Page 39 of Dark Fae's Destiny

ZENITH

Ihear it as King Archivolio Bellari’s heart pops inside his chest. I feel it, as a towering light of the Summer Fae goes out, tainted though it had become. As the Gold Eyes bursts the King’s heart with his power, then coalesces into a man-shape before us, smiling with a terrible pleasure, King Bellari gasps his last. He goes down, clutching his heart.

Which I can feel with my Night magic has ceased to beat.

Lucca roars, lunging for the Gold Eyes. Ariana and I are quicker than Lucca, however, as we surge in and haul him back from getting to Staphylogenes. We’ve learned that lesson already; those who try to kill this fiend prematurely wind up dead—and we can’t have that if we hope to have any chance of fighting him at a later date.

It leaves us in a seething standoff now as everyone upon the dais surges anew with furious power, menacing our foe. Staphylogenes only stands before us, however, swirling calmly in his tall man-shape within his inky winds.

As the fiend reveals himself to all, at last.

It stops the massive orgy that had been careening around the hall, as our Music dies into shattered shards in the air, then disappears. Ariana, Lucca, myself, and the rest of our allies have no hope of sustaining that most tremendous magic in Staphylogenes’ presence; the nature of his ancient magic nullifies our Music instantly, just like his Bloodsigns inside Archivolio Bellari could do.

Though I thought we’d made incredible strides today with our Music, with what Lucca proved it’s now able to do, I see that’s still nothing compared to Staphylogenes’ might. It was a creature of endless power back when the stars were new; I see that knowledge glittering in its golden orbs now as it regards us, its head cocked as if amused at our rebelliousness.

But there is also something else in that gleaming, ancient gaze as Ariana and I hold Lucca back from rushing in and getting himself killed for his father’s death; wrath, as it stares us down.

Cold, hard—and utterly unamused with what we three have been up to.

“You have freed yourselves from my power.” As the Gold Eyes regards us, its smooth voice pummels into my ears and mind. Its words make everything inside me celebrate, however, as a surge of the Music pulses from me, Ariana, and Lucca. Because we know for certain now that we are free of the Gold Eyes’ ancient magic.

It regards us with barely veiled hatred, unimpressed.

“You should not have done that,” it says, as I step forward to parlay with the creature. Alleno and Ariana’s parents help her restrain Lucca now, though he throws them all off but Ariana as he heaves hard breaths, finally getting himself together upon the high dais.

“What we should or should not have done is immaterial.” I face the Gold Eyes, addressing it. “We did it. It is done. Now, we shall find a way to end you.”

“Impudent cur. Ant beneath my boots.” The Gold Eyes’ words are furious now, arrogant as it draws up to its full, towering height in its man-shape. Its inky winds seethe through the hall as its golden orbs pin me and only me, staring me down at my bold words. “You three are as nothing to me. I will end your lives and find others to aid me as the years go by.”

As it raises its dark hand now, I feel its winds of the void rise. I see them swirl with a thousand empty colors, there but not there, hollow in their vast depths as they devour the dais and surge far up into the highest vaults of the throne hall.

I know, as the creature’s power intensifies, that it’s going to kill us. Though we stand proudly upon the high dais of the Summer Fae, we have nothing to counter it yet.

Nothing at all—except, perhaps, our wits.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I say now as I examine my nails, like I don’t particularly care.

“Do what? Kill you?” It sneers in its man-shape, though it pauses. “Whyever not?”

“It took you a god’s age to assemble a trio like ours, strong enough to be your instruments like we are, and growing stronger by the day.” I am making a serious gamble with our lives now as the Gold Eyes pauses from ending us and all our opposition to it.

Barely.

“I can wait a god’s age to find others. I have that time,” it counters, as it raises its hand again.

“Yes, but I have a feeling patience isn’t your strong suit,” I say with a wicked smile now. “Besides, your once-beloved Iris has already helped us in our quest. Or don’t you want your heart back from where you stashed it beneath Florence, to forever beautify our fair city while you went on to rot?”

It pauses. As its golden orbs search mine, I feel it flash a lance of power right through me, just like Master Ilyov, ferreting out the truth of my words. It pauses more deeply now, however, as it discovers I tell it no lies. I feel it invade Lucca, then Ariana in quick succession, though it finds out from all three of us I’m telling the truth.

“What do you want?” it asks then, as it realizes a time for bargaining has come, rather than smiting. And I know for certain now what it wants—its heart, returned from its ancient resting-place beneath Florence.

The one thing it can never get.

“Want?! We want nothing from you!” Lucca rages forward then, menacing the Gold Eyes with his tremendous auric wings spread wide. With a hand, I forestall him; Lucca snarls at me in his bitter rage about his father. He stays put as Ariana holds him, though, cuddling into him as they both watch me.

Knowing it’s my game now with the Gold Eyes—until we either die or are released today.

“You want your heart, and we’re your best chance at getting it for you.” I step in again towards the Gold Eyes, gambling with it once more.

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