.” Chittering laughter from the crowd of courtiers. He knew they wished. That they dreamt and loved and sought more than he would allow them.

He may view them as worth little more than the weakest nag in his stable, but the king couldn’t live as long as he had and not be privy to the intellect of the humans. And, due to their intelligence, how truly atrocious an existence had been forced on them.

For it was true, they might wish, but when had their wishes ever come true?

Only, Lore’s had. She had wished for magic, and she had gotten it.

Lore swallowed her pride and bowed low until her forehead rested on the floor of his throne room. At least it was clean; his servants were an effective bunch. Rude, but efficient.

“We wish not to burden you anymore with our presence in your great kingdom. If you would let us, we would depart—make our way so far from here you need not ever think of us again.”

“Did you hear that, Uncle? They wish to unburden us andleave.”

Gods, Lore was ready never to have to hear Coretha’s haughty voice again. She’d hated it before, but now that she knew she’d betrayed her own cousin, put in jeopardy his niece and nephew, who were innocent children... she despised the sound even more.

The king barked a laugh. Lore recoiled. He had a monstrous sound to him. Lore imagined for a moment what he would have been like in his prime. Dragon eyes gleaming from his face. A desire to bite, and rip, and smash, and grind her bones.

She pushed the disturbing thought from her mind.

“Do you know why I called the humans through the portal to my land?”

What did he mean...hecalled the humans here? The room spun as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Could the king really have been the cause of her ancestors’ displacement? How could one being, unless a god, be so powerful?

The king continued on, “Your life force, human. You burn with it. Humans are dumb, filthy things, but you live such short lives; your life force is like a beacon. Your passions, emotions, all of that sustain me. It empowers me. It has kept me young. I called your kind here as aSourceof my own. I draw on your people as we speak. Your own life force, little witch...” he licked his lips “...will be delicious.”

Rage thrashed within her like a writhing den of serpents. “Our lives are not for you to consume. They belong to us,” she hissed.

“You are the weak, I the powerful. What you have will always belong to me.” Suddenly, he looked bored with the conversation.

“Heir Coretha, it would be wonderful to have that land free of vermin... but why do they think that we would ever let them go? It would be a truly daft leader to kill the fathers and not expect the children to rise up as soon as their back is turned.”

“You’re right, Uncle. They would come back eventually andhaving to squirrel them out of their hidey-holes to annihilate them would be terribly dull, when we could do as we planned, finish them now.”

Lore’s blood froze in her veins. She had to implement her plan to bind him and the courtiers with her magic now—demand Syrelle’s and Maple’s locations, then hold the royal court long enough for the rest of her people to meet with the siren waiting at the docks. She had to distract the king while she unleashed her magic. “Your Highness—” she started, but Commander Arelas was quick, so quick, she had no time to see him move before a backhand blow crashed into her face. She felt the cold sting of brass knuckles, then arresting agony exploded through her head as the bones in her cheek cracked open like an egg.

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