Page 71 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
Thick, gold-plated chains are fastened to the cuffs at my wrists, waist and throat. They are too short to allow me to do anything but kneel, and the restraints strain and chafe as I do so.
Titania claps her hands and laughs with delight. “It is about time you took your rightful place at my feet, pet. You needto realize that you are nothing but a pretty ornament in my shadow. You should be grateful that I allow you to join the ball rather than rot in the dungeons.”
Her eyes bore into me, waiting for a flinch or outburst, but I give her nothing.
Pure shame rolls through me at being manhandled before my people and forced into a position of supplication at my enemy’s feet. It doesn’t help that nobles gasp and discreetly point at me. Hot waves of humiliation roll through me, more than any outfit could garner.
Then the sensation of suffocation hits, because I am trapped here, arms spread wide and on display, made helpless by my self-imposed handicap. All these guards wouldn’t let me walk free even if I wielded my magic to melt these chains and slice a path through them.
My breaths come hard and fast through a tightening throat. I have to resist the urge to claw at my cuffs or thrash in my chains like a wild animal.
I can’t breathe.
The walls seem to close in on me.
All I can think is that I am trapped, trapped, TRAPPED.
My heart beats painfully against my ribs and pounds like a drum in my ears. I cannot help the panic attack that engulfs me.
I scan that crowd for any allies at all, and find Rainier toward the back, angling his body in front of both Sasha and Juniper. He nods to me in acknowledgment, and Sasha gives me a small smile and mouths a few words of encouragement.
I spot Jasper among the guards, and note his allies intermingled between them, ready to defend the people if our plan goes wrong. His eyes lock with mine and he mimics taking in a deep breath, and releasing it slowly. It reminds me of my coping mechanisms.
The anxiety rippling through me must flow all the way to Aldrin, because he pauses in his preparations for the fight to come.Do not fret, dear heart. Titania may win this first move, but we will be triumphant tonight. She will be the one humiliated by the time we are done.
A knot lodges in my throat.I don’t want our people to see me like this—vulnerable, beaten and chained.
You are far from beaten,Aldrin says into my mind.Look closely at them. See their outrage. They are not snickering at you and Titania is not getting the reaction she wants. Head up, chin high, and show them that you will not falter, even when you are meant to be alone in an enemy’s court. Show them the reason why you are a queen worth following, like you have every other time you have clashed with Titania.
Those words do something to me.
His warmth envelops my body and confidence surges through my blood.
Suddenly, the chains aren’t such a heavy burden, and all those eyes boring into me are witnessing Titania’s shame, not mine. I stare straight ahead, watching the nervous crowd amass around the corners of the room, too afraid to come close. Like they know of the twisted plan Titania has for the night. Perhaps this isn’t the first time she has trapped them with her games and lies.
Florian marches into the ballroom with a cloud of guards in full armor swarming behind him. They bar the grand doors of the only exit and spread out among the people menacingly.
Drake’s portrayal of the vicious war general is so convincing that my entire body locks up with tension at the sight of him. His eyebrows slash downward and his red eyes boil with barely contained rage. His broad shoulders look even more massive in his plate armor and are slanted forward as his long footstepsquickly chew up the distance, like he is about to draw his sword and charge into battle.
He glances at me for only a heartbeat before I am dismissed completely. He must take in the tension that ripples through my body and the fact that I cower slightly from the imposing figure of the war general, because he scratches his chin in our secret signal to remind me that I am dealing with Drake, not the real Florian.
The dais vibrates under his heavy step and he walks past me, straight to Titania. I follow him with my eyes as he bends down to speak softly to her.
“All of the preparations have been made. I will await your cue.”
“Well done, Florian,” Titania purrs. “I will see to it that you are rewarded with additions to your personal estates from what we confiscate tonight.”
“And we are still in agreement on this list? You have reviewed the names?”
Titania flicks her fingers to dismiss the question. “You are one of the few in my inner circle I actually trust to be competent, but yes, I have approved the list.”
“If you are confident, I will not question you,” Florian grunts. I have to suppress the smile that tries to spread across my lips as he steps from the dais.
Gods, Drake is good.
She has no idea that he is about to read the “wrong” list.
Or, I should say, the names she reviewed are different fromthislist.
