Page 81 of Sundered By Fate

Malekith was only a shadow now, just past the wreckage of the intruders who'd stormed the court.

"Malekith!" Aric called again, his voice breaking on the name. "Please—don't leave me!"

More smoke, more rubble, more screams—why was no one headed toward the breach in the wall, toward Malekith and whatever his forces were up to?

The inhibitor iron cuffs around Aric's wrists felt like deadweight, and he sank to his knees, bile rising in his throat.

What had Malekith done?

What had they done to him?

Aric staggered to his feet, forcing each limb through heavy resistance. He had to get to him. He had to make this right. He'd do anything, say anything, give anything, if only Malekith would hear him.

A rustling sound behind him. Aric turned, his blood surging, his emotions a molten tide.

Sylthris was clawing her way free from the rubble, the guise of King Aster crumbling away, revealing her true form. Her eyes glowed with a malevolent satisfaction, and her lips curled into a twisted smile.

"Impressive display, human," she said, her voice a slithering taunt. "I can see why Malekith was so enamored with you."

Aric's chest heaved with fury as he glared at Sylthris, the memories of their last encounter still raw and festering withinhim. Rage welled up inside him, hotter than any magic he'd ever wielded, but he forced it down, channeling it into a cold, hard shell around his heart.

"What did you do to them?" he ground out. "To Malekith, to King Aster?—"

Sylthris chuckled, the sound like nails on slate. "King Aster is of no consequence now. And as for Prince Malekith . . . I believe you'll find out soon enough."

Sylthris's laughter echoed through the ruined throne room, a chilling sound that made Aric's skin crawl. "Oh, don't look at me like that, human. It's not as if I had a choice."

“Of course you had a choice!”

Sylthris shrugged, the movement unnaturally fluid. "Aster was terribly rude and perished before I was finished with him. So I had to take matters into my own hands. As for Malekith, well, he was more cooperative. With the appropriate persuasion." Her smile widened, the sharp points of her teeth glinting in the firelight.

"Finished with King Aster?" Aric's fists clenched at his sides, the inhibitor iron cuffs Digging into his wrists. "You murdered him, you monster?—"

"Oh, you humans and your obsession with life and death. It's so very quaint." Sylthris stepped closer, her eyes glowing with a malevolent light. "But no. I'm afraid King Aster's death was entirely his own doing. I merely gave him a little . . . push."

Aric's fury was a white-hot flame inside him, consuming him from the inside out. "And Malekith? What matters did you have to take into your own hands with him?"

When Sylthris bared her teeth, it sent a thousand tiny legs skittering down Aric's spine. "You are just full of questions tonight, aren't you?"

Sylthris raised her hand, and before Aric could react, a surge of magical energy hit him square in the chest, knocking the windout of him. He flew backward, crashing into a pile of rubble, the impact jarring every bone in his body. The inhibitor cuffs on his wrists pulsed with a dull, draining energy, rendering him powerless.

Sylthris approached, her expression one of cold amusement. "Pathetic," she said. "And to think, Malekith once believed you were a threat."

Aric struggled to sit up, but the bindings held him down. "What," he wheezed, "are you going to do with me?"

Sylthris crouched down beside him, her eyes glinting with the reflection of the dark fires raging around them. "So many questions," she said. "For now, you'll watch as we reclaim what is rightfully ours." She stood, her form shifting and blurring back into the disguise of King Aster. "But it is amusing, isn't it?" she asked. "How helpless you are without your little tricks."

Aric's jaw clenched, and he yanked on the cuffs, feeding every bit of his magic into them, but it was like trying to fill a ruptured wineskin. "Malekith will come for you," he said, his voice a low growl. "He'll stop you."

Sylthris laughed, the sound echoing through the throne room. "Oh, my dear Aric. I think you'll find that Prince Malekith is quite occupied with his own concerns."

Aric's breaths came in ragged gasps as he lifted his chin to meet Sylthris's eyes. "What . . . what did you do to Malekith?"

Sylthris's smile fell away, her eyes narrowing. "Malekith is none of your concern." She took a step closer, her presence oppressive. "You should worry about your own fate."

With a flick of her wrist, Sylthris sent another wave of magic at Aric, pinning him to the ground. The rubble bit into his back, and he struggled to breathe, the inhibitor cuffs on his wrists a constant drain.

"You see, Aric, I have plans for you," Sylthris said, standing over him. "And I promise you, if you continue to behave like this, they will not be pleasant ones."

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