Page 131 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
The draw of Keira up on the wall is too much to ignore, and my attention is pulled up toward her. To the three fucking cages. Her form is clearly visible at this distance, leaning forward andstaring down at me. A slow drip of her blood leaks out of the cage, like sand falling in an hourglass.
My options are quickly running out.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” My sword and the branches of the Wisteria of Mythanar stab methodically into the enemy with a natural rhythm.
Before Cyprien can answer, Belladonna appears at my side, her pointed tail skewering a Truth Templar right through his chainmail, then flicking his entire body up and into the crowd of his peers.
“It’s time for plan B, Aldrin. You cannot break into the palace this way. Let me help you.” Her eyes glitter and the grin she gives me is wicked. This is a woman who enjoys bringing kings to their knees to beg for help and having entire courts at her mercy.
“You have already tried to kill me once before,” I grind out, teetering on the edge of indecision.
“Not tried. Succeeded.” She shrugs like it means very little.
“How do I know you won’t do it permanently given the chance?” I ask.
A new wave of Titania’s forces charges out of the palace, screaming a battle cry and adding to the press of bodies. Long moments tick by while I immerse myself in the killing. The impact each time I cut through flesh jolts up my arm and through my shoulder.
My magic, while still abundant, begins to slow in its flow. Hours more here and I will tire greatly. I may very well consume much of my magic if I am forced into another huge feat to pull us out of a bad situation, like on the boulevard.
Then I would be useless, even if I made it into the palace.
“You need to decide how much you trust your alliance with the Assassins of Belladonna and the Starlight Court,” she pushes. “What we have discussed, this emergency plan—we cannot do it without Leonardo.”
Cold sweat drips down my back at the thought of that desperate plan. At how vulnerable it makes me and my people. I do not trust them. Not at all. They have tricked me time and again. But I am out of options. I promised I would risk it all if it kept Keira alive.
I speak, yet it feels like the voice belongs to someone else. “Yes. It is time for plan B. I agree to your conditions.”
Her face lights up while my heart sinks. “It is a pleasure doing business with you.” Valentine glances over in the exact same moment as they communicate through their mate bond, then both disappear from the battlefield through a thick torrent of churning shadows.
“Is it done?” Cyprien asks from behind me.
“Yes. Our fate is now in their hands,” I bite out.
The Starlight Court, derogatorily referred to as the Darkest Realm, is known for being devious and monstrous. They aren’t trusted among the seasonal courts, with very limited contact between us. Strangely, for all the whispers of how brutal their court is, how it is a place of suffering and punishment for any banished there, there is no actual evidence to back it up. We prefer to pretend they don’t exist.
Perhaps it is blind prejudice. Maybe Leonardo holds on to this bad reputation for the sake of peace for his people, with all other courts too afraid to poke at the beast. I have witnessed nothing but honor from the fae of the Starlight Court and the Assassins of Belladonna, but this war isn’t over yet. And why would he show me his darkest side, if he wants me as an ally?
I consume myself with the fighting as a long stretch of time passes. It could be an hour, it could be five minutes, but it feels longer. Like an eternity. I find Edmund in the press, letting him know of the change in plans and exactly where I need him and his forces for this to work. I give Cedar the same instructions sothat the human and Spring fae armies will be in position when I call for them.
A long, low horn blasts from just within the palace foyer and a change ripples through Titania’s force here on the balcony. They retreat immediately and barricade themselves behind the immense doors of the grand entrance. Even the archers on the roof charge back inside.
We could follow them. Use this gap in their defenses to break into the palace, but their forces are stationed just beyond the door. I know the cue they are waiting for. I know exactly what will come next. It falls into my own plans. I don’t need to slash my way into Titania’s domain to kill her—not when Leonardo will bring me right to her.
Inky tendrils of smoke churn at the center of the balcony, and we all back away to give them space. The darkness deepens and thickens, until a small army materializes before us, with maybe a hundred fae in the matching armor of the Starlight Court.
In their center stands their king.
My stomach tumbles.I hope I am not making a terrible fucking mistake.
Leonardo strolls over to me, his cane clicking on the ground and a black feathered cloak fluttering around him like a bad omen. “Ah, Aldrin. I was starting to think you would never take me up on my offer.” He glances around, those crimson eyes fixating on all the gore. “So much spilled blood. Such a waste.”
I cringe, not knowing if he refers to the waste of life, or the blood itself that he is known for drinking and weaponizing.
I straighten to my full height. Cyprien, Hawthorne and Klara take defensive stances around me.
“Is it done? Is the bargain set?” I ask.
Leonardo tips his head to the side. “It is done. I negotiated with your High Chancellor through the official communicationchannels between courts, and the bargain terms were set at long distance, using bottled magic. There is no going back now.”
