Page 49 of A Fate so Cruel

Rion paused on the threshold.

Twelve warriors stood within. Seven male, five female. All carried a small arsenal of weapons across their bodies. All were dressed in black.

Their heads snapped up and, as a unit, they drew their blades.

Fine, they weren’t waiting. Neither would he.

His magic snapped free and Rion dropped into a stance, but as his fingertips grazed the hilt of his sword, Selina’s voice cut through the tension. “That’s enough. He’s with us.”

They paused, gazes darting toward their leader. None relaxed and Rion saw the first bits of greenery sneaking up through the floorboards.

One snarled. Another snapped their teeth.

“I saidenough,” Selina’s voice echoed through the space. Not the soft voice he’d heard minutes ago. Not the singsong laugh that had him questioning whether she could truly be manipulative. This was the voice of a commander, and as Rion raised his head to look in her eyes, he saw it. A dangerous warrior. One who’d fought her way through the ranks and earned the respect of each Fae in this room.

They straightened one at a time. Two exchanged uneasy glances but put their weapons away. The others followed. Their magic remained visible, just slightly.

Rion let the dirt particles glide back to the floor, but he did nothing to clear it from the room. It was thirteen on one. Not that he hadn’t faced worse odds.

Selina stood at the head of the room, a small table separating her from Rion. She pulled a few pieces of folded parchment from within her tunic and tapped them on the side of her face, meeting each of her warrior’s gazes one at a time.

“Our upcoming assignment won’t be a fast one. Recent intel suggests the problem is escalating. Scouts have confirmed the issue is wider spread than the High Lord previously hoped. We are to obtain intel first, then eliminate the problem.”

“Eliminate what, exactly?” A male to her right asked. Rion looked him up and down. He stood closer than the others. Short brown hair hung just over dark eyes as if the male were due for a haircut. The male stared back at Rion. Glared really.

Rion smirked, showing his fangs and the male growled in response. He was of medium build, had a bit more muscle on his frame than Rion did, but one look at his stance told Rion he’d knock the male on his ass in seconds. Best team indeed.

Selina eyed the two. “I’m unable to provide further details until we’re in a secure location.”

“We’ve already secured it,” a slender female with a silken voice said from his right. Her hair was braided in five sections against her scalp, each connecting in the back to form a short ponytail. Rion studied her and the pair of females who stood just behind her. Sisters. Triplets. The females were almost identical save for the difference in hair styles.

Selina studied the female, then a smile broke across her face. “I should have known better than to doubt my best trackers.” The female stood straighter. Prouder. He had to remind himself that Selina was their commander.

Her face turned serious again. “There is a large, organized faction that is working to overthrow the High Lord.”

No one looked surprised. Alec, despite holding his position for eleven years, was still largely untested. Nàdair was a flourishing city and it would take a truly neglectful High Lord to mess that up. He had the council and elders to guide him.

But no one knew how he’d react if war suddenly showed up on his doorstep. Nor how he’d handle it if their neighboring countries turned against them.

And then there was Rion to consider and the fact that Alec hadn’t done away with The Demon like the gods commanded.

The male beside Selina shrugged. “That’s nothing new. We’ve dealt with plenty of rebels before, what makes this one different?”

“Their size,” she said simply. “The council has kept an eye on them for years, but they’ve begun to amass, and their tactics are . . . concerning.”

“The poison,” a female confirmed.

Selina nodded. “They’re openly executing those who refuse to join their cause.” She unfolded the parchment in her hands to reveal a map of Brónach with several circled cities and villages.

“With their recent bout of activities, we’ve narrowed down the location of their headquarters to seven possible areas. The problem is that once we infiltrate one, the others will know we’re on to them.” She met their gazes again. “With the recent uptick in violence, we can’t afford to let them go underground again. Our primary objective is locating their leaders and production warehouses.”

One of the sisters, this one with her head half shaved and the remaining hair braided across the side of her head, scoffed. “Find me a hostage and give me an hour with them. I’ll have them spilling every secret they know.”

A half smile from Selina. “I have no doubt, but unless we find someone in their inner circle, I’m afraid it’s a lost cause.We’ve already interrogated a number of their followers and no one appears to have any information on the individuals pulling the strings.” Her voice lowered. “They’ve been careful and have likely learned from the mistakes of those who came before them.”

“How long have they been organizing?” the final sister asked. This one had her hair braided back in a single strand that stretched to her waist.

Selina sighed. “Too long. They’ve recruited known criminals from past organizations as well. All are more than eager to assist.”

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