Page 27 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
An absolutely devious idea forms in my mind. Her supporters hate having a human as a queen? Well, I can show them that I belong to both races: fae and human.
It is a risk I must take if I am to gain support and whittle down hers.
I build up another layer of glamour and expose parts of my primal form. My red hair burns with golden light, and I set the tiniest flames licking up and down it. I create fire orbs that blaze like rubies in a circlet around my forehead, showing them the crown of their queen. Then I remove the instinctual mask upon my ears, so the pointed tips of their true form are visible.
All of this magic remains invisible to the crowd around me, until I manipulate it so my show is only perceptible by the civilians in the street and not Titania or her guard.
Then, I make the glamour flicker in and out.
There are gasps from within the crowd and a deep satisfaction soars within me. To them it would appear as though the glamour of a human facade was forced upon me, and that glimpses of my true fae form penetrate through.
Many of those hostile fae fall silent, shock making their jaws slack and stilling hands ready to throw more fruit.
The pause is only momentary, but the quieting of their roars is enough for me to hear murmurs of the neutral majority beneath them. I send out discreet air wields, collecting all those voices. Exposing my powers is a risk, but one I must take.
“The true king’s mate!”
“No one should be caged like that. Least of all our queen!”
“Let her go!”
“Titania needs to be stopped! This display is disgusting.”
Their words reach me on a primal level, and all of a sudden, I tire of tolerating Titania’s abuses for future gain. Of playing the game five moves ahead, when the wrath boiling in my blood screams for gratification now. I am so sick of making myself small so powerful people don’t feel threatened and unleash a tantrum that hurts many. I am done with being powerless.
Titania notices the shift in the mood of the crowd. “Do not feel sympathy for this seductress! She and hermatewould single-handedly tear this court apart. Have we forgotten that Aldrin wants to force high fae back to the primitive wilds and destroy your hard-earned businesses? Only I support commerce and growth! Have we forgotten he would flood this city with humans,filthy humans, to steal your jobs and spouses with how fast they breed? Before we know it, this would be a court of humans if Aldrin had his way!”
My blood boils at the hate she spews toward minorities and the irrational fears she fans without a care for the consequences, so long as she remains in power.
I use an air wield to pick up a smashed piece of fruit from the ground and toss it straight at her. The rotten flesh splatters across her face. Her black lips part in shock. I grab more and more pieces of fruit, flicking them at Titania, at Torin and their personal guard. I go out of my way to smack Florian right in the forehead with something hard and apple-like. Satisfaction fills me as it explodes into pulpy chunks across his cheeks. As theylook around for the source of the attack, unable to perceive the thin threads of my tiny wields among the confusion.
I see red.
I want them to feel the rage and humiliation their victims have endured.
To understand what it is like to be hated by so many strangers.
The crowd roars and joins in. More missiles are thrown my way, but I don’t care. Not when just as many hit the High Chancellor. Titania loses her mind, roaring orders at her soldiers. Her arms fly around her, those long nails manicured into points flicking about.
Her guards pull short clubs from their belts, which grow into long, thick, knobby weapons under their earth magic, then they converge on the crowd. Horror washes through me as they beat bystanders indiscriminately, not caring who dared to humiliate the High Chancellor with a bit of fruit. Bile rises in my throat as some fall to the ground under the vicious attack, trampled by the boots of those trying to flee. Others fight back.
Titania’s Wildrose Guard are more violent than necessary to repel the mild rebellion. Noses break. Teeth fly from mouths and blood sprays under their strikes. They are not interested in pushing back the people or de-escalating the situation. They only want to inflict pain.
My gaze slides to the contrast of the Royal Guard’s conduct. They dive into the crowd, pulling up those who have fallen to the ground before they can be trampled and ushering others to safety. They use air shields to push back those trying to join the brawl. Jasper uses his huge bulk to tear frenzied Wildrose Guards out of the fray, tossing them back to the parade, smeared in other people’s blood and smiling viciously.
Our procession slows to a crawl and the fighting only intensifies.
Torin leaves his mother’s side and throws himself into the fray, laughing maniacally. He punches a woman straight in the face, then grabs the long hair of another fae and pulls him off balance from behind, descending on him in a mad flurry of punches.
There are so many screams all around me, paired with the sickly crunch of bones.
All for nothing.
Aldrin’s rage at the display is a tangible thing.By the darkness, I need to return,he growls.I will kill Titania with my bare hands for the way she treats my people. For what she has done to you, Keira.
You need to focus on your trials, Aldrin,I say with much more calmness than I feel.
My eyes narrow on the cruel dictator in question.
