Page 69 of The Iron Fae
Seventeen
Chains and Whips Don’t Always Excite Me
Bare-chested menfrom the Shadow Court guard, I quickly recognize in my foggy thoughts, fill the room. Meaty hands seize up the court members who hold up their hands in suggestion of innocence and surrender. Delicate feminine screams rattle my ear drums as the guards snatch up the rebelling court and hold them roughly in place.
"What is happening?" One of the men snap.
Rowan slaps away a guard’s hand and moves to stand in front of me. Kai's chair flings to the floor as he stands up in a blur of movement. My fingernails dig into the arms of the chair. I uncross my legs, adrenaline and fear making my heartbeat drum inside me, nervous if I stand, I'll fall back into my seat.
The red glittering dress pokes through my hazy vision faster than the recognition of who’s wearing the garment. Sparkling stones cascade down the curves of a swaggering queen. Queen Cordelia’s blue eyes narrowly span over the room. She locks her gaze on me.
“You look positively… Fae.” Her eyes flash in anger. "Guards," she screeches, "seize that traitor."
"No." Lincoln and Rowan shout at the same time.
Lincoln shoots forward as guards’ bustle into movement. Rowan shifts, but stills only as the draw of a sword tucks against his neck. Kai holds the hilt of his dagger at an angle at his brother's throat.
"Don't move, Little Princling," Kai whispers into his ear.
"What are you doing?" I choke on the words, trying to pull myself up. Cordelia laughs at my efforts.
"I'm sorry, Cupcake." Kai pouts out his lip. "I wanted this to work between us, you've really been a doll, a great guest," he adds with dry humor, "but I knew when you visited the Iron Court the first time that Lincoln was going to claim you. I thought that maybe if I was patient, I could gain your affection in ways other than this silly friendship. So I’ve made a deal to get out from under my parents thumb. A deal to be king to finally get the power that I deserve." His mouth falls into a sneer.
Rowan struggles against his brother. "I can't believe you right now. You’re a traitor!"
"The only traitor here is Miss Briar Anders." Cordelia sways her hips dramatically as she parts the crowd to make her way to me.
"Kai," I whisper, practically begging. "don't do this." I reach for him, my hands shaking and clammy. Kai leans himself and his brother away from me, only disdain is left in his gaze.
"You sealed your own fate. My mother has made arrangements for the Iron Court and Shadow Court to join as one, for Cordelia and I to wed. If we took her crown, no such arrangement could be made. I could never have your heart and you even said you won't marry for power." Kai spits toward Lincoln.
Lincoln’s knees give out before me. The metal of his cuffs bounces off one another as he hands fall into his lap. His shoulders curl inward as I finally teeter to standing.
Cordelia reaches out a slender arm, she pokes at my chin softly, making my body sway before falling back into the chair. Air whooshes out of the cushions around me.
"I have my seer and we will confirm just exactly what you are. Either you're my long-lost sister who needs to be quickly put to rest. Or you’re an imposter who should lose their head for their lie. Either way," She crosses her arms, satisfied. "By tomorrow evening you'll be dead."
"You evil witch!" Jase screams. "You can't touch her. I won't let you touch her."
"Shut up!" she shrieks. Her hand slices through the air, her palm colliding with Jase’s cheek. His head snaps to the side, his skin red in the shape of her handprint. "Bring him as leverage." The queen barks at the guards.
There are multiple images of her in my vision, all of them swaying and fighting with one another to orient me enough to understand where she's at. The queen reaches down, tapping a finger on Lincoln’s forehead.
"You'll be quick to join her." Cordelia squats to Lincoln's level. She leans forward sniffing the air around him. She huffs a breath. "The smell of her is on your lips. You'll be lucky if I let you wash yourself of her before you join her in the grave." She grabs a fistful of his hair, pulling his attention to her.
Just as his face lifts to meet her glower, he stands, shoving her roughly with his palms. He's sluggish, but he moves to peel off the metal cuffs covering the iron under his skin. Lincoln's nearly successful before a hoard of his own guards clamp their hands over his arms.
His bellowing, angry scream roars through the air.Even I shy away from the sound.
"Mortal Queen." Cordelia turns to me. In a single second she darts forward, blurring in my vision, and wraps her hand around my throat. "I've wanted to do this for so long and I never had enough proof to keep the public at bay. Thank you for releasing me of the trouble of making your traitorous activity up."
She squeezes. Air barely manages to trickle down my throat and my hands rise to push against her arm.
"Let her go." Jase's voice is full of panic, powerful but shaky all at once.
"I will kill you myself for this, Kai." Rowan says to his brother.
"Shut up, you buffoon. She doesn't love you either." Kai presses the knife at his brother’s throat drawing a thin line of blood.
