Page 10 of Beyond the Winter Kingdom
The fireplace crackled. A loud pop rent the air, sending embers flying.
Lucian startled at the sound, his already pale complexion turning ghostly. A slight smirk pulled at my lips as Drayden walked through the flames and into the tavern.
Eyes like burning coals surveyed the room, his impassive face gave nothing away.
“Drayden.”
“Vareck,” he responded in an apathetic tone. “You sent the cat?”
I snorted, thrusting my chin toward Lou. “I need you to pyroport that one back to the castle.”
Drayden arched a dark brow. “If you needed an errand boy, you should have called—” He paused when his gaze settled on the leprechaun. The twitch of his lips indicated his feelings on the matter had shifted. “Well, if it isn’t Lucian Devlin.”
“Oh, he knows your full name? That’s serious. Is there anyone you don’t know?” Meera asked, eyeing the leprechaun. “Genuine question.”
“Know is a bit of a stretch,” Lou started.
“I do believe I promised to kill you if we ever crossed paths again.”
“Ah,” she hummed. “That makes more sense.”
“You’re really not helping here, lass.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” Meera assessed Drayden, then asked, “Out of curiosity, what did he do to piss you off?”
Drayden tilted his head casually, but the movement was stiff. I had handed him easy prey in the form of Meera’s broker, and the predator wanted nothing more than to attack. “Yes, Lucian, do tell us what you did.” The mocking tone sounded almost playful, but I knew better.
“I didn’t do anything,” Lou insisted.
Meera snorted. “Unlikely,” she muttered under her breath, earning a glare from the leprechaun before he turned back to Drayden.
“I told you that then, and I’ll say it again now. You have no proof?—”
“Which is the only reason you’re still breathing. I can rectify that.”
“Enough,” I commanded, shutting down the oncoming bloodbath that was sure to happen at any moment if I let it. “Drayden, I need you to put him in the dungeon.Alive.” I emphasized my point, punctuating the last word to make myself clear.
A cold chill nipped at the air. Drayden didn’t like my restriction, but I wouldn’t budge. We needed him alive for the time being.
People often thought my presence was hard to be around.
As a dark fae and fury, I possessed the abilities of both. Add the burden of a royal crown, and the trifecta left many fae uncomfortable in my vicinity.
Drayden was another beast entirely.
Not even I knew what he truly was. I didn’t ask, and part of me didn’t want to know. Power rolled off him like an oncoming storm. There was an air about him that was distinctly different.Other.Even before my sister’s death, Drayden was quiet—until he wasn’t. Now, whatever darkness existed in him before had completely taken over. He was a living, breathing shadow of a man. Once a legend, now the stuff of nightmares.
If not for who he was to Maeve, I would have feared him to be my enemy. After all, he was going to be king. Everything about his future changed the day my sister was killed. Alas, while he wasn’t easy to read, Drayden had proved his loyalty. I was his king now, but Maeve had been his everything. She was the only one he would have left my side for. I appreciated him, though I wasn’t sure he had the capacity to care. When she died, he was left hollow. Empty. There was a time when he’d asked me to put him out of his misery but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, even if it would have been a mercy.
“Now wait a minute,” Lucian began. The set of his jaw betrayed the first real trace of fear that he’d shown today. “I haven’t done anything or broken any laws. You have no right to imprison me.”
Meera laughed heartily. The sound called to something inside me and sent goosebumps over my skin.
“Apparently, Meera disagrees,” I said, suppressing the sudden desire to wrap my arms around her and pull her close.
“Oh for fuck’s sake. She’s biased?—”
“You’re dangerous. A criminal,” Darroch interjected.
