Page 17 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
Florian’s red gaze flicks to me as Jasper and his guards take the poles of my litter and gently raise me from the ground. That usual demonic mask of his wrath hits me tenfold, and I can’t help cowering backward as his narrowed eyes take me in like he is dreaming up new punishments. They roam over my filthy clothes and cage, his lip curling, like I can help my situation.Like he blames me personally for the tree nymphs’ attack.
Even as our procession hikes through the darkness to a new campsite, he continues to throw me those looks that blaze with a hundred unpleasant promises.
When we settle in an open meadow and both litters are finally lowered to the ground, Titania bursts out of her protection of curtains and cushions like a riled-up cat. I sit back and prepare to watch this nightmare of a show.
Titania grabs Florian by the breastplate and snarls right in his face. “You will go back there and you will slaughter every fucking low fae that just dared to defy me!”
Torin steps forward. “Mother. We should call on more forces and burn their little grove to the ground. Show them that they cannot attackuswithout deadly consequence. We need to send a message.”
Titania turns to her son and slaps him so hard his head turns to the side. My stupid, soft heart almost squeezes for him as his hand flies to the slashes her claw-like fingernails left across his cheek, utter betrayal flashing in his eyes.
What chance does a man have with such a cruel mother?
“Why did you not kill more of them, Torin?” Titania growls at her son. “Always such a disappointment. And now you have brought shame to our family.”
“High Chancellor,” Florian cuts in. “As much as I am tempted to crush this lowly filth and turn their grove to cinders, if we attack now, we will turn all the low fae against us. Already Aldrin has so many in his pocket. We must be smart and play the long game. I will take care of them, discreetly. When they die screaming they will know they should never have committed treason against you.”
I shake with impotent fury as I mark that man for death. The need for action burns through me, but I cannot do a damned thing. Fae should be able to protest without dying for it. Especially when their survival is on the line.
Titania’s black lips curve into a cruel smile. “Good. I knew I could count on you, Florian.” She shoots Torin another look of disdain and he withers under it.
Florian leads her away to the pavilion that is being hastily furnished with furs and cushions, pulling open the doorway for her. “Now sleep. We will discuss politics in the morning,” he says as he disappears inside.
I close my eyes. I am a mess of rage, fear and anxiety. I cannot let them kill nymphs for taking a stand, cannot let them destroy their home and people. I wrap my arms tightly around myself as a heavy weight settles within me, knowing there is nothing I can do. I have never felt so helpless.
I open my eyes and find a red-eyed demon staring at me through the bars of my cage.
I draw in a sharp breath. Florian doesn’t move as I rear back from him. His gaze only narrows further, flicking over me and taking in every inch of my degradation.
He plays with the lock on my cage and my pulse jumps up a notch. By the gods, I hope he doesn’t come in here. I keep reminding myself that there are too many people rushing around us for him to hurt me, but I don’t truly know if that would stop him. He holds a clean, damp cloth to his head, even though the bleeding has stopped, and I hope he is too injured to be a true threat.
I stare at him, the silence between us stretching out and the tension growing while he analyzes me. Then he takes a bite from the peach in his hand and his expression twists. The stone fruit looks divine, the orange flesh covered in a thick rosy dusting that glows with vibrant magic like a jewel, juice spraying out from it.
Florian spits the fruit on the ground. “Sour and tasteless. Is this the sort of rubbish your family grows in their precious orchards? What a waste of fae technology.” He throws the peachat me, smacking me hard in the stomach. “Add that to the pile of rotten fruit you have to eat in your cage.”
Torin turns from the conversation he is having with a handful of others and snickers at Florian’s display.
I don’t care, because the peach in my hands seems perfect and my stomach growls. Florian drops a small bag outside my bars and more fruit from my home rolls out of it. Apples, peaches and nectarines. It is a feast to my eyes and his cruel lips quirk up when he notices the longing on my face. He thinks he has positioned it outside of my reach.
“Too bad you are a little human with no magic to drag this to you. You can stare at this fresh fruit while you scrape rotten juices off the floor. Titania has made it clear that no one is to feed you.” He laughs, but there is no mirth in it. “You look disgusting. Clean yourself up before I vomit.”
Florian throws the towel he holds against his head and it hits me with a wet slap. I hardly feel the pain. He thinks this is degrading, but the joke is on him—having something to wipe myself clean with is a luxury at this point. He walks away, with no idea that he just did me two favors in his attempt to humiliate me.
Iam under attack from all sides. The dim gloom of the cavern flickers as Nightmare beasts charge at me. I pummel one with a blast of air and it flies away from me, slamming against a stony wall, its huge branching antlers snapping. The low fae from the Starlight Court has an exposed skull for a face and hands that are nothing but bony claws the length of my forearm, with spikes jutting out of his elbows.
I’m pretty sure his name is Nico.
He falls in a heap of limbs, one foot bent the wrong way. I almost feel bad. The poor guy is just doing his job. Then inky tendrils form around all the broken parts of him and I know it won’t be good news for me. I don’t have a moment to spare to watch the parts of him click back into place, or to examine the way his body will change with his dark magic to keep me on my feet.
I turn just in time to meet a clawed attack from above.
My sword slices across the scaled flesh of the Nightmare’s underbelly as her leathery wings take her in a sharp dive right at my throat. I shudder as hot blood pours down over me. Herbarbed tail wraps around my legs and pulls them out from under me. I hit the ground hard and she is on me in seconds, not caring that her entrails are slipping out of the gash I cut in her.
“That. Fucking. Hurt,” Ada lisps out of a reptilian mouth, digging her claws into my shoulders. “Don’t think we are going to spare you because you have a pretty face, king. We will not allow weaklings in our order.”
I bring my legs up and kick her hard in the abdomen, right in the mess of the wound. She flies off me but I don’t turn toward the crunch of her wings. A four-legged beast made entirely of twisting obsidian prowls before me, snarling. To its side, Nico rises from the ground with more spikes littering his body and a second set of clawed arms. Ada pulls herself up with one wing hanging limp and dragging across the floor.
Clawed feet click on the ground as all three converge on me.
