Page 9 of Vicious Fates and Vast Futures
Ossy is rigid in fury, but I’m damn near having an out-of-body experience. I take a breath, doing my best to hold onto my senses. My magic seems honed to an edge and is galloping through me, seeking a way out. Tightly, I say, “Are you telling me that yourapedmy mate?”
Petulantly, Rose purses her lips. “He was my pet for nearly two years. I did what I wanted to what wasmine.” She blinks her big brown eyes. “It was before he was your consort, of course. I wouldn’tbothertouching him now.”
Something warm and sticky splatters across my face and I close my eyes reflexively. Screams surround me as I blink frantically, trying to clear whatever is on my eyelashes. Ossy’s big warm hand wraps around mine and hauls me to my feet just as I manage to get my eyes open.
Oh. That’s...something.
Where Rose was previously sitting is now nothing but gore. Dark red blood is quickly soaking into the couch, leavinglarge coagulated clumps. Blood and larger, wetter material is splattered across the entire room and everyone in it. I notice offhandedly that we are peppered in bits of skin, gristle, and bone fragments. I start trying to brush off my dress in an odd displacement activity. I stop when my fingers get tangled in something that feels like a cooked fettuccine noodle.
We’re not forging any treaties today.
I shake myself internally. I hadn’treallyintended to explode Rose. Something about her violent death had flitted across my brain and my magic had simply lunged. However, I realize I better act as though Ihadacted intentionally.
I straighten myself and clear my throat, putting some force of will into my voice. “Thatis what happens to those who harm what is mine. I do not take kindly to those who abuse the less powerful. Marchara, I will make a decision with Queen Seren regarding your house, but I will be petitioning for your removal from the royal roster.”
Marchara pales, but a noise of indignation emerges from her daughter, who has managed to stop screaming. I whirl, slightly distracted by the Adi- and Ossy-shaped negatives of clean couch. My magic continues to call for blood and retribution and I’m struggling to keep it under control. “You should be thanking me on yourhands and kneesthat I am not wiping out your line! In fact, thank you for that idea. Upon further reflection, given that at least two of your females have committed assault, Iwillbe bringing up extinction with the queen.”
Osmund
I QUICKLY USHER ADELAIDEout of the ghastly room and down the hall. Our fronts are covered in blood and gore, and I’m trying to get my little mate into our rooms before she breaksdown. I can feel her through the bonds; she’s wavering between rage, satisfaction, and despair.
As soon as we’re in our rooms, I lead her to the shower and start stripping clothes off her.
“Baby, talk to me,” I murmur as I rotate her to unlace her dress. I pause to lean into the shower and turn it on to the boiling temperature that she prefers.
She steps out of the dress as I pull it down her body, and I press her gently into the hot water before I start to strip.
She looks at me as I step into the shower, her big grey eyes pleading as the water runs pink down the drain. “She hurt Bryn. She had to die.”
I growl, just as angry about what Bryn suffered as Adi is. “Of course she did. Your actions weren’t wrong, baby. Perhaps not the best timed, but eh.” I move close to her in the large shower space, the hot water raising goosebumps on my skin, and wrap my arms around her. She melts into me even though I still have gore on my face and arms. “Whyare you upset about it, baby?”
She laughs awkwardly. “What if I told you I didn’tintendto splatter Rose across the walls?”
My eyebrows rise as I grab the soap to clean Adi up. “Well...I suppose that could cause some future issues.” I lather my hands and start running them up and down her in the strong spray of the water. “Has your magic ever been linked to death before? I know you have strength in compulsion magic.”
“No. My natural inclinations are compulsion and blocking. I’m...I’m guessing it’s the Morrigan. Or related to her, at least.” She gasps, a thought hitting her. “And what is Bryn going to say?” she almost wails.
“Pfft. Nothing, I imagine.” I shake my head. “He’s not going to care that you killed an enemy.” I turn her in the spray of the water to rinse her.
At that very moment, I hear Bryn storm through the huge bathroom mirror.
“A chroí? What is wrong?” I hear the worry in his voice. He must have been drawn home by Adi’s emotions being all out of whack. I hear Nairna enter behind him. She’s probably in a murderous mood as well. I have the brief thought that perhaps the four of us would be better balanced with a mate who had more scruples about killing people, but such is our lot, I suppose.
Adi’s silent, looking up at me nervously, and my chest aches for her, even though I believe her concern to be unfounded. I answer so she doesn’t have to. “Adelaide...exploded Rose ferch Liliana of the House of Marchara. So we should probably look for other houses to align with,” I say as blandly as I can.
Bryn steps, still fully dressed, from behind the stone wall that partitions off the shower area. “Rose ferch Liliana?” he repeats. His voice holds an edge. Having heard what that awful bitch said she did to him, I can imagine why. Red overtakes my vision for a moment, and Adi yelps as the water hitting us cools dramatically.
I take a breath and Adi leans into me, tucking her head under my chin as the water returns to temperature. She shrugs. “Bryn. She mentioned that she abused you. So I killed her. Somewhat unintentionally. But I’m not sad about it.” Adi’s voice holds an edge of defiance; she’s still worried Bryn will be upset about this development. I palm the back of her head, holding her to my chest.
“Good. She had it coming,” Bryn answers simply, and just like that, I feel the tension drain out of Adi.
I take a deep breath. I don’t want to dredge up bad memories, but I must ask. “Metamour. How didthathappen?”
“That” meaning Bryn’s abuse.
He looks at me, hazel eyes glistening, before locking eyes with Adi, then the floor. “I took my brother’s place.” Bryn pausesand sighs. “He had made a foolish bet, and lost. I knew...I justknewit would break him. And he took care of our sisters, despite his gambling, whereas I knew I would run off again the moment we were no longer in lockdown from The Call.”
Adi is sputtering in rage again. I can feel my blood heat in response to her.
