Page 64 of Prince of Ruin

Tarsus snorts and mutters, “As if you didn’t already know.”

“There’s our neighboring Terra Empire,” Aden explains, “which sits west of us, right on the other side of the volcano. That’s the one Sovereign Wolfsbane rules with their partner, Hemlock. The Lunar Empire is a frosted-over winter wonderland up north, ruled by Sovereign Evergreen. The Solar Empire is located south of us and has more of a Saharan Desert vibe. It’s ruled by the heir, Sovereign Baneberry, now that his father is dead. Then there’s the Aqua Empire to the east, which is actually really cool.” He gestures excitedly with his hands. “The empire is made up of a chain of islands in the ocean, and the Aqua Folk are similar to merfolk who can also take the forms of humans.”

“No shit.”

I look at Shiloh with a whole new fascination, and the vain mermaid gleams with the attention, her iridescent blue-green scales shimmering as she props her elbow on the table and plants her chin in palm, preening as Aden talks about her and her empire.

“Yeah.” Aden’s eyes are shining with excitement now. “There are pirates there, too. It’s like Neverland.”

The smile is wiped off Shiloh’s face. “Nasty fuckers won’t leave us the fuck alone.”

Aden meets my gaze. “There are so many creatures roaming the Five Empires, it’ll blow your dick off.”

I have the sudden urge to explore this place, to travel, to meet more creatures like the ones before me. Aden makes this place sound less like the war-torn nightmare I stepped into, and more like a children’s adventure book.

“And the fifth empire?” I ask. “Is this one?”

Tarsus makes a sound in the pit of their throat and rolls their eyes again, clearly agitated with mypretendinglike I don’t know anything.

Aden nods. “This is the Spine Empire, which you’re supposed to be ruling, but Tarsus is working as regent until, well, I guess until you become fae again.”

I spin to Tarsus, my curiosity piqued. “So…how do I become fae again?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you,” Tarsus seethes, their frown deepening.

“Weren’t you the one who banished me to humanhood? Couldn’t you, like, remove the banishment?”

They still. “Returning you to your fae form could very well erase the innocent human boy you claim to be.” They tilt their head, offering a cold smile. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

A chill shudders through me. I imagine my true self being locked in the mind of that cruel SpineSovereign, the Prince of Ruin, watching helplessly as he tosses innocent humans into the volcano.

“No,” I whisper, leaning back in my chair. “I don’t want that.” What I want is to return home and not fear that this furious, powerful fae within me would take this body back, either killing me completely, or locking me up within his sick mind.

“So, Clav,” Hemlock says, taking a sip of Bane’s Brew. “Explain to me why we should believe that you’re telling the truth about not remembering your life as a fae.”

“Would it matter?” I huff out a laugh. “I’ve already turned into the four-fingered wonder.” I lift both hands, eight fingers spread.

Hemlock releases a smooth chuckle, tilts his head, and gestures with jeweled hands. “Humor us.”

A test, I realize. This isn’t so much of an interrogation as a test to see if I’m telling the truth. My foot bounces on the floor and I chew my lower lip. What do I say to a group of fae and folk who used to know me? Who have already decided I’m guilty? My best answer lies in being myself.

“My favorite movie is Jurassic Park,” I begin with a shrug. Because what better way to make these creatures know the real me than a few facts about myself? “I had a fascination with dinosaurs since I was a kid, and always wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up.” I show them the tattoo of a velociraptorskeleton on my forearm. “Unfortunately, math and science aren’t my strong suits, and I failed out.”

“Tell us something no one else knows,” Shiloh sings in that unearthly voice.

I gnaw on the insides of my cheek. “I’m legally blind in one eye. My left eye. Can’t see jack without my glasses—just blurry objects.”

Tarsus winces, no-doubt remembering how they took my glasses from me, but Ash is grinning wickedly.

“Okay,” the vampire says, russet eyes glinting. “I like you. You almost have me convinced.”

“So are you going to have the balls to face Mother Terra?” Wolfsbane asks. “I should warn you, the goddess has been in a mood since my last encounter with her over a week ago.”

I blink at my half-empty plate. “I…” How do I tell them I have no interest in facing down this wicked goddess? I was brought to these realms unfairly. I have no ties here. Why should I be the one to risk my life for these people?

“He is still deciding if we’re worthy comrades,” Aden cuts in, and I give him a grateful smile. He scans the others, a half-smile on his lips. “So, you all better behave.”

The others chuckle.

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