Page 121 of A Crown Without Mercy

“How the fuck did you know this was going to happen?” Alaric demanded.

Sylvana and Calista glanced at each other and then looked at Alaric without speaking.

“Have you have been covering for her all this time?”

“In a way,” Calista replied nonchalantly.

“Father is going to lose his shit when he finds out you mated the fucking Acherons under my watch. I promised him I would look after the three of you and I have failed miserably. And on another note, Mira doesn’t know the truth, so did you reveal our identities as well?”

“Alaric, please, let me explain. They are looking for father, they fear he is in trouble with the Lycans and no, I did not.”

“Why do they think that?” Alaric asked.

“Alaric, if you would calm the hell down and let her explain without losing your temper, you would find out,” Calista stated.

Their stallions thundered through the stillness of the forest, and they reached the Black Moor just after the sun had dipped beyond the horizon and were met by Klyn and a legion of their Barouqe Warriors.

Riordan and his brothers dismounted and followed Klyn. “Have you located an inbred?” Riordan asked.

“Yes, we have eyes on him. We were waiting until you arrived. How do you want to do this?” Klyn asked.

“Discretely,” Riordan replied.

“Have you secured the surrounding areas?” Nicolai asked.

“Yes. The South side of the river is silent. We haven’t seen so much as a rodent.”

“Good,” Riordan replied as he stepped over a rotten log.

Klyn motioned to where they had the Faye chained and gagged, and Riordan walked over, pushed his body with his foot, rolled the Faye onto his back and kneeled down. “You will be the beginning of the end of your treaty.”

The Faye looked at him through his matted, golden locks partially obscuring his face, with a malice filled glare. He rubbed his battered face on the ground to remove the gag.

Riordan pulled the gag from his mouth. “Speak your peace, for they will be your last words.”

“Holding me prisoner shall do nothing for you,” he snarled.

Riordan grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head back. “We have no intention of taking you prisoner. We are going to leave you to the inbred.”

His eyes widened, and he blinked once. “Doth as you wish. Thy treaty shall never be broken.”

“Based on the look in your eyes, I believe you know it will be the tear in your fragile little treaty.”

“I am prepared to die for my own. I assume you did prepare to die for yours?” he snarled.

“We have extinguished your flames of war for centuries. This time, it will be at the cost of your entire fucking race.”

“Your confidence shall be your death,” he replied.

“Your name is Dronve, is it not?” Riordan asked.

“My name matters not.”

“I believe it does. We know you and Ranan have been leading the excursions outside of the veil. What will they think when Ranan’s ally turns up dead at the hands of his own kind?”

His pointed ears twitched, and he bared his jagged teeth. “We have a surprise awaiting. Killing me shall not stop thy war,” he threatened.

“And we have a surprise for you.” Riordan looked up at Klyn and held his hand out. “Give me his dagger.”

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