Page 7 of Dark Fate

About fifty yards ahead, the sight before me is something out of a fairytale nightmare, not just in the looming darkness of the stronghold but in the very essence that it exudes—a beacon of malevolence. The gates, massive and forbidding, seem poised to snap shut on any who dare enter, and the stench of oppression is thick enough to taste.

But the fear twists inside me, metamorphosing into something fiercer, harder: determination. This is where Rhyland is and where I must go. There’s no room for hesitation in this chess game with shadows.

Fadeyrn's body remains tense. His voice is grim when he finally murmurs, "This place is scouring with Dark Fae. Tread with the utmost care, Dani."

I suppress a shudder, rendered mute by surrounding evil. Getting Rhyland out of this nightmare fortress will require a miracle. But failure is not an option when my mate's life hangs in the balance.

"Who rules this creepy Dr. Suess castle?" I ask quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

Fadeyrn's face spells trouble—storybook villains, not a prince. "King Alinarand Queen Amara reign here."

The venom in his voice resonates, but it does nothing to still my racing heart. Vulnerability breathes down my neck, sending a chill that's not part of the cold landscape.

Rhyland

4

These damn silver chains, with their fairy-tale scribbles, cut off my vampire strength, leaving me weak as a fucking kitten. A twin piece of crap collar wraps around my neck, giving this bitch, Queen Amara, the control she craves.

Lucian and I—her playthings, dressed up and trotted out to stroke her sick ego before the twisted lot in her court. Don't be fooled, though—a golden cage is still a fucking cage.

Her goons, eyes only for Queen Crazy, keep us under constant watch. Any hint of rebellion gets squashed in a heartbeat, and there is no chance to break free.

We’re stuck playing our parts in this twisted, never-ending show of hers, drowning in the endless bullshit that bleeds into her court's daily life. Lucian, with his biting quips, and I, the brooding, defiant captive, are the day's twisted entertainment.

Come nighttime, this hellhole dresses up in its true dark, debauched colors. These chains might slacken, but they're always there, a heavy reminder of the so-called 'freedom' we’d be fools to chase.

Amara showers my brother with all the excesses, trying to chain him to her side with her sick games and pleasure dens. She's desperate to turn him into one of her devoted dogs, drunk on her bullshit favor.

She keeps throwing herself at me, thinking I'll bite. But I shut the vain bitch down every damn time. My gut is twisted up thinking about Danica. Our ripped-apart bond screws with me every waking minute.

Is my fiery girl lost to me for good?

For a second, I swear I felt Dani’s touch as if she was reaching out through the shreds of what we have. But it's probably just my fucked-up head playing tricks. She's out of reach, our bond's death courtesy of fae fuckery. And yet, some stubborn, pathetic part of me won't stop clinging to a sliver of hope.

"My pet, you are so very tense. Come, allow me to soothe your burdens," Amara purrs, trailing a possessive hand down my chest.

I wrench away, barely masking my disgust. "I require no soothing, My Queen."

She is anything but my queen. The title rings hollow, an empty appeasement to placate her arrogance. In truth, she wields no valid claim over me.

But for now, I've gotta eat up her delusions of grandeur, stroke her ego with some bullshit respect and pretend devotion.

It pisses me off, having to play the groveling kiss-ass before her. Bending the knee like some damn bootlicker isn't my style. I have to bite my tongue, keep my head down, and play this twisted game to keep one step ahead and keep breathing.

"On the contrary, I sense your thoughts are plagued by...distractions," she retorts coyly. "Allow me to refocus your attention."

Before I can react, she grasps the collar's engraved ring, using it to pull me close. "There are far better uses for that scowl than glowering into shadows."

It all happened so fast after the raging river tore us apart...

The Shadow Court patrol descended swiftly; our powers muted uselessly as they bound us in engraved silver chains. We tried explaining our presence, but they hauled us to the throne room like wayward dogs.

Queen Amara lounged on her obsidian throne, lethal beauty and power radiating from her slender frame. Arctic amusement glinted in her crystalline eyes as the guards forced us to kneel before her.

"Trespassers," she mused, her voice a melodic chill. "And vampires to boot. What dark whims bring you before my presence?"

I locked eyes with her, that predatory part of me that thrived in the darkness, acknowledging her dominion. "Misfortune threw us into your realm. We have no quarrel with you. We seek to reunite with our own," I stated plainly, the alpha within refusing to bow despite the chains.

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