Page 11 of Crown of Briars
“Do not harm her.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t take her blood without injuring her, Varius.”
“I mean…” I swallowed, my mouth parched, then tried again, “Do not use excessive force. Do not frighten her more than is necessary. Understand?”
Her lips tightened, and I couldn’t tell if it was amusement or irritation that flickered across her features. “Fine.”
Without another word, her wings spread wide, and with awhoosh, she left the cave. A burst of magic indicated she had shifted to a raven once more, and her echoing caw was the last I heard before I succumbed to unconsciousness once more.
My heart was hammeringin my chest as I raced toward the outer gates. Just before I got there, I brought my fingers to the amber stone at my throat. “The Wraith King is here,” I whispered to Azure. “You know what to do.”
By now, my dragon had likely sensed the commotion and drawn closer to the castle in case I needed her. Sure enough, her voice sounded in my head.
“I will follow the carriage. Don’t worry, Sybelle, I know your scent better than anyone’s. I will not leave you alone.”
Relief and warmth filled my chest. At least there was still one friend I could count on.
I would not be alone.
My chin lifted as I strode through the gates. Father and Orla were already standing with the guards, backs straight and expressions grim as they waited for the carriage to draw closer.
With a deep breath, I positioned myself on Father’s left side, my eyes fixed on the valley that curved between the twin mountains. In the distance, I could hear horse hooves crunching along the gravel path.
My heart thundered a riotous rhythm, and my pulse quickened as the sounds drew closer.
Then, a black carriage appeared, rounding the curve of the valley. My chest constricted at the sight. It was twice as big asour largest carriage. An eerie gray fog billowed behind it, an echo of the shadows waiting for me in the Wraith King’s court. The horses were not horses at all but massive skeletal beasts with gleaming red eyes. Their thin, membranous, black skin barely covered their bones, revealing rib cages and muscle. It wasn’t until the carriage was a few paces away that I realized the dark shapes along the beasts’ backs were wings that had been tucked in.
Wings.
These creatures couldfly.
Stones, what am I getting myself into?I didn’t want to know what hellish realm these creatures came from.
But that realm was going to be my home. Bile crept up my throat, my stomach churning with unease.
Shadows swirled as the carriage stopped and the doors opened of their own volition. I had a wild thought that perhaps the carriage was alive before I noticed the spindly creature hanging on the door handle, holding it open for the occupant. I blanched, realizing the scaly beast had blended into its surroundings like a chameleon. It wore no clothes and had a long tail that flicked behind it.
I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my composure.
From within the carriage, a large figure emerged. My heart galloped in my chest at the sight of him. He had olive green skin, also like a reptile. His gleaming yellow eyes seemed to glow like lamplights as he surveyed the entourage awaiting him. Two sets of white curled horns rested atop his head, and a pair of leathery green wings was perched atop his shoulders. They were so small, though, that I doubted they would be able to hold him up at all, which made me wonder what their purpose was.
The unseelie fae gracefully stepped down from the carriage. He wore an immaculate mauve suit with a fine-trimmed waistcoat. A long, thin tail extended from his rear and slithered along the pebbled road behind him as he approached.
Stones, was this the Wraith King? His form was much more diminutive than I would have expected. He couldn’t have been more than a few inches taller than I was, and he was rather scrawny, too. Certainly not the formidable hellish beast I’d heard whispers of.
Beside me, Father stiffened, his eyes narrowing with distaste. “What is this?” he barked. “Where is the king?”
My mouth went dry. This wasn’t the Wraith King?
“King Maddox.” The green-skinned fae bowed deeply before replying. “My lord sends his deepest apologies. He is detained at the moment and sent me in his stead to fetch his human bride.”
“I will not sacrifice my oldest daughter to anyone less than the husband promised to her,” Father snapped. “I will certainly not hand her over to some unseelie creature I’ve never seen before.”
I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. Father had no qualms with giving me over to a stranger. He was only offended the king hadn’t deigned to grace us with his presence.
The fae bowed again. “Forgive me. My name is Clermont. I am the king’s steward. I assure you, your daughter is safe with me.”
“How am I to believe you? The moment she is out of sight, perhaps you intend to devour her like some cobra.”
