Page 26 of Fate and Flame
“That’s what I would do,” I accidentally said out loud. “I meta fae conspiring with Autus to work against Morwena in the Marsh Court.”
She shuffled the reins in her hands. “Even if he and Morwena join forces, which they don’t need to be married to do, they still might not have enough to take out Coro.”
“Agreed, if we can rely on the Sea Court’s fighting numbers, but really I don’t think anyone has a clue what she’s hoarding down there,” Greeve said, finally breaking his silence.
“Autus is calculated though. I think he plans for something worse,” Gaea said.
“So, which is it? He’s taking the kingdoms one by one or something worse?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. He’s got it in his head that he is the rightful king of Alewyn. His ancient family ties are deeply rooted. I think the northern rebels are trying to figure out exactly what his plan is, but so far, they haven’t. He had his magic welders sitting in on the council meetings, but he mostly spent that time going on and on about how much everyone around him hates him. Which was true, I guess.”
“You sat in on his council meetings?” I kept the surprise minimal.
“Yes, but nothing war-related. It started after the Red Beach massacre. I can tell you his council is quite a bit smaller than it used to be. And a rebellion spy is sitting in on those meetings also. His name is Temir. I believe you all met him outside of Volos.”
“We did,” Fen answered. “The stag.”
“You should check with the rebels to see if they have any news. He’s reporting to them as often as he can.”
Fen looked at Greeve and he nodded.
We’ll check in with our rebel contact tomorrow.
Do you trust her?
She hasn’t given me a reason not to.
Famous last words.
Chapter Six
Temir
King Autus always took his time. I laid on my side and kept my eyes shut, wishing Nadra didn’t have to see me like this. It was so much easier in the dark dungeon. My voice had been strong, even though I’d been physically weak. I had healed all of the internal wounds and some of the flesh wounds, but the smell alone was putrid. She would never love me after seeing me like this. I wasn’t sure I could love myself.
I didn’t want to die anymore, but I didn’t want the king to know that either. I searched for a balance, but it wouldn’t take much to see that I wasn’t covered in festering wounds down my chest and back. Especially here, in the light.
A deep breath shuddered through me and I listened to the thundering silence suffocating the room. It seemed strange to miss that water drop from the dungeon. I searched for peace that wouldn’t come. The only one I had left in the entire world was about to watch my death, and there was nothing I could do to save her from it. She wouldn’t save herself. The bond between us thrummed with our coalescing emotions and I held tight to that. When I died. I wouldn’t go alone. She would never know what that meant to me.
The door swung open and two female high fae entered, their arms full of supplies, followed by four soldiers who stood rigid at the door. The females set their things down on the table. The brunette tentatively crossed the floor to me and unlocked the chain around my feet. She left my hands bound. Two soldiers came and lifted me. Finally, able to spread my feet, I stood on my own for the first time.
The blood rushed through my legs and I wobbled, using atrophied muscles. A guard held a hand on my shoulder until I could steady myself. I refused to look in anyone’s eyes as the blonde removed the shredded clothing, just ripping it from my body. I closed my eyes as I stood bare in the room before six strangers and my mate. I felt the fear from her end, but I did not want her to feel the complete humiliation from my own, so I tried to picture only her face as they continued.I hadn’t actually seen her in so long.
I considered the dark magic within me. This might have been our only window of escape, but I’d never be able to kill all six of them, especially bound. Still, I imagined myself doing it over and over again until ice-cold water poured over my head, forcing a gasp from me. Two of the guards chuckled, but again, I couldn’t look at them. The blonde-haired female soaped and scrubbed my naked body, pressing so hard I thought the coarse bristles would shred my skin. I was lathered and rinsed multiple times, until every crevice had been cleaned. I let myself become completely numb, submissive even, to the complete degradation of my circumstance.
The king wanted this. To humiliate me in a way that would show me just how little I mattered compared to the rest of the world. The group gathered their things and left me silently standing clean and bare. My erratic emotions strangled me. I could hardly breathe. Hardly move as I thought about Nadra watching my debasement.
“You are strong and perfectly made,” she whispered, standing directly before me.
I couldn’t hold back the tear that rolled down my face as I stared forward and held my breath. Another followed and then another as I was forced to suck in small, short breaths to stop myself. He had won before he even entered the room, and as much as I already hated him, somehow, I’d found a way to hate him even more.I gulped. “Hide below the table, Nadra. The king will see through your mother’s magic.”
There was only a moment’s pause before the door slammed open and the king walked in alone. He beamed, so proud of himself as he saw my tears and raw emotion. Terror slammed into me from the bond. The king’s eyes dropped to examine my naked body, and somehow, I felt even more exposed than I already was. Still, he gave no indication he knew Nadra was there. Small victories.
“No one in the castle can do a single fucking thing right.” He marched up to me, lifted my hands and yanked Oravan’s ring from my finger. He examined it closely as the panic Nadra had sent became my own.
“So, this is where Oravan disappeared to. He wasn’t murdered as Eadas had suspected, but he’s hiding with the rebels. Some of whom don’t have your iron will. You got that from Oleonis, I believe. That’s why he is no longer with us, but you suspected that, didn’t you?” He paused, grinning like a child, as he waited for the bated reaction he didn’t get. “I had him killed. He was keeping secrets, and maybe I’ll never know what they were, but you will not escape this life so easily. It’s amazing how loud a lesser will sing when you remove a wing. Pity he didn’t know many of their secrets. But you do, don’t you?”He circled me, continuing his examinations.
I tried to keep my head high but felt it slowly sinking as I realized the king would not be killing me; instead, his confession of Oleonis’ murder accompanied his promise. I would become his immortality forever.
