Page 49 of Crown of Briars
A low growl rumbled from within me, and my shadows thickened, darkening the room.
I had planned to ask her for a vial of her blood. Perhaps if I implied Tislora needed it for a spell, she would comply. But after our conversation, I was doubtful Sybelle would do anything if it did not benefit herself.
I ran my hands through my curly hair, biting back a snarl. How was I to convince her to help me and my court if she despised us so much?
My thoughts turned to my conversation with Tislora.Who gives a shit if the human has a comfortable life or not?
Sybelle had been endearing when I’d met her in the library. Now she was downright insufferable.
But if I took Tislora’s approach, and extracted the human’s blood by force, that made me exactly the type of monster Sybelle accused me of being. In the library, she had called me vile. She had all but stated she feared for her life amongmy people.
Forcing her to comply with the curse’s demands would only strengthen her belief that we were the enemy. We were the beasts to be feared.
A knock sounded at my door, and I bit back a snarl of rage. “What?” I barked.
“My lord, they are ready for you,” came Clermont’s curt voice.
I groaned and rubbed my temples. Of course. I’d forgotten about the council with the generals. Mother of Shade, this was not what I needed right now.
Realizing Clermont was waiting for an answer, I said, “I’ll be right there.”
His steps retreated, and I closed my eyes, willing my temper to abate so I could face this problem.
I changed my clothes and splashed cool water on my face before opening the door, finding myself facing the throne room. Silently thanking the castle for being compliant this time, I strode inside. The six generals were already seated at the round table, muttering among themselves. All wore grim expressions, and I couldn’t blame them. The riots were getting out of control, and the shadows had already reached the lower towns.
We were out of time.
The generals all stood as I made my way to the table, seating myself between Generals Vexon and Salyut.
Once everyone was seated, I cleared my throat. “What’s the report?”
“Six dead from riots,” said General Forsenn, who sat directly across from me. The fae had forest green skin and piercing blue eyes. His webbed hands came together atop the table as he spoke. “Two infected by Necro Shadows. One still lives, but he is fading. The other we could not save.”
I exhaled slowly, my chest tightening from the loss. Until now, the shadows had only skirted the boundaries of the city. Ihad hoped that drinking the elixir would hold them off for a bit longer.
Clearly, I was wrong.
“Sire, the human is here,” said General Olectus, a large fae with antlers and violet skin. His silver eyes were full of accusation as he stared at me from across the table. “The shadows should have slowed by now.”
A few other generals murmured their agreement.
“I understand your frustration and your concerns,” I said. “But as you know, the bond between myself and the human takes time to strengthen. We have only been married a few days.”
“We don’t have time for you to woo your human bride,” Olectus snarled, his nostrils flaring. “People aredying.”
I slammed my hands on the table, making it rattle. Shadows oozed from my body, encircling the table in black mist.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes wide as they fixed on me.
“Remember your place, Olectus,” I growled. “I am your king. Show some damn respect.”
Beside me, Vexon sucked in a sharp breath, and Salyut went completely rigid. I let my shadows linger for a moment longer, driving home the point, before I collected them once more and took a steadying breath.
“I am doing what I can,” I said slowly. “I have taken an elixir. I will extract more blood from her. But you all need to understand that the potion is far more potent if the human bride iswilling. That is the goal.”
“It doesn’t matter if she iswillingif our people are all dead,” Olectus said. His voice was more subdued, but there was no denying the anger in his eyes.
He was furious with me.
