Page 48 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
“So what changed your mind? Why propose an alliance instead of a death sentence now?” I scrutinize each one of them in turn.
“Because you started to act,” Belladonna says. “You fought and gained the human alliance that is one half of your solution to the corruption, and then you sought out our order to get yourself an army to take your throne back. We are finally convinced you are ready to fight without restraint.”
I grunt in agreement. They have no idea of the dark depths to which I am willing to descend. My eyes flick to Leonardo. “And this bargain you speak of?”
“Thatwepropose,” Valentine cuts in. “A joint offering from the Starlight Court and the Assassins of Belladonna.”
I turn my full attention to him. “So, you’ve had a change of heart, and now I should just believe it won’t change back and you won’t betray me?”
Those purple eyes bore into me. “That is why it would be sealed with a bargain.”
“My enemy proves that bargains can be twisted and tampered with,” I spit.
Leonardo spreads his arms out wide, his cane extended in one hand. “Hear us out, Aldrin, then decide if it is worth the risk, or if you would prefer to die here. They still have a contract to kill you, if you haven’t forgotten.”
“I just died, by Belladonna’s hand. Shouldn’t that nullify the contract?” I retort.
Valentine and Belladonna glance at each other.“No fucking way,” he says at the same time as she replies, “Nope, I don’t think so.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because it’s convenient when you’re the one making the rules,” she admits.
They don’t care about logic or what’s fair, only keeping an advantage.Fuck. A rock and a hard place.
“Fine,” I hiss. “What are you offering?”
“The old ways have been forgotten across many of the courts,” Belladonna begins. “Not just in Spring, where the high fae flock to the cities, filled with comforts and commodities. Where they abandon the hard life in the wilds, no longer feeding their raw power into the land, rivers and trees. The low fae suffer and rot away with the loss of magic all across the realm. The very earth itself disappears into great rifts with nothing but voids within. All while the high fae drink, fuck and indulge in entertainments in the city. While they keep all their power to themselves, using it to fuel their businesses and create personal wealth, despite their responsibilities.”
“I already know this,” I grumble. “I have been fighting it for years.”
“The magic is fading from my court also,” Leonardo states. “And my high fae still live by the old ways. Even our deepest abysses always teemed with life, but now there is only death and a darkness devoid of all matter. It is like our magic is leached from our plains into the seasonal courts where there is a deficiency, and the only way to correct it is to aid rulers like you in fighting this corruption in their own lands. I doubt humans will want to travel to my court to breed and help produce more high fae. I recall they called it ‘hell’ the last time the portals were open.”
“That sounds…reasonable.” My mind whirls, looking for all the ways they could be tricking me.
What if they are genuine?Keira whispers, like she is too afraid to believe them.Maybe they are fighting the same battle as us. You cannot take their assassins by force, so a bargain could be our only way to get an army of assassins and Nightmares.
I do not like being at the mercy of a foreign king and a league of death that answers to no one. I don’t trust that they won’t betray us,I reply.
It is a risk we must take.She pauses as her heart rate ramps up dangerously.And they might try to kill you if you don’t agree. Oh, gods, I can’t watch you die again.
Her pain floods me. Her grief is the all-consuming kind that blankets the brain, stops it from functioning and makes it hard to even breathe.
“Besides, I would like a slice of this trade with the humans,” Leonardo continues. “I doubt they will deal with us directly, but I have heard they have this most delightful food called chocolate. Not much other than meat can be farmed in my court, since we are under perpetual starlight, so I am mostly interested inimporting food. We have much we can offer the humans. Toxins and medicines.”
“We want access to the black powder,” Valentine states.
“I am not giving you explosives,” I snap back, imagining the destructive power they would have with such a substance.
“Come now, Aldrin. This is no way to start a new friendship,” Belladonna teases.
“And killing me was a great start, was it?” I turn on her. “Besides, I don’t have access tothosehumans.”
By the Soul Ripper!Keira curses.My father would not allow that. Neither would King Niall. They don’t even have access to the Explosion Brothers’ black powder.
“This is the bargain we propose.” Belladonna’s voice rings out, dragging me back to the physical. “Leonardo, King of the Starlight Court, and the Mistress and Master of the Assassins of Belladonna will supply you, Aldrin, the rightful King of the Spring Court, with the resources you need to regain your throne, including our assassins and Leo’s funds to achieve such an operation. In exchange, once you are on your throne, you will do everything in your power to counter the corruption consuming this realm, or you will submit to us when we come to kill you if you turn a blind eye to it. You will also make a profitable trade agreement between Leonardo and the humans.”
She holds out her hand, and by the darkness, I hesitate. Can I really agree to allow them to slaughter me if I don’t do enough to fight the corruption? The bargain would surely lock up my body with magic when they came for me.
