Page 13 of A Kingdom of Destruction

She might not have ever been on the same page as her father, but they only had each other left. No one else. The gazes of her dead brothers and sisters watched them and stood testament to the fact.

“What else would you have me do? I am only interested in dealing with one member of the royal family.” The Fae King’s smile grew, and he wiggled his fingers. Her father gasped, his jaw clenching as magic choked him. “Whoever will be most willing to accommodate my wishes.”

“Take me instead.” It was natural for Aven to offer herself.

Her father had more experience in leading a kingdom. With the territory in tatters and the citizens murdered, their people would need his strength and wisdom to even attempt to rebuild. If the Fae King allowed such a thing.

“Please, take me, just let him breathe.Please!”

She reached for him, and King Donal jerked her father away, the magic keeping him bound tighter than a pig over a roasting fire.

“You would trade yourself for that man?” The Fae King asked the question like he already knew the answer and she’d been a fool, playing right into his trap. “He’s old, at the end of his life. You have so much left to give.”

Aven stared at the two of them for moments that felt like an eternity. She was the last of her line, and if she had to step up, had to use herself for whatever purpose the Fae King had in mind, at least her father would be alive.

“Done.”

A snap of his fingers had the Fae King’s power writhing, a living, sentient creature attuned to his every whim. At once her arms jerked close to her torso and were pinned there. Aven had no chance to run to her father before the magic bound her.

Her heart thrashed inside her chest.

She glanced up to King Donal and glared at him, ignoring the bark of pain from her muscles twisting out of their usual position. The fight drained out of her and left her empty. She struggled uselessly against the binds, and her knees buckled with the resistance.

“There, now.” The Fae King looked her over and nodded once before he turned his attention to King Fergus. The movement was smooth, graceful, and utterly inhuman. “It seems we’ve come to an accord on one front.”

Aven gaped openly at him. “One front? What do you mean?”

Her father got to his feet shakily and dusted off his arms and legs, pointedly avoiding looking at the tortured corpses of his children. “What do you want from us?” He ignored Aven as well.

His eyes met those of the Fae King and were empty. A crimson stain she hadn’t noticed colored his entire right side. They were two predators sizing each other up, and only one of them postured at the power. The other could shake the castle down to its foundation with a snap of his fingers.

It tore Aven apart. She could not watch this knowing what would happen to her. She thrashed against the magic.

“I gift you another choice.” Neither monarch addressed the other by their title, yet the Fae King bowed his head to Father. “I will let your charming daughter live, in exchange for your cooperation. You will allow my people to occupy your territory. In areas of my choosing. You will do so without argument. It seems a fair arrangement. You only have a single child left to you. What is more important to you? Keeping Grimrose intact or keeping your daughter alive?”

Aven knew he hadn’t offered to keep her safe, only alive, and there were several fates worse than death. She looked at her father and shook her head, and although she still had the ability to speak, she found her tongue strangely still. The words beat at her in an attempt at freedom.

Decline. It wasn’t a fair trade.

The lands they fought so hard to keep safe from fae occupation, for so long… it wasn’t worth it to give them up now. Was it?

King Donal laughed. “Take your time. I will give you two minutes to spare, but know for every second you take, I will slowly constrict your daughter until the pressure forces the air out of her lungs.”

The magic began to tighten with his words, and Aven gasped.

“I agree,” King Fergus gasped out. He held his ground against the more powerful ruler and made his verdict before she could shake her head in argument. “Spare her and take whatever land you want.” His attention shifted to her. “She’s worth more to me.”

She wanted to cry out, to say his name or crawl to him. The pressure eased slightly, but she wasn’t free by any means. The burning magic kept her in place as surely as stones weighing her down.

“It is good to see you mortals still have a shred of loyalty left.” The Fae King clucked his tongue and with another flick of his fingers had Aven dangling off the floor. Her boots scraped the surface of the tile. “I will leave you to pick up the pieces of your loss. As for us, we must be on our way.”

“Where are you taking her?” King Fergus thundered after them on their way out of the throne room. “Stop!”

One of the fae guards stepped up to the side of his king and took hold of Aven, adjusting her over his shoulder before the feeling of weightlessness ceased.

A prisoner.

The thought circled around in her head, stinging her mind like a thousand wasps all attacking at the same time. She was nothing but a prisoner, and her family was dead.

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