Page 54 of Vicious Fates and Vast Futures
Adi raises her chin. “No, Olwyn, it’s not. For a regicide cannot take the throne.”
A few gasps, but not many. So most of them guessed as much.Spineless sycophants, the fucking lot.
Olwyn tosses her napkin on her plate and slowly stands. I feel the pull of her magic and her anger, though my cock only hardens for my mates, so the lust of her anger means nothing to me.
Her eyes flare. “Are you suggesting that I killed my beloved grandmother? Because certainly you know how dangerous such a suggestion would be, cousin.”
Adi grins sharply. “I amsuggestingno such thing,cousin.”
Olwyn nods tightly and I feel her magic start to recede, but then Adi continues, “I am declaring before the Goddess that I saw you kill Queen Seren. I’ll gladly take a blood oath to that truth, if any would like.”
The sweat on my palms makes me grit my teeth. Fear for my mate is a boulder in my gut. I wish my other battle-hardened mates were here to keep our sweet, soft Adelaide safe. But they are not, so it falls to me. And I will keep her safe or may my mother’s gods bar me from Valhalla.
I see a dark mist swirling, convalescing around Adi. My eyes nervously look around; no one else seems to notice it.Darker and darker it gets, as though it’s getting thicker, like fog. Suddenly, it disappears completely.
At that same instant, I feel a tug of my magic. Tug isn’t a strong enough word. It’s more like a yank, a forcible pull by a draft horse. My skin prickles and I hear a beautiful strong voice.
“Osmund Idunnsun, this is not my battle, but itisyours andyouare my son. Protect that which is yours.”
Skadi. My ancestor Goddess. My ears ring. I can see my breath in the piercing cold air. I unsheath my sword, ready to battle for my mate. Because Adelaide ismine.
Olwyn’s hands are glowing. Her magic emerges as a searing light. I don’t know the details and I don’t care. I allow frost to grow in my non-sword hand. The cold burns but it’s clarifying, narrowing down my focus to my only goal.
“Come down and face me,” Adi calls clearly. “I challenge you, Olwyn ferch Avilion.”
Gasps.
Olwyn laughs. “Oh, gladly, little cousin.” She hops off the dias and strides towards Adi.
I manage to stand still, to not strike down Olwyn as she approaches, though my magic is raging, freezing, inside me. The hounds all start to growl. Nervous Queen’s Guard stand behind Olwyn, protecting the queen. I see Rory out of the corner of my eye, waiting to give the signal to the servants.
Time seems to slow, but I know it is just the adrenaline of battle, not any true magic. I breathe in through my nose as my vision crystalizes and I feel the thrill of combat, honed sharper with my magic.
And then, Olwyn lunges, magic erupting from her. Adi swirls and swings her staff at Olwyn’s back. As it makes solid contact on her flesh, Rory signals. The Fae, some with thousands of years of pent-up rage and servitude, spring into action.
As I step forwards to deal with the Queen’s Guard, the hounds launch themselves alongside me. The guard wearing the captain’s insignia strides for me. Perfect.
Adelaide
I SEE THE TWINS LEAPoff the dias and into the fray behind me. My focus goes back to Olwyn as I dodge another blast of her magic. Ossy is holding space for me to finish this. I feel the thudding in my head of the Morrigan, the black fluttering wings. The righteous wrath swallows me whole. Before I am lost to it, my eyes fall to my father. He is staring at me in shock. But after a moment, he nods and pulls his short sword before yelling and heading to the battle.
My focus is now only for my awful cousin. My natural magic is not offensive or even defensive, so I’ll be using weapons. Goddess-energy-supported weapons.
Olwyn pulls a small blade, though her other hand still glows white-hot. She tries to step into the defensive sphere of my staff so I swing it, repelling her. She unleashes more magic, causing me to step backwards as I dodge. She sprints forwards, trying to get close to me. She wants inside my range so that my staff becomes useless. I dance back again, swinging my staff in a downwards blow, but she throws her magic and I am forced to dive away, ruining the clear hit I should have landed. I roll, coming up in a crouch with my staff in front of me.
“Oh, Adelaide. Oh, my little mixed-blood cousin. I should have smothered you when you were a babe.”
“Why, Olwyn? Why are you working with the EA? Why kill Alys?”
She chuckles as she launches more magic at me. I try to swing away but am too slow and a searing burn skims the meat of my arm.
Olwyn grins and the unhinged personality of the females of my line is clear in her face. “I joined the Upper Council many years ago, Adelaide. Rich, safe, pompous assholes. They don’t even know each other’s true identities. Doesn’t matter, though, as they were simply a tool.”
She lunges for me again and I spin back, using my staff to keep her out of range. I hear the battles raging around us.
“You see, I knew Grandmother would never let me rule unless I birthed a daughter. And that I couldn’t allow.” She shakes her head. “No, I want to rule forever, Adelaide. I have no desire to pass down my throne. No children, no heirs, no losing my throne. I saw a human doctor years ago and took care of the possibility of an accidental pregnancy. The only thing left to do was wait for her to die and then I could take out my mother, claiming the throne before bearing a child. But then Grandmother got suspicious of my lack of offspring. And so she called you back and threatened my plans.” She shrugs as she sends a blast of magic at my head. “So you all have to die.”
I lurch forwards, dropping down and trying to sweep her legs with my staff, but she manages to escape.
