Page 16 of Consort

“Well done,” she replies. “But… that’s not enough to turn heat magic into battle magic. There’s more.”

I clamp my jaw shut, afraid the elf’s involvement will slip out. Fae have a tendency to speak the truth without realizing it. The elf gave me his name, a sign of trust, and I will not betray it. But the queen’s keen perception actually protects the elf from my loose fae lips because she notices something I never did.

“What magic does your mother wield?” she asks slowly.

My mother…All this time, I thought I had done the impossible, enhancing my magic in a way no fae has ever managed before. But now I see that I was simply tapping into an ability given to me at birth.

“My mother has the gift of flourishing magic,” I tell her, dizzy from the revelation. “She has the ability to make plants and herbs grow and thrive. It seems… I may have inherited some ofher magic as well.”

The queen hums as if the information is only mildly interesting, but her eyes are sharp, seeing nothing in the room they’re in. Her mind is somewhere else completely, and it unnerves the fuck out of me.

“Of all the flourishing fae who have existed, none have produced a spawn with blended magic such as yours,” she says, her icy gaze piercing straight through me. “You’re unique, Durin. Destined for power. Your place has always been in my court.”

She’s just declared me nobility and thereby claimed my power for herself. She’s letting me live so she can use me. The smile she wears is wicked and hungry. Her joy sickens me, but this is the best outcome I could ask for. I only hope I can do some good before she realizes she shouldn’t have let me anywhere near my intendedplace.

“Handler, bring me a hybrid,” she barks, shaking my resolve as she continues to stare greedily at me.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he says, working quickly to unchain one of the horrifying creatures from the rest of the group.

The mixed fae remains somewhat calm for the handler, but as it draws closer, it lunges at me and lets out a chilling scream. Saliva drips down its fangs as it snaps and claws at the air, trying desperately to reach me. I’m grateful it’s restrained, but I dread where I think the queen is heading with this.

“Show me your magic,” she commands, confirming my fears. “Kill it.”

I freeze. I don’t want to take its life. Despite its aggression toward me, it’s innocent as far as I know. I have to remind myself that it likely isn’t. It could have killed countless fae of all species on its path to becoming the queen’s guardian pet. Once a mixed fae shifter is lost to the bloodlust, they never return. Killing it would be avenging the fallen and protecting more in the future.

Still, killing someone just to prove my strength feels vile. Ican’t say I’m upset when I feel the empath’s magic manipulate my emotions again. Killing it no longer seems cruel but merciful. I’m not a killer, I’m a guardian. Ending this creature’s life is the right thing to do. I’ll be its savior.

My conscience is still there, lingering in the edge of my mind. But I’ll allow the fae to drive me to do what needs to be done.

A familiar touch on my shoulder reminds me that Farris is with me. He’s still out of sight, but his hands are the same. His support and the false approval the empath has given me are the only reasons I can go through with this.

I close my eyes and let the heat build in my hands. The hotter they get, the brighter they glow, tinting the mixed fae’s sharp fangs a bright blue. I’d rather snap its neck and put it out of its misery, but the queen wants to see my magic. I grab its wrists instead and unleash a wave of power that will leave no doubt in the queen’s mind of my abilities.

The fae’s skin sizzles as it burns away from my touch, causing it to shriek in pain. It stiffens and jerks as the heat shoots up its arms.

I hate hurting it, and I can’t bear to watch my own magic make it suffer much longer. Efficiency is powerful and hopefully respectable to the queen. I’ll need to end the fae’s suffering soon if I want to hold onto my own soul.

With a final surge of power, I send a wave of scorching heat straight to its heart. It pierces through the muscle, stopping its beating and instantly ending the fae’s life.

It collapses at my feet, its chains clattering onto the floor like spilled water. I step back, distancing myself from what I’ve done. But I can’t help but look at the fae’s face. It appears relaxed now, a beauty shining through that wasn’t there in its raving state. I hate what I had to do, but seeing it at peace, free from its bloodlust, is a small mercy for me.

I turn back to the queen, swallowing my guilt to appearconfident. She’s pleased, grinning and clasping her hands to her chest. Now comes the part where she sends me off to do her bidding. I’m ready for that. I just need to find a place to release all the pent-up feelings I’ve had to hold inside.

“Well done. You’ll make a fine noble,” she says. “But… I have an additional role in mind for you.”

I have no idea what she could mean, so I just stare at her dumbly. Royal matters are so far outside of my normal affairs. She could be referring to anything. But I can’t imagine anything worse than becoming a heartless weapon for her royal court. Whatever it is, I wish she’d get on with it. I need to get away from here.

“You’re stunning without glamour,” she says, letting her eyes wander over my face. “You’re powerful by birth and by will. I’ve always taken fae with beauty but never with beautyandpower.”

“Your Majesty,” the green-haired fae says as he steps toward us. “I caution you to rethink. It could be a risk to have a powerful—”

“Silence, Folas!” the queen yells. Her anger swells and sends a wave of her magic through the room, causing everyone to stumble. “You think I can’t handle one of my own nobles?”

“Apologies, my queen,” he says, backing away to stand against the wall he came from.

I wish she’d let him finish his warning. If I could be a risk to her, I need to know why, and I’m all in for this special role.

That is until she says the words I never would have expected in my darkest nightmares.

---