Page 5 of Shadows of Fate

“I suggest you kneel, James,” Micah said, his voice quiet beneath the hushed whispers of the gathered crowd.

I assumed James was the male in front of me. Truly, if I was going to rule, I should pay more attention. However, I was bored, and this was the most fun I was able to have anymore as ruler of the Court of Shadows.

James dropped to his knees, his dirty pants leaving dried mud on the floor beneath him. That would bother me normally, but again. I was bored and feeling somewhat emotionless, so I couldn’t come up with a reason to care about his blatant disrespect for my home.

“James.” He stared up at me, his brown eyes already watering. “Do you have any actual defense? A reason why you are known to have killed at least four females?”

Part of me didn’t want to have to kill him, but at the same time, why waste the prison space if he wasn’t going to change? If he didn’t care?

James looked beneath him where the mud he’d brought with him was smashed into my floor. “No, Your Majesty. I have no logical reason. I was just… I just wanted something new to do. You know? I’ve been around for over eight hundred years now, and I have nothing left to do.”

I scoffed. “That’s pathetic, James. You could have moved. Learned new hobbies that preferably didn’t involve murder. Write a damn book, paint, sing… dance. Anything other than what you’ve chosen,” I replied. And I meant it. I was bored—I didn’t go around killinginnocentpeople for the fun of it all. “I sentence you to the final death, James. Any final words?”

James shook his head as my shadows crept across the floor toward his legs to do what they did best. They slowly inched up his body until they slid around his throat and started to squeeze. I released more to creep into his eyes and ears, making their way to his heart. As he screamed, my shadows wrapped around his vital organs and tightened around them until they were nothing but dust.

As my magic receded from his carcass, it fell to the floor with a loud thud, scattering more dried mud from his unwashed clothes. He was gone. Eight hundred years of life, gone in an instant. All because he was bored and lazy.

What a job this was—ruling.

* * *

There was a woman in my lap, trying to entertain me at the request of Micah.

I knew he was trying to help mix things up for me, but this wasn’t working. The woman’s dark hair swayed as she giggled and rubbed herself against my crotch. I wasn’t sure what she was searching for exactly, but she wasn’t going to feel my length press against her. I wasn’t interested, nor was my cock.

“You can bite me if you want. I’m one of the on-tap girls,” she said with a breathy giggle. I cringed internally. Maybe I should just bite her and get it over with. Then I could go back to the manor and read a book. Maybe walk around the garden and trim back some of the wild roses that are growing ravenously right now. The ones I have begun refusing to allow the staff to touch.

“Do you have a preference on where?” I asked, trying not to sound as bored as I felt.

She giggled again. “The neck or inner thigh is my favorite, baby.”

Of course they were. “I prefer the wrist, is that okay?”

She pouted, her bottom lip sticking out. “Oh… I guess that’s fine if that’s what you prefer. Do you have a girl at home or something?”

A girl at home? What does that even mean? Micah snickered under his breath from across the table, and I looked over at him in confusion. He just shook his head and waved me on, as if sayingI’ll explain it later.

The woman stuck her wrist out to me, and I gently pulled it into my hands. Humans are so fragile, and I didn’t want to hurt her accidentally. I had to suppress my gag as the smell of perfume on her skin hit my nose. As gently as I could, I sank my fangs into her delicate pale skin. She gasped and let out a small moan. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes at her sounds as I pulled my fangs from her vein and sucked blood from her wrist.

She started trying to rub herself against my lap again, and I realized quickly I was over the entire experience. I licked the small holes, covering them with my saliva so they’d stop bleeding, and gave her a small smile that I hoped relayed my gratitude for her gift.

“Thank you. This has been fun.” I gently patted her hip, motioning for her to remove herself from my lap immediately.

I glanced over at Micah, making sure he got the point as I got up and walked toward the entrance.

“Thank you, ladies. I made sure to leave an extra tip when I paid at the bar,” Micah told both the women. I’d honestly forgotten he’d had someone next to him, I’d been so wrapped up in trying to escape.

I walked outside into the night and inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air I greatly needed. It was the first night of the full moon, and all I could think about was being home in the garden in the bright moonlight.

Micah walked out of the building and stopped next to me.

“Well, I guess that didn’t help.” He chuckled. “Also, she likes the neck and inner thigh because she wanted to have sex with you, you old bat.”

I shook my head. “Absolutely was not happening,” I muttered.

We started walking toward the manor.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Micah asked, his tone slightly concerned.

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