Page 91 of The Light Falls
Cormal laughs and so does Madoc, although it appears no one can hear him but me. How is he staying so hidden?
After thirty minutes has passed, I open a portal back to The Pit. Hyne’s surrounded by the worst of the worst, and they’re sucking all the power out of him. He’s on his knees, but surprisingly, he’s still fighting.
“Time to go.” I crawl under one of the monsters, grab him, and drag him over to the portal. Good thing they aren’t exactly quick.
He lands on the ground, fists still flailing. “Mercy, mercy.” His voice is hoarse, as if he’s been screaming it for a while.
“Hyne, you’re back. Safe,” I tell him. Regret fills me.
Eyes black, he stands and reaches for me, but Fisk stops him with one hand. “Challenge is over. Queen Merindah is the winner.”
“She won by default,” he stubbornly insists. “I bet if you dumped her there, she wouldn’t last five minutes. How is this a sign of strength?”
Cormal steps forward. “Actually, she lasted three days… with no magic or power to fight back. Could you do the same? Want to test it?” He bares his teeth in a feral grin. “I’ll be happy to take you back and pick you up.”
Hyne looks me over. “Three days?”
“All I had was my immortality and a stubborn desire to live,” I confirm with a nod. “But every single second was hell. I still have nightmares, and unexpected things trigger me. Prepare yourself.”
He nods at Fisk. “She wins.” With a shudder, he stalks into the lake and submerges himself.
I hated to do it, but the kraken is tough, and it was the worst place I could think of in that moment.
Fisk sweeps his arm toward the field. “I knew this challenge was going to be different when you ran straight at the hulking giant instead of using your magic first. Never expected it to end like this, though.” He eyes the water where Hyne disappeared.
“Are we ready to negotiate?” I ask Fisk, thoroughly exhausted.
“Almost,” he remarks, his eyes darting to Kaius. “I want to speak to him first.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
MERI
Fisk eyes the man masquerading as his grandson. “I know you’re not Kaius. Who are you?”
Kaius looks at Camon, who’s standing about twenty feet away. “Vargas,” he murmurs, not wanting the High Fae to hear. “I died and needed a body. My mate was returning with Meri to the Light Fae Kingdom. I saw this one. It—Kaius—offered me a chance to be light Fae. It wasn’t until later that I realized he was a chameleon.”
A sad expression appears on Fisk’s face. “Kaius is only one of the disguises he wore. His true appearance is more like mine. He’s one-fourth cirein-croin, you know.” He pauses. “He must have died on that last mission. Only four people knew about it, and I trust all of them. So, either we have a mole or one of them betrayed me. Neither of those are options I care to think about right now.”
He places a wrinkled hand on Kaius’ face. “Did he remember anything?”
“A flash of light,” he replies. “Like a beautiful fire.”
Fisk stills. “Thank you.” He studies Kaius. “I wonder if my DNA will live on through you? I can’t say I’d be disappointed to see another warrior with my blood in him.”
Kaius’ face whitens. “Time will tell.”
Fisk takes one last lingering look at Kaius, then turns to me. “Let’s negotiate.” He claps his hands together and food appears on a long table. “We eat and talk.”
“What do you hope to accomplish from these talks?” Fisk asks me bluntly, tearing into the bread at the table.
“I hope to change the path of the Lesser Fae,” I tell him quietly. “Do I think everything can be accomplished in an instant after thousands and thousands of years of repression? No. But a treaty allows us to plan out a progression of rights with absolute deadlines. The council refuses to consider any proposals for Lesser Fae rights, but they have to comply with a treaty.”
“Why shouldn’t I attack? Demand all the rights when we win?” he asks with a hard look in his eye.
“Are you willing to wait hundreds of years to get them? You have a great-grandchild who is going to be born to a High Fae. Don’t you want him or her to have their full rights? Or do you want them to have to go to war for them?” I ask, glancing at Camon.
“If war comes, who’s to say any of you will survive? Who are the next leaders to pick up the cause? Will they let power go to their head or will they be responsible and fight for the cause?” I shake my head. “There are so many uncertainties. Why not negotiate with me now and avoid a lot of unnecessary deaths and time lost?”
