Page 56 of Shadows of Fate

I’d had a thrilling evening with Silvana. We chased each other through the Forest of Feronia, and she let me fuck her right there on the forest floor. The way it should have gone the first time—we had a do-over. It was everything I could’ve wished for.

Letting out a breath, I looked around, realizing I was back in the vast room with the domed ceiling. Only now, there were people filling in around me. The first one was a tall bulky male with pale freckled skin, carrying what looked like a throne. It wasn’t a massive chair, but it was gold with curved armrests and a high-back with the same details. He set it down next to the ostentatious replica ice statue taking up way too much room, in a room that was already too large. Everything about this place set me on edge.

Deciding I clearly wasn’t going anywhere, I plopped down in one of the chaise lounges. Might as well be comfortable if I was going to be forced to watch this male lord over everyone in his presence. I tried to remind myself this was just a sick torture my subconscious had conjured up, for Fates only knew what reason. It wasn’t real. And I tried to push that thought even harder into my head when my stunning ice queen followed a few more females into the room.

She looked different again. Her hair was longer than before, and her eyes held more fire than the last version of her I’d made up. She was still wearing a sheer gold gown like she had before, only this one had thin gold straps that dropped down into long billowing sleeves again, leaving her shoulders bare. Gold bangles decorated her wrists, and she wore a thin gold chain around the crown of her head. Almost as if it was a tiara, but not quite. Her hair was in soft curls down around her shoulders, her hands clasped in front of her as she walked into the room with the same three females as before. Her knuckles were white as she clenched her hands together tightly, and I just wanted to walk over and take her hand in mine, so she’d breathe freely again.

This made-up version of my female was making my chest hurt in a way it hadn’t since my sister had been alive.

The room slowly filled out and the male I wasn’t looking forward to seeing came in last, his stride was fast and sure as he walked through the kneeling people around the room and took a seat on his throne.

He took a moment to look around the room, no one meeting his gaze as they all stared at the golden floor. I genuinely felt as if my subconscious and I needed to have a talk about the dreams it was pushing on to me. Maybe I’d just stop sleeping as much—I could go a few days without rest just fine.

He cleared his throat suddenly, and I noticed Silvana jump in her skin a bit. I knew she was on edge; I just wasn’t sure why.

“Silvie, darling. Please come here,” he said, his voice lacking any sort of emotion.

She slowly rose to her feet, her hands still clasped in front of her, gazing toward the ground. My stunning female made her way up to the throne where he was seated and stopped just shy of being able to reach out and touch him.

“Turn and face the crowd, my little dove, and then kneel.” She followed his direction. “I have an announcement to make. Seeing as my current… selection has failed to produce me an heir, I’ll be moving on to more options. Those of you interested in serving your court in such a way, please rise.”

My stomach sank as I watched every female in the room rise to their feet, including Silvana’s sister. Although Cora didn’t look nearly as pleased as the females surrounding her. She too had that dead look in her eyes that Silvana once had. My queen didn’t move a muscle as all the females around her made small noises of excitement.

He looked pleased as he nodded his head, a condescending smile gracing his face. “Silvie?”

“Yes, Master,” she whispered, still not moving.

“You are dismissed back to my chambers, dear. I’ll see you later,” he said plainly.

She nodded her head and rose from the floor, walking back to the hallway I’d been down before. I jumped to my feet and started following her out of the room. She entered his chambers, shutting the door behind her. Walking across the room, she knelt on a pillow beside one of the far windows. The dead look back in her eyes as she stared out over the mountains, a small tear fell down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

We both stayed like that for what felt like ages.

Her staring out the window; me watching her. Listening to the moans and grunts down the hall. She never broke posture, though. Never said anything, and not a single tear more fell from her eyes.

Chapter29

A Vigilante

Silvana

“You look confused, Silvana,” Bastian said, stating the obvious. He was correct, though. I was very confused. Baffled. Befuddled. You name the word of your choice for confusion and I was feeling it.

“Well,” I started. Chewing on my bottom lip, nerves starting to rise in my chest. “I’ve been here before, that’s all.”

Suddenly everyone was staring at me. “What do you mean?” Raiden asked. He’d been off ever since we woke up this evening. His shadows had been restless, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

“Exactly what I said, I’ve been here before.” I shrugged, hoping it meant nothing.

“Wait, was this where the job was in Coalfell?” Cedar asked.

I slowly nodded my head, staring ahead at the small shack of a house where I’d killed Elias. It felt like another lifetime ago, if I was being honest with myself. Bastian, Raiden, and I had met Cedar here as soon as the sun set. The location Cedar had sent wasn’t far away, and the entire time it’d taken to arrive, all I could think was ‘Oh joy, I’m back in Coalfell.’

I peeked a glance over toward Bastian and Raiden, and I knew they were just waiting for me to explain. Bastian I could avoid, Raiden I could not.

“Start talking, darling,”I heard whispered into my mind.

Letting out a breath, I turned toward the males. Cedar came to stand next to me. I crossed my arms against my chest, as if explaining to the court ruler and his top commander that I was a vigilante in my spare time was any other day.

---