Page 112 of Fae Reckoning

“I said that the darkness in her has been eradicated.” At least fancier words were coming out for whatever it was I was spewing.

More raised voices interrupted.

I yelled, “So long as she lives, we’ll never be absolutely certain, beyond every doubt, that we’re safe. So I ask again, is it worth the risk to let her live?”

“To make her pay, really pay?” a parvnit said in a voice much bigger than his hummingbird size. “Yes! Absolutely.”

“Aye, we should all get a turn,” another parvnit yelled, her voice high like tinkling glass.

From the mirrors that remained intact along the walls, the monsters watching us groaned. I shuddered and hurried on. “What if?—?”

“We should all get to take turns with ’er,” a goblin bit out.

That suggestion received actual applause.

“How many deals might she have made?” I shouted above Ivar’s cupped, projecting hands. “What if she’s got some magic we or the dragons don’t know about yet?”

“The dragons know everything,” someone said.

Einar grumbled an approving, into my mind.

“Torment to the dark queen,” another called out.

The shout was picked up. “Torment to the dark queen! Torment the dark queen! Torment the dark queen!” The chant rang out in a unified chorus.

“Hey. Everyone,” I tried but soon trailed off.

“YOU SHALL BE SILENT,” Rush roared. Even without Ivar’s amplification, his voice was so powerful that everyone instantly obeyed.

Well, not exactly everyone…

“Off with your head, off with your head,” grunted a voice I’d recognize anywhere.

I wheeled around, searching.

“Hurry, or it’ll be off with your head,” the voice muttered again. “Always, hurry, hurry, hurry, even when we’re going faster than we should.”

I stalked to Dragon-Xeno’s other side to better see Talisa. Once I did, my face drooped. I couldn’t get my lips to close, not even at the reminder that I was supposed to be a queen now and queens probably didn’t openly gawp.

And openly gawp I did.

“It’s always, ‘Off with your head.’ But goblins have need of their heads. You’re not right to take them from us.”

I felt Rush appear at my side. Lots of fae surrounding me, and yet I couldn’t look away, not even to ensure no snakes were getting any ideas to attack.

“You hurt us. You hurt us badly,” Pru told Talisa as she held a sword nearly as tall as she was in both hands. It appeared far too heavy for her to wield, but she grimaced and brought the blade down on Talisa’s neck with a wet squelch. Already a deep line of raw flesh ringed Talisa’s throat anew.

If anyone else said anything, I didn’t hear them.

Pru grimaced as she struggled to release the sword from Talisa’s neck. She raised it halfway up, wobbled, hitched the pommel against her hip, then swung it over her shoulder.

Any fae in her way ducked or sidestepped her swing. Pru didn’t seem to notice. She seemed unaware she was drawing a crowd.

Her big, dark eyes were fixed only on Talisa, whose own eyes were trained on Pru in apparent horror.

“Not … you,” Talisa gurgled, but didn’t otherwise move. Perhaps she’d registered the thirst for revenge from her supposed subjects and opted for immediate death.

“Yes, Pru,” my friend said, letting the sword fall heavily upon Talisa’s neck with a sloppy thwack.

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