Page 78 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
I throw back my head and laugh. Immense pride fills me. Keira needs to tap into that deep river of burning rage buried within her more often. She is usually far more forgiving than people deserve.
Dante uses my moment of distraction to change forms, the gods-damned show-off. The Spring Court fae behind me gasp and yelp as he doubles in size. As ripples of obsidian erupt across his body, forming great manes of spikes. Those huge jaws that could wrap around my head form and snap at me. I drop and roll to get away from him.
“You know, we did have an agreement,” I say, reminding him that he needs to let me win, and quickly, for my political advancement.
Dante’s Nightmare lets out a vexed huff, pacing around me.
“Or I could light up my sword again and thrust it down your throat, though I think your colleagues would be pretty enraged by the necessity,” I taunt.
He lunges at me, angling his claws away and leaving his belly wide open for my dramatics. I slice my sword through the space it occupies, but there is no resistance as expected, because he dissipates into shadows and time stutters away to give the illusion of defeat before I really touch him.
When I turn back to my people, Titania’s supporters gape at me, at my power display. If I hadn’t won them over before, I definitely have now.
I need them to live and breathe for me.To enact my will without hesitation.
Whether that is fueled by admiration or fear, I don’t care.
They will speak at rallies before Titania’s strongest supporters among the citizens of the city, using their positions as recognizable members of Titania’s power base. They will reveal her greatest crimes against the court and disillusion the people. These senators are another tool to win them over.
We funnel out of the space teeming with assassins, and Klara and Zinnia barricade the doors behind us. I direct my Spring fae at a run down a corridor that leads to storage room after storage room full of the food supplies Titania has been seizingand quarantining to create her false shortage. These are the very stocks she plans to flood the city with to be perceived as a savior when the crisis gets particularly nasty.
Senator Wren sends me a panicked look when she realizes we have discovered her and Titania’s dirty little secret.
“Why do you think we were conveniently here when those assassins arrived, attacking you?” I snicker. “We have found all of Titania’s warehouses and we are reclaiming them for the people.”
I signal a halt and we skid to a stop when we find the right room. Maeve and Edmund’s voices ring out among the high shelves as they take stock, while Caitlin and some of her guards keep protective watch at the entrance. I recognize her new Captain of the Protector Guard at her side, a tall blond human called Liam who she has glamoured to appear fae.
Behind them, the small human army Edmund has brought with him is packing the stores and preparing to transport them. They are using magic to aid in the task. Now that they have broken the blocks on their reservoirs, they are going to obliterate the stereotype here that humans have no magic.
“We have rescued members of Titania’s inner circle, and I will be getting them out to safety,” I tell Caitlin, my voice drawing Edmund and Maeve to me as well. “This warehouse is swarming with Assassins of Belladonna and their numbers are only growing. Clear out immediately. I will leave all my warriors with you to help with the evacuation, except Silvan. I think the two of us can manage six senators on our own.”
My cryptic message is clear. I will be leaving to put these fools somewhere they can’t harm themselves, then I will return, as per our plan, but our allies have finished their role for the night and will arrive soon to help them move the stores.
We will hide all of it from Titania, tonight. There is a ring of portals just outside this building that will help us transport itquickly. Some of the few that weren’t destroyed in this court by centuries of warfare.
Edmund huffs a laugh, slapping me on the shoulder as his eyes roam over the dozen warriors surrounding me. “Just you and these few guards taking on scores of the realm’s most deadly and highly trained assassins and monsters. I wonder just how you did it.” His tone drips with sarcastic amusement. It is clear he loves the political intrigue at play here. His fingers tighten painfully on my shoulder as he suddenly drags me closer to him. “If my daughter got hurt in any of this?—”
“Then I will personally slaughter the assassin or any member of my court who did it,” I growl back.
“It is bad enough that they humiliate and mistreat her in your name. That she is taking the fall at the hands ofyourenemies. What are you doing to exact revenge on them right now?” Flames flash in Edmund’s eyes. “I am tired of patience. I want my daughter out of that tyrant’s clutchesnow.”
Caitlin walks past him, knocking into his shoulder and placing herself between us. She sends up an air barrier so none of the fae of Titania’s inner circle can hear us. “Do you think Keira would just walk away from her position as a spy in the palace even if we broke the bargain? Look at how much she has already gained for herself. I am sure she will find the location of Aldrin’s army and do so much more. There is power for her in being Titania’s prisoner. She needs to get her hands dirty in this war or her people will never take her seriously.”
“You have tried to tell your daughters what to do many times, haven’t you, Edmund? How has that worked out for you?” I say, and his eyes only narrow further, because he knows he raised willful creatures who won’t be controlled by any man. “I know you are not used to taking orders from anyone, but if you are still interested in helping your daughter win her rightful throne, thenyou have a job to do.” I gesture to the racks upon racks of food items behind him.
Maeve grabs his elbow and begins to pull him away. “Come, Edmund. We need all the hands we can get to move these stores, and while you are here bickering, the rest are waiting for our instruction.”
Edmund turns to hold my gaze, walking backward as his wife drags him deeper into the warehouse. “Not a single scratch on her!” He points a long finger at me. “I am going to hold you personally responsible if they put a single scratch on her!”
I found it, Aldrin!Keira’s elated voice rings in my head, her thrill filling my chest with electricity. The image of Titania’s ledgers floods my mind.I found where they are keeping our army!
A huge, self-satisfied smirk grows upon my lips, and Edmund’s frown deepens as his gaze homes in on it, probably thinking I am reacting to his empty threats. He disengages from his wife and stomps toward me, a red flush traveling up his neck, but before he has a chance to rip me apart, I place my hands on his shoulders.
“She did it! That brilliant woman fucking did it. I told you Keira could hold her own in my court.” He gives me a confused look, and I clarify, “My queen has found our army.”
It is the early hours of the morning by the time we finish emptying out the warehouses and return to the tavern that is our base of operations. A fire dances in all our blood from the thrill of battle, trickery and triumph, and it won’t be quelled by fatigue alone. Cyprien pops open bottle after bottle of rakisi, pulling out tall, thin glasses to fill with the milky white spirit. Caitlin procures a small keg of sweet ale and passes mugs of it around the room.
Laughter rings out as warriors recount our rigged fights and assassins describe the look on Titania’s face as they burst through windows into the ballroom. How she fled almost immediately and left her people to their fate.
