Page 191 of Wrath of the Fae

I tighten my hold on the dagger.

‘Come with me now, or they die. Simple, really.’ He shrugs and laughs as he teases me with that device.

‘I have a counteroffer.’

‘What’s that?’

‘You scream. A lot.’

Tessa lands behind him, as silent as a mouse and as delicate as a butterfly, but with a determined rage fit for the monsters that serve me.

She raises a sword, already dripping in blood, and without a sound, brings it down on his arm, severing it from his body with one swift and beautiful swipe.

Ezra screams as he looks at his arm lying at his feet, his hand still holding onto that device. He screams again when he looks at the blood spurting from the wound, stunned that he’s just lost a whole damn arm!

Tessa takes that blade and drives it through his back. His skin sizzles in reaction to the iron. The sweet look of satisfaction on her face is delightful to see. She leans into his face with a smile.

‘I’m going to fuck you, Ezra,’ she promises. ‘I’m going to fuck you every single day with the fist of the hand I just took from you. Even as it rots and decays, I will still fuck you with it. And that will be a pleasant respite from all the other heinous things I plan to do to you.’

‘F-fuck you… b-bitch,’ he snarls, spittle flying from his lips as he meets her smile with a furious glare.

‘No, no. I just said.Iwill fuckyou.’ She looks at me. ‘Go. I’ve got this.’

I smash the device and take to the skies.

Winged warriors battle with steel machines. Fire lights up the skies. Long, twisting arms stretch out, pulling apart the living and tossing the pieces aside. Blood and metal fall like rain.

The remaining drones rise in the sky, all heading for the tear.

Are they leaving? Why?

Below, the Fae cheer as if they have won. As if the machines are running scared.

That makes no sense to me.

And then another machine falls from the sky and flies straight at me.

It’s a man made of iron. Huge and solid. And he stops before me.

Even looking at it, I know who it is. Who controls it. He’s made it look like him. It even fucking smirks how he does.

‘You are a stubborn little thing.’ Ivan’s voice says calmly through the machine. ‘I’m surprised. You stay here hiding, letting them die for you when all you need to do is come to me.’

‘Everything will end if you start that machine.’

‘Not true. Just everything you care about.’ His metallic head tilts as he slowly hovers around me. I turn, keeping him in my sights. ‘What are you, daughter? Such interesting markings on your skin.’

I wrap my hand around the throat of the machine. My skin burns on contact, but I squeeze nonetheless.

‘You will not win. I will never come to you. And if you try to take me, I have creatures of my own that will tear at everything standing between them and me.’

‘Oh. I’ve seen the way those beasties obey you. Very impressive.’

‘Why are your machines leaving?’ I demand.

‘I have no desire to destroy any more of you than I already have. I need your kind alive. I want their wonderful powers. Their twisted bodies obeying my will and desires.’ His hand sweeps across the carnage left below. ‘I have made my point. I’ll destroy them if I must, but I would rather not. You have one hour to gather your dead. Tend your wounded. Say your goodbyes. Then you will come to me.’

‘Why? Why would you give me an hour?’

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