Page 117 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
“How many must die for their egos? How much pain must our people endure so they can grip onto power they do not deserve?” She doesn’t look at me as she speaks.
We stare in silence at the riots beyond. So many homes and shops burn across the city. The blazes are like beacons in the dim, black channels of soot billowing from them. Silhouettes of people racing to and fro are just visible, fighting fires before they can hop from building to building. The boiled leather panels of my armor are singed from all the fires I put out this night, wielding localized rainstorms to drench them.
Columns of Truth Templars march through the streets. The vibrant crimson of their surcoats makes them easy to pick out. The orange glow of the fires flickers over the polished chainmail beneath. They clash with our forces, both the mobile regiments sent out to protect the city and my siege line around the palace. Their sheer numbers are astounding. Titania has her own army hidden within the city. No wonder they have acted so boldly in their nighttime persecutions, with such a force behind them.
Worst of all are the civilians who flood the streets. Titania’s cult following. They wear makeshift, hand-sewn imitations of the Truth Templars’ uniforms, blood red with crude black wilted roses painted across their chests, but without the protective armor. These fae smash shop windows, pillaging the goods within, and attack groups of my soldiers in uncoordinated charges. They are little better than frenzied wild beasts.
The City of Vertical Gardens has fallen under a spell of death and violence, ripping itself apart, but that was Titania’s aim. Anything to distract from her crimes.
The screams from below float up to us as my people suffer, along with the smashing of glass and booms as shops collapse in columns of flame. The tang of blood and smoke in the air adds to the bitterness in my mouth.
Keira turns her glassy doe eyes on me. “We need to do something, Aldrin. We cannot let them die down there, while we are safe up here.”
“I have been fighting in the streets all day and most of the night, since the moment you were taken.” I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “We have rotated task forces, allowing some to return to eat and rest while sending out others. It is a difficult thing, fighting rioting civilians. Most turn and run as soon as we arrive, and we cannot slaughter people who have taken to vandalizing shops, even if theirs is a targeted attack. On the other hand, we have killed many Truth Templars and Wildrose Guards, but more seem to keep coming. Her numbers are…shocking. She has her own personal army right here in the city. They are purposely taking the fight to the streets to coax us out. To make the army react and break their siege.”
“I never expected things to escalate this badly, though I should have,” Keira says softly. “How do we hold an election when the city has fallen into civil war? How do we do it quickly?”
I wrap both my arms around her waist, holding her tight with her back to my chest. “We do it the fae way. And on the backs of dragons.”
She rotates in my arms. “That doesn’t tell me much, Aldrin.”
“Elections are conducted with magical oaths in this realm. I will use my royal powers of compulsion to force a vote from every single citizen in the Spring Court. They only need to whisper to the wind which candidate they choose by sunset.When it is done, the markings of the oath will cover the winner’s skin for weeks. For that time, every voter will have their new ruler’s name etched into their skin. It is undeniable.”
“As simple as that?” Her voice wavers.
“Well…” I rub a hand across my face. “We will need to fly across the court so I can get close enough to all the people to compel them. This magic doesn’t travel particularly far.”
“You can’t just compel your rioting citizens out in the streets to put their weapons down and go home?” She gives me a wry smile, because she already knows the answer, probably thinking of the time I used the same magic at that pixie mound.
I kiss the tip of her nose. “Yes, I could. The Spring fae would stop what they are doing and bow down to me immediately, but it would only last a handful of heartbeats. The ability is not enough to change the tide of a battle. Besides, I would only be able to control small regions at a time.”
She takes in a long breath and lets it out slowly, tension hunching her shoulders. “So, we roll the dice and call the election tomorrow.”
“We will leave with the sunrise, in a couple of hours. We must start at the edges of the court, covering all the wilds, townships and smaller cities, returning to the City of Vertical Gardens last and hoping Titania doesn’t find out before then. The gods know what she will do to Sasha if she works it out sooner.” My words fall heavily upon us both.
Keira’s shoulders deflate. “I must remember that we are not out of options yet, even if it all seems so bleak.”
“Come.” I take her by the elbow and lead her away from the balcony, toward my quarters. “You’re exhausted. There is still time for you to sleep.”
“Sleep?” Her eyebrows shoot up. “How can I justify sleeping when our world is ending?” Her hands are on my chest, fingers curling around the edges of my armor as she clings to medesperately. “I feel like I should be fighting right now, not leaving our people to their fate.”
“Keira.” I drag out her name. “There is little you can do tonight. They do not need one more warrior, no matter how powerful. What we must do tomorrow—that is a different story.”
She shakes her head, eyes squeezed tight and lips trembling.
“Let me take care of you.” I pull her into me, placing kisses along her neck and speaking against her soft skin. “Please, Keira. Let me take care of you after everything you’ve been through. You deserve it.Needit.”
A shiver ripples through her and I don’t wait for her answer. She lets out a small yelp as I bend down, scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder, relishing in the press of her soft curves against me. I can’t help the arousal that burns through me.
A hot bath and a bed for sleeping. That is all.
The moment Aldrin places me on my feet in the simple sleeping chambers, I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him deeply. Gods, I have needed to feel his lips against mine. That earthy scent of forests and flowers, tinged with a hint of his sweat, fills my nose and sends me to paradise, uncoiling every one of my muscles.
This is home.
I run my hands through his hair as his multi-day stubble scratches my skin, even though his lips move against mine ever so gently. Passionately. Filled with love. We savor each caress of our tongues and explore each other’s bodies in an unhurried way with hands that tremble. My heart swells and swells with love for this man. I need this closeness to him like I need air.
The knowledge that we could lose everything tomorrow is overwhelming. That Titania might call me back at any moment. She could lock me away and block my magic, and I would never be able to touch him again. Everything we have between us could so easily fall apart, so I need his affection tonight.
