Page 34 of Crown of Briars
“What are you doing here, human?” asked the Wraith King.
My chambers became too stiflingthe more I paced, so I made my way to the library, which was my favorite room in the castle. My thoughts blurred as I stared into the fire, remaining in my chair long after the embers had died.
I had come here to be alone. To gather my thoughts. To escape.
So, naturally, my wife decided to intrude.
My fae hearing picked up on the slight creak of the door opening. Her sickly sweet human scent assaulted me almost immediately. Still, I waited. Perhaps she would leave me be.
The door closed. Then opened again.
This repeated for quite some time. I massaged my temples, my head throbbing. I knew exactly what was happening; she was trying different doors. The castle was toying with her.
“Enough,” I growled.
But the castle didn’t listen. It never did.
At long last, she entered the room, and I had to admire her courage. The sensible thing to do would be to give up, to retire for the night. After all, she was a weak and frail human who needed far more sleep than I did.
She faced me, brown eyes squinting. I had to remind myself that human sight was abysmal, and she likely couldn’t see meproperly.
I sensed her fear the moment she realized I was sitting before her. Her pulse quickened, and her heart stuttered. I chose this moment to rise, then cloaked myself in my shadow shield for good measure. I was in no mood to watch her run screaming from my presence. Not tonight.
“What are you doing here, human?” I asked in her tongue. I despised Terrish. It felt rough on my lips, and the syllables were harsh and jarring compared to my own language. But it was the only thing she understood, and if it would get her to leave me more quickly, I would speak it.
The human—Sybelle—stood straighter, her eyes flashing. She wore nothing but a transparent shift and a thin shawl. My eyes dipped to the leather belt around her waist that held the ceremonial dagger from earlier. Her hand was wrapped around the hilt. My eyes narrowed at the sight. Was she truly so terrified that I might harm her? The idea sent a bolt of anger rushing through me.
She thought we were savages. All of us. That we couldn’t keep our hands off the humans for even a moment.
“You might be more suited to answer that question,” Sybelle said. Her voice was level and held a hint of ire. What right did she have to be angry with me?
“I beg your pardon?” I snapped.
“Why am I here?” she repeated. “Why did your steward send for me so urgently? Why has your kingdom taken human brides all this time? Do you feed them to some four-headed demon hiding in the dungeon? Do you sacrifice them to the moon gods? Do you feast on their flesh? Please, enlighten me.”
Each of her questions was uttered in a bored and unaffected tone, as if these horrifying options did not bother her in the slightest.
My brows drew together as I stared at her. Her eyes were fixed on me—or rather, where she presumed my face to be. Butshe held no ounce of fear. The quickened pulse was still there, but I could scent nothing but anger from her.
Interesting.
“You are here to fulfill your end of the bargain between our kingdoms,” I supplied.
“Yes, butwhy? Why stipulate that as part of your demands? What purpose does it serve?”
She was not the first human bride to ask this question. I had to be careful with how I responded, since I could not lie. “There are certain shadows here that even my magic cannot fight. For some reason, the presence of a human will keep them at bay.”
Her jaw went slack, revealing several of her abnormally square teeth. Mother of Shade, she didn’t even have fangs. What were those teeth good for? Could they slice or cut at all?
“That’swhy you’ve asked for human brides?” She shook her head. “But I don’t understand. How am I supposed to stop the shadows? I don’t—I can’t—” Her mouth clamped shut, as she was clearly at a loss for words.
“You have no magic,” I finished for her. “Yes, I know. But I can’t explain it, either. Over the years, we have tried many things. The only thing that seems to work is your kind.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
My eyebrows lifted. “For now? Return to your rooms and rest.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m a bit too preoccupied to sleep.”
