Page 56 of Vicious Fates and Vast Futures
Adelaide
OLWYN LUNGES FOR ME, teeth clenched as she sprays her magic aimlessly from her broken hand. I yelp and jump, trying to avoid the haphazard danger that is her searing power.
Shock hits me as I see her blast shoot randomly towards Osmund, who is still locked in battle.
“Duck!” I scream as my fear runs down the bond. Without looking at me, he drops to the ground, rolling, taking out the legs of the male he was fighting and lurching the guard into the path of Olwyn’s magic. The scream that follows is almost as horrifying as the stomach-churning “cooking meat” smell that emerges.
Rage overtakes me.
I crouch and launch myself at Olwyn. I’m done. I’m so done with this bullshit. The last seven months of my life have been both utter hell and utter delight. I’m ready to take the delight, my mates, and get thefuckout of here. But I’m going to kill this bitch first.
My body crashes into hers and I plunge my blade aimlessly. A good stab anywhere will help take her out, so I don’t bother finding a vital organ. I merely put as much force as I can behind it. It connects, the weapon’s plunge slowing, like I’m pushing through wet clay. I feel the blade reverberate as it glances off a bone but I keep pushing. When the hilt is buried, I pull back and jam it once more into her body. Again and again, I sink the blade into her. Her breath is choked with wet bloody spittle and it covers my face but I don’t slow. Her eyes are as wide as half-dollars and her mouth opens and closes like a fish. I need her dead.Dead. Dead. Dead. I chant it as I stab.
I eventually let my blade fall slack. My focus widens out and I notice Ossy kneeling near me, waiting, eyes on me calmly. He’s bleeding and that shakes me, but his aura is peaceful. Rory and the twins come and kneel before me. My father.
Slowly, I stand over Olwyn’s ruined body. All the Fae in the room are kneeling, facing towards me. It would be more accurate to say that all the Fae that still draw breath are kneeling for me.
I should be utterly horrified at the death and destruction that surrounds me. But I’m not. Or, at least, the Morrigan is not. She’s satisfied.
Fae litter the floor.A good sacrifice for the crimes that have been committed, I think, oddly detached. I am relieved to find that it is mostly royal court nymphs who lie dead. My eyes find Maudey, meat cleaver in hand, tears in her eyes, and a smile upon her face as she gazes up at me. Liam ab Quinn, kneeling next to his mother, both holding swords, point down,hands upon their hilts, heads bowed. My annwn hound guards, panting happily. A brownie, their brown fur wet with viscera. A leprechaun, her face covered in blood, but grinning. I shiver and look away;thatis a little too creepy. I shake myself.
“To freedom!” I yell. “To justice!”
“To freedom!”
“To justice!”
I look back to Ossy. His face is soft, his eyes full of adoration. He stands and pulls me to him. And as my sudden exhaustion hits me, I allow my eyes to close, surrounded by the scent and warmth of my mate.
Chapter Twelve
Adelaide
“It’s settled then,” I say with finality, eyes scanning the crowd. I have strong-armed them into agreeing to the “election.” I am using that word loosely.
But no one dares to argue. I think the general Fae population might still be a bit afraid of me. Oh well. There are worse things, I suppose.
Princess Mirin, her glassy wings fanning slowly, calls out loudly, “So say we all.”
And the other members, even the sour-faced lieutenant of the Dark Court, repeat it. More importantly, the crowd repeats it.
I grin. En, who was waiting for the agreement of the group of leaders, opens the chamber door and Rory strides in. He’s wearing an impeccably tailored slim-cut fuschia suit and he seems lighter, buoyant, grinning. Weyland—also wearing a custom tailored suit, though in black—slips in behind him and stops to stand next to En near the door, hands clasped behind his back. Rory bounds up to join me at the front of the room.
He clears his throat with a small smirk as he uses a bit of magic to project his voice. “Ladies and gentlefae. I’m so glad to be elected as the governor of FEC2. I am sure I will lead in a more fair and less disastrous way than the royals did.” His eyes dance to me, teasing.
