Page 101 of Oaths & Vengeance
Ten feet separated us, which wasn’t nearly enough. The last time we fought two years ago, it ended in a draw that left us both broken and bleeding. While I could move objects with my mind, he could do the same with shadows. We’d faced off in the remote forest of Jolloure Island, or else it would have been catastrophic for a nearby population. Did he mean to curtail my ability to strike back by confronting me in Zadrya’s capital, where the fae inhabitants were densest?
He smiled, flashing perfect white teeth. “How I’ve missed you these last two years. I saw our mother, you know. She was kind enough to host me, and we had a lovely time. Perhaps you could do the same?”
My wife shot an alarmed look at me. “He’s Unseelie…and your brother?”
“Yes, though I prefer not to claim him.” It was a complicated story that no one in my family enjoyed discussing, and even I had only pieced together bits and pieces, most of which came from Vas. Who knew how much of his word could be trusted?
She glanced at the imposing dark elf who emanated danger like a volcano ready to blow. “I can see that. Was this the one your mother…”
I shot her a look, and she immediately stopped her question. The less we said aloud, the better. I didn’t want any Unseelie to realize that Aella was close enough to me that she’d met Zareen.
My brother’s silver eyes flashed in the early evening light. “Eight years before Darrow was born, our mother married my father in Faelaria. Ten months later, she gave birth to me and left after I turned two to return to Paxia. I suppose our home world didn’t agree with her.”
“You made it disagreeable to all Seelie,” I said tersely.
It was why we’d had to flee the planet. The fae used to all be one community, but an event long ago divided us. Each individual, regardless of race, had to choose their side and way of life. Elves, gnomes, pixies, and all the rest split down the middle, depending on their preferences.
We didn’t interbreed for a long time, so offspring for more than a hundred thousand years were born with the distinctive characteristics of one group or the other. While the Seelie court drew upon their natural environment to harness their magic, the Unseelie court drew upon pain, violence, and other distasteful methods. Without a source for those, they weakened. Other small details allowed us to visually distinguish ourselves from each other, such as the Unseelie being much paler.
My brother shrugged. “It is not so bad, but descending from both courts makes it easier for me to tolerate either location.”
What he really meant was that his father’s side of the family couldn’t handle direct sunlight without it burning their skin. They were fine in theshade or on cloudy days, but they detested how bright our world had been before, so they’d made changes with powerful magic.
Afterward, only the middle third of the planet ever saw the sun, while the rest remained in perpetual darkness due to thick cloud cover. They only allowed that much land to have natural light because most food-producing plants couldn’t survive without it. Human slaves worked in that section. Where they’d found the magicless people, I didn’t know. It was one of their many secrets.
“I’ve yet to see you when the sun is high,” I pointed out. Many times, I’d fantasized about chaining him to the ground at noon to see how he handled it. Would his skin turn bright red, then begin peeling and flaking? That would be a lovely sight.
Vas gave me an amused look. “It is uncomfortable, but I do not burn as easily as my brethren. I’m certain you’re sorry to hear that.”
“You have no idea,” I replied drolly.
Throughout the conversation, Aella kept glancing between us but wisely kept quiet. Perhaps she sensed the danger we were in with my brother here. I kept a tight leash on my power because I preferred my enemies to underestimate me, but Vas enjoyed intimidating people. His magic flowed in thick waves out of him, much of it swirling shadows, causing passersby to give him a wide berth.
“Who is this woman with you?” he asked, staring curiously at Aella.
I cursed my need to maintain a protective posture over her. “A friend.”
He took a few steps forward, nostrils flaring. Unseelie had especially heightened senses. “Hmm, your scent on her is faint. Not a lover?”
The interest growing in his eyes made me wary. Two decades ago, when I first met him, he stole a lover. He took great joy in describing how much she preferred him. I’d never found out what happened to her, but she wasn’t on this planet anymore. I’d felt responsible and tried to locate her to no avail.
Aella lifted her chin. “You might be pretty, but I wouldn’t touch you with a garden snake.”
Vas laughed. “It seems you’ll have your hands full with this one—whoever she is with all that glamour covering her.”
Of course, he could easily notice that. Any highborn fae would sense it.
“I’m not offering my hospitality, brother, so is there something else you want?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I only wanted to see how my little brother was faring since we last saw each other. It seems you stay busy as usual.”
“Yes,” I agreed.
He looked between Aella and me with a discerning gaze. “Well, I do have other matters to attend, so I will leave you for now.”
Vas stepped back into the alley and disappeared into the shadows.
“He’s a little creepy,” Aella said, then looked at me. “Can you defeat him?”
