Page 7 of Fate and Flame
Icould have killed him. Maybe not, but I wanted to reach out, use my dark magic and force the disgusting life from Autus’ body. Unfortunately, he was more powerful than I was. It would have been the match to my pyre. So, I stood in that giant throne room, surrounded by a hundred rigid guards, as King Autus walked the marble steps to his dais, sat calmly upon his unjust throne and gestured to Eadas to deliver his twisted tale.
“We received word that Temir was seen among the rebels during the Volos attack.” Eadas paced between me and the king, painting his theatrical picture of my betrayal. How could he have known that? “We believe he was working with the rebels long before that, my gracious king. Today, he has successfully helped two of the rebellion leaders escape our dungeons. Days ago, we believe he kidnapped your concubine and we also have reason to believe he killed Thane and Oravan.”
“What reason do you have?” Autus answered, snapping his head toward me, though he addressed Eadas only.
“Although you received what you needed from Oravan, Temir could not have known that. He could have been trying to thwart your plans. And he was never a fan of Thane. We all know that. He may have even killed Gaea. At this point, there’s no reason to count him out of anything.”
I clenched my jaw as fury burrowed within me so deep my bones rattled. “I didn’t touch her.”
“Of all the accusations, and there are many, this is the only one you protest,lesser?” The king spat the last word like it was a weapon meant to slice my throat.
I pursed my lips shut and said nothing, infuriating him further. I didn’t care. They could kill me. Should kill me. Put me out of my own lifelong misery handcrafted by a callous king, his loathsome court, and vile council. I held my head high and stared right back into the king’s dark, cold eyes, knowing it was the only weapon I had against him. He thrived off fear and cowardice and I would feed that monster no longer.
“Beat him,” the king ordered as his lips curled into a wrathful smile. He slumped back in the comfort of his throne as the soldiers moved in.
I stood tall while fist after fist flew through the air, making perfect contact. They were relentless, yanking me by the stubs of my horns. Eventually broken, I fell to the floor. They took turns kicking me, breaking bones I refused to heal, as blood poured from my body until I became lethargic. I closed my eyes and imagined the curly red hair of my abandoned mate. I reached for her through the bond for an ounce of comfort in a desperate moment, but there was nothing to satiate me. Only eternal silence.
That stillness carried me away as I lost consciousness and woke to find my hands and feet wrapped in chains, lying in the cold, damp dungeons I had just helped two fae escape from. I coughed and a surge of pain tore through my abdomen. Still, I would not heal myself. I would rather die in the dungeons than be used as a weapon for the king.
Eadas’ damning words haunted me. They knew I was in Volos. All of the king’s soldiers were killed that day. Which meant one thing. There was either a traitor amongst the northern rebels or amongst the southern prince and his crew that fought with us. I likely wouldn’t live to learn the truth, but I did worry for Rook and the rebels. My mistakes were not theirs and somehow I hoped they lived to watch the king die. That was the only hope I had left in the world.
I laid my head back on the cold stone floor and listened to the constant dripping of stale water from the seeping walls. In the dark room, it was nearly impossible to see anything beyond the solid metal bars of my decrepit prison.
I knew only one truth: I was alone. I coughed again and watched as blood spattered the floor. I had six days, maybe seven, until the wounds would fester into something life-threatening. Perhaps the king would have me killed before then.I doubted it. I was the key to his immortality. If he learned of the barrier ring on my finger, he would have it removed, and I would forever be a mindless puppet. He’d always refrained from using his enchantment, believing he could force his kingdom, the world, into blind submission. I had only to lay in wait until he called me.
I woke again to the angry shrill of the rusted hinges as my prison bars swung open. A copper-bearded guard spat on me and dropped a metal tray to the floor. The small bit of colorless food splattered everywhere. The guard took the brass cup he carried and kneeled, drinking every last drop of water before slamming it across my face, sending me right back to the comfort of mind-numbing oblivion.
“Wake, lesser,” a familiar voice grated out some time later.
I peeled my eyes open to see Eadas standing just outside the bars of my dank cell.
He pulled out a knife and dragged it across each rail as he watched me. The crooked smile never left his monstrous face. He nodded to the guard who opened the door and strode in like he was the king himself. “Stand him up.”
“I don’t want to fucking touch him,” the guard retorted, twisting his face in disgust.
Eadas slammed his fist into the guard’s face, and I smirked as the guard moved to lift me from the ground.
I offered no help, letting the rusted chain’s additional weight drag along the damp floor.
“Tell me how you resist the king’s enchantment.” Eadas’ smile faded into pure hatred.
I didn’t answer. Didn’t even look at him. He planted a knee into my gut, and the sharp end of a broken rib pierced a lung. The shock of the breath forced from me caused me to cough and Eadas to laugh. He had no idea what he had just done. Taking additional time off my already shortened life.
“Answer.” He lifted my bruised chin with the tip of his blade.
I stared back into his beady little eyes and dared him to kill me. My silence ignited a fury within him, and he slammed the knife into my shoulder.
I winced at the searing pain. That single motion had given him just what his twisted mind had begged me for. A semblance of control. He was mistaken though. He would never control me. I was ready to die. There was not a single thing in this world worth living for.
He yanked the knife out.
Warm blood dripped down my broken arm. I pulled only slightly at the chains around my wrists, forcing myself to stay conscious.
“Answer, Temir, or I swear when I find Gaea—and I will—I’ll break her bone by fucking bone until she screams, begging me to kill her.”
“I already killed her.”
“You lie,” he screamed, slamming the knife into my other arm.
