Page 93 of The Call of Crimson
When the first occurrence of a Fae and human mating surfaced, it shocked both races. No one thought it possible, but no one could deny the couple’s bond.
Mating bonds were thought to be unique to Fae. No records existed of it occurring between humans prior to this.
Yet it was clear the mated pair, Elythia and Myer, felt the bond as deeply as any other had before them.
Where the Fae had difficulty conceiving previously, no such problem existed between Fae and human mates. Elysia and Myer welcomed their first children, a daughter they named Olivia and a son named Finn, within a year of their bond settling.
The family lived in peace and happiness in the kingdom of Rimor, where Myer served as the hand of King Grayson Rozaria. Queen Amantia had been blessed with the Gift of vision—the most unstable and unreliable of Gifts, even for the Fae.
Just after the twins’ second birthday, the queen received a vision of what Olivia and Finn might one day become. It was a vision that frightened her enough that she shared it with her husband.
The laws of Rimor stated that anyone could challenge the ruling family for the throne if they believed themselves strong enough to take it. Though the royal heirs had been born with Gifts, the Queen’s vision told a story of Olivia and Finn far surpassing them in magical strength.
Though nothing suggested that either child would challenge the king, the threat was too much for King Grayson to tolerate.
Without warning or explanation, the babes were slaughtered in their sleep.
Myer begged Elythia to flee to her homeland to protect herself and the life of their unborn child. He promised to follow as soon as he had ensured the safety of the rest of his family.
Reluctantly, Elythia agreed, leaving their home that day. But she didn’t immediately leave the capital. Fearing for her mate’s life, she watched from the shadows.
After warning his parents and siblings, urging them to leave the city, Myer confronted his king. Trust had existed between the two males until this point, so he believed he could approach him before leaving the country for good.
He was wrong.
Elythia watched from the shadows as the cruel king executed her mate, followed by his entire family.
Her sorrow-filled screams echoed through the castle as half of her soul was ripped from her body.
Broken by the loss of her mate and children, she let the kingdom feel her grief. For Elythia carried one of the rarest and most powerful Gifts amongst the Fae—the ability to wield blood. The call of crimson was too much for her to ignore, and she gave in to the bloodlust.
Every guard in the room dropped dead, their hearts having given out under the pressure of her magic.
While holding the queen in place, Elythia made her watch as she boiled her husband’s blood, slowly cooking him from the inside.
It was a slow and excruciating way to die, but Elythia felt no remorse.
When the king lay dead, she turned to the queen.
“From one mother to another, you should have stayed silent. My family was innocent. Your vision was wrong; my children would have never challenged for your pathetic human throne.They had one awaiting them in Tierna. I should slaughter yours in front of you, but I won’t.”
The queen tried to thank Elythia for her mercy, but no words would escape her lips. With one final snap of her fingers, every blood vessel in the queen’s body burst.
“Ayden,” I say, my voice shaking.
“Yes, Breyla?”
“Why does your history tell a different story than Rimor’s?”
This wasn’t the history we’d been taught about Myer and Elythia. Theirs was a cautionary tale against those who wished to commit treason against the crown.
It wasn’tthis.
“That,” he gestures to the book, “is the truth of magic in our four kingdoms.”
“Why does it read more like a journal entry than a historical document?”
“Because it is a journal entry,” Ayden says simply. “Elythia wrote that, and her daughter brought it here when she left Tierna.”
