Page 118 of My Eternal Light

The house itself was gorgeous. It almost looked like a turn of the century plantation house, if plantation houses were more common this far north. Meryn scanned the porches and outlying trees. “There’s no surveillance. How sloppy.”

“Meryn, how do you want to do this?” Law asked.

She looked at the group and simply started walking up to the front door. She heard curses, exclamations and a few chuckles as they caught up to her.

“Meryn!” her uncle Brennus, whispered lowly.

“He said they would be gift wrapped. I don’t think we have to be stealthy,” she explained. In this she would trust the demon.

When she reached the door, she simply knocked.

Moments later it swung open to reveal a gaunt woman, with stringy blonde hair that was missing in patches. “The angel said you were coming to set us free.” She opened the door wider to let them in.

“Angel?” Kendrick asked.

“I told you he was hot.”

Wordlessly, the woman shuffled forward escorting them further inside. When they reached a set of sliding doors she stopped. “They are waiting for you.”

She stepped to one side and stared forward with no expression on her face.

“Thank you,” Meryn said.

There was the slightest flicker of emotion, but it disappeared quickly.

Thane and Brennus took point and slid the doors open to reveal a large ballroom. In the center of the room a long banquet table sat, filled to the brim with choice meats, desserts and bottles of wine. The cutlery was gold, and the chalices were encrusted with jewels.

“Compensating much?” she said, taking everything in.

“How dare you speak, you mongrel,” a masculine voice said from the table.

They eased forward. In the high back, wooden banquet chairs, fae men sat, backs ramrod straight.

Doran held his sword at his side, ready to swing at a moment’s notice.

When they stood on the other side of the table, Meryn could see the men were lined up on the other side.

“Father,” Oron said, practically choking on the word.

Seconds later, mist and howling noises filled the air. Ferals filled the room from every corner. The smell of blood and rotten cheese was overwhelming. Meryn, felt like she had to run.

Then, it was gone. Darian simply waved his hand and the illusions disappeared. “Is that what you have been reduced to? Parlor tricks?” he asked.

The man Oron called father simply stared. “It cannot be.”

Darian smiled, though there was no mirth to it. “What you feared most has come to pass. I wonder if it would have happened at all had you done nothing. Your efforts seemed to have led directly to my becoming king.”

“No! No! No! No!” The man screamed, shaking his head back and forth, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth like foam.

“Oron, you bastard!” the man next to Oron’s father screamed.

“Cilas, you know mother and father were mated when she had me,” Oron refuted.

“Traitor!” another man shouted.

Oron shook his head. “No uncle, you are the traitor. You ruined our family name. But, don’t worry, my brothers and sisters will build it back.”

His father ceased his ranting, leaving the room suddenly silent. “Bring them here, they are our children, we need to see them.”

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