Page 50 of A Bond in Blood

“Sigrun, why would Oberon call for your deal to be called? What was your deal?” I asked, dropping beside her.

The fae woman shook her head, tears lining her eyes.

“I cannot, princess. I cannot,” she sobbed.

“Look, the woman can’t even admit to her crimes,” Ulrich laughed.

I jumped to my feet, pointing at him. “Do you know?” I demanded.

“Of course I know,” he replied.

“Why would Oberon require this of you?” I asked. My hand landed on Sigrun’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“Sigrunfailed in the duties the Seelie King assigned her to. When he’d found out her deal with me, to become one of thosepersonal members of Titania’s court, he was enraged.”

“But you don’t bow to the Seelie King,” I countered, digging through the miniscule information I knew about their relationship and dynamic.

Olen snarled beside me. Ulrich gripped the neck of my gown, pulling me toward his face and dropping his voice. “I’m bound by duty and Fate, Brenna. Oberon unfortunately falls into that binding.”

He dropped me and I fell back. Olen’s body caught me, keeping me from falling against the hard cobbled street.

“Keep quiet,” he snarled.

I moved to reach for the king, but Olen’s mouth grabbed my cloak, yanking me backward.

“Stop!” I cried out.

“Brenna, just watch,” Olen muttered.

Ulrich circled Sigrun, his eyes flashing with those brief wisps of black I’d seen before.

“Care to be truthful yet?”

Sigrun was silent for a moment then her head threw back and I screamed as her skin cracked across her face. In an instant, the beautiful woman that had been begging on her knees was shifting before my eyes. Her tanned skin now turning a decayed grey and her dark hair cascading to pure white locks down her back.

“Ulrich,” she sneered, her voice now high and bone chilling. She stood, nearly meeting his height. Her fingers, now long and pointed, stroked his cheek.

“Oberon was angry,” she snarled. “So, so, angry.”

Her finger ran down Ulrich’s bare chest and I wondered if he would allow her to continue her descent when his hand grabbed her wrist.

The creature let out a hiss. “So angry.”

“You failed,” he replied.

“Yes, myKing.” Her eyes met mine and she grinned. Her black teeth peeked through her thin lips and her grey tongue lapped while she held my gaze.

“You’ve got such a pretty princess here, my King. Tell me,whendid you collect her from that quaint island her family rules?”

Olen let out a low growl, chilling my blood instantly. The cold that embodied him when he was in his beast form filtered over me.

Ulrich smiled at the woman.

“Do you know what she is, Brenna?”

I startled, not expecting him to address me.

“Well?” he asked, his forehead wrinkling with the brows I couldn’t see raised under his death mask.

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