Page 56 of Kill the Queens

"Reborn." Rehan winked.

The bark of the stump snagged at her pants as Ace stood and moved away. She adjusted the cloak on her back before she shuffled over to the horse, gave it a good pat, and heaved herself up into the saddle.

"Couldn't we borrow two horses?" she asked while Rehan settled behind her.

"Where would the fun in that be?"

The horse began weaving its way through the outskirts of the camp until they were back amongst the black weeping trees and the sound of the Fae was behind them. Ace tried to get comfortable again on the saddle with Rehan pressed so tightly against her. Every which way she moved it just felt wrong, like their bodies didn't fit together correctly.

"You know I hate the way you can read my mind," Ace finally said after she'd thought back over their conversation andhow he could just randomly jump into any conversation she might be having with the gods.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to that, Cupcake." Rehan snapped the reins and the horse broke out into a trot that bounced her against him.

"Don't call me Cupcake."

"Well, it's either that or beautiful, you pick."

"Cupcake is fine."

They rode toward the towering wall, Rehan humming a pleasant tune. It was finally time to kill another queen, save a warlock, and answer the prayers of many. None of that sounded easy.

SEVENTEEN

Queen Farah

Remorse was an odd feeling. Or rather her lack of remorse is what was odd. Farah wasn't too far gone to recognize the feelings she should be having but wasn't. Even now at this late hour when only the barest of staff and guards were up and moving around the castle and she was dragging Reed's unconscious body through the empty halls. She'd clothed him…well, he had pants on.

The queen breathed heavier as she turned the corner, almost to the stairs that would lead her down into the dungeons. Her entire body was quaking, not from nerves or fear, but rather from adrenaline and excitement. She smiled when she reached the door that would lead her down under the castle.

Reed's body thumped against the floor as she let it slip from her hands. A long sigh drifted over her lips as she pulled the door open, then stood with her hands planted on her hips staring down at his lax body.

"I should have left you awake and whimpering so I could have made you limp yourself down here." She scolded herself. He'd been near tears after she'd drained him till nothing was left. Even after she released the magic that had bound him to her bed he hadn't moved, just twitched and moaned.

Giving the door a little kick to keep it out of her way, Farah exhaled as she hooked her arms under Reeds and began the long descent down the stairs, his feet smacking off each step as they went. It didn't take long before the damp scent of mold,rot, and decay came to greet her. She breathed it in, her smile only growing wider as the smell became more pungent.

A puddle splashed up against her heels when she finally reached the bottom. Water, piss, or some other mystery fluid, she couldn't really be certain. Behind her, there was a shuffling that vaguely reminded the queen that her guards had brought in a few prisoners. She ignored them, not caring if they were going to watch what she was about to do. They'd all be dead tomorrow morning, anyway.

A few torches were lit at the back of the large room, leaving the row of cells dark and the faces of the occupants unknown. Streaks of crimson stained the floors in the cracks where they hadn't been able to easily clean. Farah set Reed's body to slouch against the wall.

Along the opposite wall, several tools meant for torture gleamed with the flicker of the flames. Farah could use them but she didn't want to spend the time picking Reed apart when she didn't need to. This would be easier if he wasn't awake anyway. She didn't want to hear the deep baritone of his voice or see the brilliant silver of his gaze. All those things might make her hesitate.

There could be no hesitation when it came to killing.

Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of a small dagger. The blade sang as she pulled it from its mounted sheath. Someone gasped behind her. A laugh bubbled up her throat. It was a weird feeling as she felt herself disconnect from her reality, like she was a ghost of herself floating above it all, hovering at the dungeon’s ceilings, watching the events unfold.

Her black silk dress glided over the uneven stones underfoot, her eyes focused on Reed and the steadying rise and fall of his chest. She crouched next to him.

"If only we'd met in a different life," she whispered. Farah had really thought about announcing to her court that he'dbeen selected to be her husband. It would have been nice for him to die a king. But she had what she needed from him, she had what would give her child the same genetics Reed seemed to possess. So she'd returned to the dining hall later, offered Zacharias the crown, and promptly dismissed him stating that the excitement had tired her.

Zacharias had been excited but frowned when he'd wrapped her up in a hug. Had he smelled sex on her? That would have to be dealt with at a later date. She couldn't worry about that now.

Carefully, she drew a line across Reed's wrist with the dagger. A line of blood followed the blade.

"To the gods, I give this sacrifice. To the gods, I ask in return only for what he has that I wish to possess." She lifted her face repeating the prayer in her head again and again. Farah hadn't felt the presence of the gods since she'd been given her staff but that didn't mean that one of them wouldn't answer her now.

The dagger bounced and clattered against the ground after she let it fall from her fingers. She brought his wrist to her mouth breathing in his scent in one long drag of air before she pressed her lips to the cut. Her tongue ran over the line of blood before she sucked the liquid into her mouth. Its hot metallic tang coated her teeth. The heat filled her mouth before it ran down her throat and settled in her stomach.

Farah drank. She drank even as Reed shifted in his unconscious state and the prisoners behind her started to whisper their prayers. Droplets ran from the corners of her lips, meeting to drip off her chin. Still, she didn't stop taking from him until her stomach was bloated and full and one more sip made her gag.

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