Page 1 of Forgotten Monsters
BROKEN PRINCE
“By Queen Mab, I’ve never seen a tear this big,” Elk hisses into the darkness.
Warm lights from the tents at our backs flicker in the night, and clouds gather above our heads, the sky streaked with burgundy strips of sunrise. The battlefield is barren, though not for long. On the other side of the plain, the biggest Unseelie portal I’ve even seen stretches like a crack in the foundations of the realm.
Paul raises his obscurion, blue-tinged shadows dancing upon the majestic blade. “The bigger the tear, the brighter the glory.”
I remain silent in the midst of the generals, and my hand twitches over the hilt of my sword. Glory’s overrated.
Elk gives me a curt nod. “Ready to die at your command, my prince.”
“Try to fight first,” I grumble.
His dramatic outburst grates my temper, but he’s right. There’s never been a tear this big. The King joined us last night for a border inspection. A boost of morale.
This surprise attack means they’ve learned of his arrival, and they’re gunning for him. Unseelie pour out of the rift, a storm of talons, claws, and fangs—and far too many of them. Death wrapped in abomination.
My muscles coil with a sizzle of doom. “They’re here to kill the King. Go. Protect him at all costs.”
The two soldiers inch closer to me, one of them on each side.
“We’re here to protect you, my prince,” Paul answers zealously.
I’m half-dead already; they don’t understand the stakes. “The King matters more.”
Shaking their heads, my men stand by my side.
A low growl simmers at the back of my throat. This conversation costs us precious time. “If we survive this, I’ll have your heads for insubordination.”
Elk grins at my promise. “You are the future of the Seelie Court. The King said so himself.”
Infernal magic spreads over my blade and colors it a beautiful, bittersweet shade of purple. If this is my last battle, I’ll use every ounce of her magic and perish with her taste in my mouth.
The first wave of Unseelie swarms around us. They know by now that I’m the biggest threat on the battlefield, all because my late wife left me a seed of infernal magic. It’s not half of what she was capable of, but it’s enough to make them fear me. My trusted blade sinks into my enemies.
A head rolls at my feet.
Blood splashes my cheeks.
Claws dig into my flesh, but I shrug them off and use the pain to focus, building spikes of magic around me and my men, each of them aimed at the Unseelie’s hearts.
I fight one monster after another until my thoughts become still and quiet. The clarity I get in battle is unparalleled.
I’ve known love.
Played with it and used it recklessly. Pushed and pulled at it to see if it would break.
I haven’t been taught to handle things with care. Objects, animals, and people existed to serve me. My family ruled the world. I was meant to make my mark on history and live a fearless life.
Immortality makes you jaded and dauntless, but I knew who I was and what I wanted.
I lost it all when I lost Jules.
Since the wretched day Trent Darkwood delivered her body on my doorstep, I’ve dreamt of nothing else. I have no need for friends and family, only violence. Vengeance. War spread like wildfire through the realm, so there are enough Unseelie in my kingdom for me to fight until my last breath. Battlefields offer no time for regrets. Swords speak a straight-forward language, and bloodshed soothes broken hearts.
Not everyone deserves a second chance.
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