Page 80 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
A fast-paced melody kicks up and my attention is drawn to Silvan, who has pulled out his set of panpipes, and Lilly, who sings a high-pitched melody alongside him. A couple of the assassins join in, clapping hands or pounding boots on the ground to add to the beat. Fae immediately pair up and start dancing.
Caitlin returns with a steaming mug of coffee and hands it to Dante. She watches intently as he takes a long swig, his throat working as he gulps it down the way another would ale.
“Not so fast! That is scalding hot and you are going to burn yourself,” Caitlin chides while Dante wipes the back of a hand across his mouth. She turns her emerald eyes on me. “He is like a big child. Are you sure he is one of the realm’s most deadly assassins?”
“I can prove it to you if you like?” Dante says, all bravado, finishing the coffee. “Care for a sparring session?”
Caitlin narrows her eyes at him for a long moment as she considers, then smiles wickedly. “Only if you teach me to use those poisons of yours. I imagine they could be very handy.”
Dante opens his mouth to retort, but then stares down at his empty cup. “What in the most sacred darkness is this stuff? My senses are on fire and my brain has never been more awake.” When his eyes flick back up, his pupils are completely dilated.
“Caitlin, what have you done?” I groan, running a hand over my face. “The last thing he needs is more energy.”
Dante hands the mug back to her. “Make me another one of these, and I’ll teach you whatever you want.”
A pretty female Starlight fae dances by our group, pulling Dante into a ring of couples who move gracefully in a large circle. The steps of the dance are simple, easy to pick up after watching for a few moments.
Caitlin takes a step toward the bar, mug in hand and eyes bright with deviousness. Cyprien grabs her by the wrist andstops her. “Do not make that man any more coffee. Only the gods know how wild or rowdy he will get.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Exactly. I want to see it.”
Cyprien shoots me a hard look, like he wants me to intervene, but I just shrug. “It could be entertaining.” I glance over to Dante, who swings his partner so fast that he knocks into multiple couples.
“You know, if you really want to distract me from causing mayhem, Cyprien, you could dance with me,” Caitlin says in a mockingly sweet tone.
He stiffens. “We have work to do. Those senators need to be questioned and it is better to strike while the iron is hot.”
Cyprien takes the half-full glass of rakisi from my grasp and shoves it into Hawthorne’s hand as the latter dances past with Ada in her humanoid form as his partner. With her radiant onyx skin and long dark hair, I guess she is attractive when she doesn’t have reptilian features, spikes on her spine and claw-tipped hands. Klara and Rainier spin past us after them, laughing together.
Cyprien practically pushes me from the room.
I give him a sidelong look. “What happened to relaxing?”
“Getting pulled into a thrashing mob while being expected to move in the exact same way as them is not relaxing. Besides, I think Caitlin enjoys tormenting me.” He scowls.
I laugh and receive an even darker look. “Unfortunately for you, my brother, you are the perfect target and make it so damned enjoyable. Come, we have people to intimidate.”
I lead him down the stairs to the cellar, where one of our men guards the door, allowing us to pass with a simple nod. As we enter, the senators scurry backward, putting their backs to the walls and cowering with eyes full of horror. I suppose my antics this night have traumatized them. Good.
I take in the cozy space: six pallet beds set up with blankets, jugs of water and wine on a table, a basket of bread in case they hunger during the night, and a pile of books. It is more than they deserve.
“Not a monster. Just us, the men now sworn to protect you.” I wave a hand and an air wield drags a chair across the room for me to sit in. “Now, I need you to listen closely, because you will be earning your keep.”
The senators creep back across the room, none coming too close. Flint and two others seat themselves on one of the beds. Wren and Ivy remain pressed into the far corner. The former looks like she is about to burst into tears again and the latter has a splayed hand held to her heart.
“You will be questioned thoroughly, starting tomorrow morning, and youwilltell us everything you know about Titania’s plans, operations and weaknesses. If I lose this fight, if I die, you will no longer have my protection, and she will find and destroy you. It is in your best interests to make sure I win back my throne.” I scowl at each one of them.
“And what will you do to us once you have your throne?” Ivy calls out. “When you don’t need us anymore?”
“Make no mistake: I am not Titania. Our oath doesn’t expire the moment I rule again. You will still have my protection, but you will be imprisoned in your own estates. Or what will be left of them once you face fines for your crimes. Be under no illusions: each of you deserves to be executed for what you have done under her rule—the extortion, persecution of minorities, terrorism and commissioning of murder. Work hard to help me, and I will see your good behavior as working off your sentences.”
I don’t acknowledge the fact that the blood oath is one way, binding them but not me. I don’t have to offer protection at all. Or keep my word. But right now, they need something to motivate them.
“Better than death at the jaws of feral Nightmare creatures, is it not?” Cyprien cuts in from where he leans against a wall. Multiple senators shudder. We have threatened them with a very violent death. I wait for the guilt to flood me for using these dirty tactics, but the man who would have felt it died in the human realm.
“You know who Titania’s greatest communities of supporters are in this city,” I continue. “I’d hazard a guess you even know how to contact them. You are going to gather these people in taverns and guild halls and make grand speeches that reveal Titania’s true character: cruel, manipulative and cheating the people of wealth. I want you to expose her lies.”
“What if the Truth Templars discover our rallies and come to kill us?” Flint cuts in, his eyes darting across the room.
