Page 66 of Their Queen

She pushed up to a standing position, gliding forward until she was just outside of arm’s reach. “Of course, child,” she cooed, her eyes darting eagerly to the book that Arryn still held.

I shifted on my feet as if I couldn’t make up my mind before finally reaching out to take the book from Arryn. The heavy slate pages almost slipped from my fingers as the heavy weight settled into my hands. Titania hissed, “Careful, child.” She moved as if she was about to grab it from me but stopped herself. “We wouldn’t want to damage it now, would we?”

Laughing nervously, I said, “No. That wouldn’t go over so well, I’m sure.” I wanted to vomit in my mouth at the weak girl I had to play right now, but Titania was buying it. Hook, line, and sinker. Finally, I met her gaze, holding the book out shakily. “Okay.”

She snatched it from my grip before the words had even left my mouth, hugging it to her chest and walking back to her throne. Her fingers opened the book and began scanning the pages as she turned back to face me. Utter delight lit up her entire visage like a kid in a candy store being told they could have it all.

“Will you let them go now?” I asked, still acting, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

“Sure. Sure,” she said, waving a hand dismissively at her consorts to release Callum and my father. They unclipped the collars that had kept them shackled. Angry red marks lined their throats, raw and oozing from chafing, telling me that it had been iron that had kept them bound and weak. Callum finally looked up to meet my gaze, and I gasped at the sight. One eye was nearly swollen shut, purple and plum-colored. My father wasn’t in much better shape, his already weaker body almost giving out as he tried to stand. Callum caught him with a grimace and began leading him to me. His one good eye held anger. He wasn’t happy with me right now, but once he knew what was going on, he’d get over it.

My eyes remained glued to them as they took one slow step, then another. Titania snapped the book closed, the slate pages clinking together loudly in the bare stone room, causing me to jerk. Foolishly, I had allowed myself to be distracted by the sight of them, but now my focus was on the threat before me.

“I thought we had a deal that you wouldn’t allow them to be harmed any further?” I questioned her, my own outrage at their treatment breaking my façade.

She laughed, a trill and evil sound coming from her throat before she narrowed her eyes. “Did you really think that something as little as a fae deal could stay my hand? I’ve been around for over a thousand years. What you know wouldn’t even encompass the knowledge that I have in my little pinky.”

She glanced at her consorts, who stepped forward again, moving as one to stand in front of Callum and my father, halting their progress. “As if I’d let you get anything from me other than the death you deserve. You’ve been a thorn in my side for too long, and that ends here and now,” she threatened.

“You can’t,” I hissed out, letting my eyes dart to the consorts, the soldiers, and finally to the exits.

She laughed, delighting in my pain and shock. “Oh, but I can, and I will. However, I think it only fair that I allow you to truly suffer first. I’ll let you watch as I kill your consorts here and now, one by one. And I promise, it won’t be quick,” she seethed at me now, her eyes narrowing in hatred, pure and unadulterated.

Snapping her fingers, the guards jumped forward to detain us, but as they reached for us, they only met the shield that I held in place. It was my turn to laugh now. “Did you think I was truly so naive?”

She narrowed her eyes on me. “Don’t be silly. We have you surrounded. Eventually, your magic will fail, and we will have you right where we want you. All I have to do is wait you out.” She smirked at me.

“You might be right. If I did just sit here, you would eventually tire me out. It might even be inevitable.” I paused as if agreeing with her like I hadn’t a care in the world and was simply discussing the weather. She looked at me for the first time with wariness in her eyes. “That is if I hadn’t already known you would break our deal. You see, I made my own contingencies.”

Mimicking her previous gesture, I snapped my fingers. Brannoc and Cyerra materialized behind Callum and my father. Titania gasped, turning to face the noise their boots made on the ground, her eyes widening in shock as her captives were whisked away to safety. In the span of seconds, her leverage over me was gone.

Turning back to me, her anger glittered in her eyes. She opened her mouth to make more empty threats, but I cut her off. “You see. I’ve been busy making plans. And today, your reign ends.”

“Never,” she hissed out between her teeth, the book forgotten in her hands as she started gathering her magic to her.

Looking at the soldiers, then her consorts, I finally met her gaze again. “I’m giving you all this one opportunity. One chance to walk out of here alive. You will face trial and justice for your crimes against the citizens of Avalon, but you will still have your lives. It’s your choice. So, what will it be?”

“You, bitch!” Titania snapped, her magic flying at me and hitting my shield. Even though it didn’t penetrate the magic I had erected, it still managed to knock me back a few feet, my boots sliding across the carpet, which bunched up behind me. “You think you have the upper hand. That you have won something here today, but you have no idea what you’re messing with.” She strode forward, her magic glowing in her hands as she built up a massive force to strike us with. Instinctively, I knew that this would shatter my shield.

Turning, I ran from the temple, my men following close behind me while I kept the shield in place. We just needed to get outside. The rest of what I had planned was hinging on this part. As we reached the threshold, Titania released her magic, the hair on my arms standing on end as I felt it near. “JUMP!” I screamed.

Without hesitation, we all leaped down the steps, landing painfully on the packed dirt just beyond the stairs. My shield dropped, but I pushed to my feet quickly, turning to face Titania as she followed me out. Her own ego letting her walk right into my trap.

I smiled at her as she stormed forward. The look on my face had her pausing in her next attempt to lob an attack at me with magic. Laughing, I held my hands out wide. “Did you really think I was foolish enough to come out here all on my own?” Her eyes darted around as if she could find the reason for my confidence. Still, I laughed. “Of course you did. What’s funny is that your own hubris will ultimately be your downfall.”

“Have you lost your mind, child? There’s no one there,” she snapped, regaining her confidence.

“Are you sure about that?” As soon as I said those words, the glamor dropped to reveal my own army standing behind me. I turned to find Loki standing there with a smirk on his face. He winked at me as he drew his sword. Titania’s magic withered away as she was confronted with the truth. That, for once, she wasn’t as smart as she thought she was.

Chapter Forty Six: Brannoc

I deposited Callum in the staging area, Cyerra right behind me with Jonathan. Immediately, healers rushed forward to help them both out. A part of me wanted to stay and ensure they were okay, but the signal for our forces to move was mine and Cyerra’s arrival here. As much as I wanted to see after my brother, Rhowyn needed us to lead her troops into position.

The soldiers that had all been sitting around in groups jumped up as soon as we had appeared, clapping hands on the Ravens they had been assigned to. In under a minute, they were all ready. I turned to smoke again, racing back to my mate. Every second I was away from her while she was in the presence of that snake, without me there to watch her back, was one second too many. I felt my brethren following behind me as we landed in the spot Rhowyn had pointed out.

We released our magic to touch down softly and silently. Loki threw up a glamor in the nick of time as he sprang up from where he’d been reclining in the grass, waiting for our arrival. I’d brought him with me during the first trip so he could scope out the area while Titania was distracted, allowing him to create the glamor we needed to hide all of the troops.

As soon as we were all in position, Rhowyn and the guys flew from the doorway to land hard against the packed, dry dirt. Titania’s magic flew over their heads, barely missing hitting them as gravity pulled them away from the impact point. Rhowyn scrambled back to her feet more quickly than I had ever seen anyone recover from a fall, her training evident in that single movement.

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