Page 6 of The Light Falls
Lord Faris, who first spoke out against Rivan, is the last to leave. And the zealous glint in his eyes tells me he’s not done tormenting my friend.
Once we’re alone, I swivel around to apologize to Rivan, but he’s already slipping out of the room. “Damn it.”
Solandis leans down to murmur in my ear. “I know he helped capture Nyssa, but I didn’t know you were friends. We need to talk about his past and the reason he’s here.” A weary sigh escapes her lips. “There is so much to learn. Not just about the Fire Fae Rebellion, but, well… everything. It’s going to take time. But I will tell you Rivan’s story tomorrow. In the meantime, stay away from him.” Her hand goes up when I immediately start to protest. “You need all the facts first.”
I slowly nod in agreement.
She flashes me a wry smile. “There are only a few more council members to meet.” With those words, she drags me across the room to introduce another Fae.
Pretending to listen to their conversation, I paste the requisite smile on my face. Inside, my thoughts are swirling. How can Rivan be a sworn enemy of the light Fae?
CHAPTERTHREE
CORMAL
Captivating. Fierce.
Hidden on the balcony, I can stare without her knowing. She stirs the blood in me like no other. An addiction so strong it takes everything I have in me to treat her with the detached coolness I decided upon so long ago. Seeing her become queen is exciting but watching her grow into the power she was always meant to have will be exhilarating.
No stranger to pain, the control she portrays during the coronation immediately impresses the crowd. Not that the arrogant pricks would ever show such emotion, but the Fae respect strength in all its forms, and her ability to handle the power coursing through her beautiful body without a whimper was the purest sign of the steel inside her.
Meri is one of the strongest people I know, a true survivor. If only she believed it, too. The verbal abuse that bitch of a sorceress rained down on her all her life warped her foundations. But Meri is growing. She might not see it, but I do. It’s more apparent after she spends time with Solandis or Arden, their innate confidence a boost to her own. Only when she is by herself do her crippling insecurities and doubts weigh her down.
Her turquoise eyes meet mine in surprise.
I bow deeply to show my respect for her new position.
She looks around to see if anyone is paying attention to me. When her gaze returns, I deliberately wink.
“I heard Solandis was worried she would bolt, but Meri marched in here like she was already wearing the crown,” Vargas remarks with a questioning glance in my direction. Flicking his gaze back to Meri, he glows with pride when she stands to address her people.
Vargas stands beside me, looking every inch the Fae he portrays. It’s not an illusion. When Vargas was searching the dead for a body, he came upon Kaius and took his body as his own. Both Fae and demon, and “damn good looking,” he told me Kaius fit the criteria. Given that Solandis was staying with Meri in the Light Fae Kingdom, he thought looking like a Fae would allow him to follow her without detection.
It wasn’t until later that he realized Kaius was also a powerful chameleon, meaning he had the ability to temporarily change his appearance and DNA to other races. Now Vargas has the power to transform, although he’s only used this Fae appearance and his old demon one.
I shrug lazily. “My presence is enough to spark a fire in her, and I was happy to be of assistance.” An image of her turquoise eyes dancing with fury and desire makes me my body twitch in response. The passionate combination drives me crazy. “I’m assuming Solandis didn’t recognize the new you?”
A soft smile plays on Vargas’ lips. “She paused when I arrived to escort her earlier.” One shoulder lifts negligently, but I can see how much the slight gesture meant to him. “Her senses are pretty honed. She doesn’t know yet, or I’d be catching hell, but it won’t take her too long.” Anticipation coats his voice.
My lips compress, but I don’t dare smile. “Did you find a team you can trust?”
Vargas watches Solandis loop her arm through Meri’s. “Surprisingly, the royal guards swear their fealty to the crown, not the ruler. I don’t agree with the premise, but for now, it works in our favor. Meri wears the crown, so they will protect her and her family with their lives, which includes Solandis. I’ve hand-picked a team of six to be their personal guards. The rest will serve throughout the castle.”
“Good,” I state with satisfaction. “I’ll add additional wards to their rooms, and Rivan’s, before I leave tonight.”
A quick scan finds the phoenix, standing alone on the other side of the hall with his eyes fixed on everyone but Meri. Carefully hiding his interest and familiarity with the new queen, he keeps his focus on the crowd, waiting for them to use their magic against him.
A familiar anger rises. Anyone looking at him now wouldn’t know he was once a legendary warrior, but living under the boot of your enemy for thousands of years will crush you until there is nothing but a shell. It galls me to think of the terms he agreed to in order to protect his people, but a new queen means he can negotiate new terms.
The coup sparked something in him, and with Nyssa gone, there is little to prevent Rivan from finding his way back to himself. The bonds he accepted long ago are beginning to chafe.
Unfortunately, I suspect he won’t even try to negotiate unless he knows his people are safe. Maybe I can help. I send a quick text to a hellhound who owes me a favor and one to Lucifer. The mutt can find almost anyone, and since Lucifer owes Rivan a favor, maybe he’d be willing to loan us Callyx for the search as well. After all, he’s Lucifer’s best spy. Between the three of us, we should be able to find Rivan’s people, then help him get out of his contract.
Vargas crosses his arms and grunts.
With a frown, I follow his line of sight to where a handsome red-haired Fae is whispering in Solandis’ ear.
“Have you uncovered anything about the Fae whose body you’ve claimed?”
