Page 97 of Fae Champion

At least Rush hadn’t said Saturn’s name. I sucked in a shaky breath, the air dense as if it, too, were anticipating the queen’s next reaction.

“Then show his mother some damn respect and do as she orders,” she hissed.

Rush breathed in, out. “I won’t kill Elowyn. And I won’t stand by and watch you kill my friends either.”

“Well.” Her smile was lupine, her stare fixed on her prey. “It’s an either-or situation. I thought you were smart enough to figure that out, but maybe Ioverestimated you. You don’t get to say no, not to me you don’t. It’s one silly, stupid girl, or it’s three of your friends, those who’re capable enough to make a real difference in this mirror world of ours. Your future generals or a foolish girl who knows nothing of our ways—your choice.”

“But she isn’t a ‘foolish girl,’ is she? The land’s magic doesn’t think so.Idon’t think so.”

“I don’t care what you think,” the queen snapped, causing Braque and Ivar to draw nearer to flank her protectively—as if they intended to defend her tender feelings from us. “And the land’s … confused.”

“The land’s … confused,” Rush echoed evenly.

I’d figured out his plan: he was going to avoid the choice between killing me or his friends by angering the queen enough that she’d lash out, murder him, and spare him from the moral dilemma.

“Yesssss,” she hissed, her features morphing, terrible and serpentine. “The land’s power needs guidance, whichIwill give it.”

“Your Majesty,” Rush said, further proving that I was on to his plan. “Sheglowed. The land brought her back to life.”

“She wasn’t dead, you fool.” An admonishment as swift and harsh as the snap of a bow. “And she’s fae. All fae have some magic or other, at least a little. It’s nothing. Her glowing meansnothing.”

“Then let me go,” I said before I realized I would.

She turned just to sneer at me before glaring at Rush some more while she addressed me. “You’ve beena thorn in my side since my”—she tsked, her eyes screwing up in distaste—“husband decided to bring you here. I’ll not set you loose out there to fester and become an even bigger thorn in my side later. Rush, kill her now or so help me…”

“No,” said Rush, West, Ryder, and Hiroshi in unison.

The queen frowned. “Ever the heroes. Fine. Have it your way. Sundo…”

Sundo tottered heavily toward the guys. Hiroshi’s usually bright gray eyes vibrated with what I realized starkly was fear, though his body didn’t otherwise betray his distress.

West and Ryder strained against their chains while Sundo bypassed them for Hiroshi, his steps shaking the floor. When he snatched Hiroshi’s left arm, the one that had only just finished regrowing, I sucked in a breath and didn’t let it go.

Sundo dragged up the sleeve of Hiroshi’s tunic, grimy from just one night in the fae dungeon, and brought the drake’s appendage up to his mouth. He paused. “All of it, queenie?”

The queen’s smile was predatory, vicious, cruel. It was one of the worst things I’d ever seen in my life, and I’d been raised around the most fearsome dragons in all existence—I’d looked upon the great Dragon Mother of legend.

“All of it, Sundo, including the bone, up to the shoulder.”

Sundo wet his thick lips that reminded me ofcaterpillars and let his club drop, clutching Hiroshi’s arm with both hands. “Yummmmmmmmm. Yum, yummmm, yum in my tum.”

He brought Hiroshi’s forearm to his mouth and purred against Hiroshi’s shaking flesh. “Yuuuuummmmm, yum, yum, yum-yum-yummm.” Then he licked it, still muttering his enthusiasm for the devouring that was to come.

Ryder and West thrashed against their bindings, which only continued to glow that steady, black light when Rush’s mouth opened. But before he could protest, I yelled, “No, stop this! Right now, stop this.”

His maw settling against Hiroshi’s skin, Sundo halted and glanced at the queen.

“Go ahead, Sundo,” she said. “You have your orders.”

His tongue flicked between his lips before he opened his mouth wider, revealing those bone-crushing teeth.

“No,” I repeated with as much command as anything the queen had ever said. “Sundo, you willnoteat my friend.”

Sundo tilted his head to one side, eyes dazed and mouth drooping in confusion. “Queenie?”

“Eat Hiroshinow,” she all but roared, and Sundo snapped into action, taking a bite out of Hiroshi that encompassed a good third of his forearm.

Only a small whimper slipped from Hiroshi’s lips, pressed shut so hard they paled. Ryder slammed to the floor trying to break his chains; West ran to saveHiroshi, but Bandel tugged on his leash and yanked him back, his feet slipping out from under him.

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