Page 62 of The Dark Rises
Leandra walks out of the house and down the front steps, looking every bit as regal as the last time I saw her. Lush, dark brown hair cascades in waves to the middle of her back, framing her perfect body. Square jaw meets high cheekbones in a stunning visage. Everything about her is designed for seduction, except for her eyes.
Windows to her soul, they terrify everyone who meets her gaze. Cold and calculating, with wild sparks of madness and magic, they return my stare. “Took you long enough to find me.”
Those aren’t the words I imagined her saying.
“You were the one hiding. If you wanted me to visit, all you had to do was send me an invitation.”
She holds the amulet out to me. “Timing wasn’t right. I knew exactly when you would find me, and poof, here you are,” she asserts. “Everything is falling into place. Denir’s coronation is close. I’m sure he’s panicking, and I plan to be there to see him fall.”
I chuckle. “From where? The dungeons? Do you think we’re going to leave you alive?”
She lifts her chin. “I’ve seen my death, and it’s not by your hand. Nor Cormal’s.” She peers at the walls of her house. “You can come out from the shadows. I know you’re on the porch.”
But it isn’t Cormal on the porch, it’s Madoc. With his usual arrogant stride, he walks up to her wearing an expression so dark and full of hatred, she should count her blessings that her death isn’t on his agenda, then snatches the amulet from her hand.
She blanches. “How did you get out?”
“An angel gave me his wings,” he says sardonically. “With my freedom and power, I’ll take my crown and kingdom.”
Leandra throws her beautiful head back and laughs and laughs. “Wouldn’t that be the greatest twist? To return the power I stole and make you king in his stead. The deliciousness of that moment is worth considering.” She holds her hands out to me. “Put on the golden cuffs. Go ahead. I won’t bite.”
Aamon steps forward with the cuffs and grins at her.
She falters for a second, but then moves to meet him. “I meant what I said. I’ve been waiting for you.” She cackles loudly. “Guess you finally met the monster inside you, Meri, my pet. Good thing I’m going to remove it.”
“Can you remove it without killing her?” Madoc asks, his voice harsh.
“Good question. Can I?” Leandra asks, tapping her finger against her thigh. “For the right price, maybe.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
MERI
“One of the most powerful witches in the world who gave it all up for love. Excuse me, scorned love,” Cormal taunts her. “You could have ruled the world, but you chose to focus everything on your revenge. Why?”
She presses her lips together.
“For his mate, right? At least that is the story I heard.” I throw it out there to see if she’ll bite. “You were his mistress. He met his true mate and kicked you out.”
I pause. That doesn’t make sense. Cormal’s sister is the queen, albeit a forced one, but she didn’t come along until a hundred years after Leandra and Denir parted ways.
“It’s a lie, isn’t it?” I ask her. “One you made up or him?”
She scoffs and fluffs her hair. “What do you think?” Settling on the cot behind her, she crosses her long legs and waves her hand in an imperious manner that sets my teeth on edge. “Go on.”
There’s a lot to unpack here, and it’s not as if the queen of secrets herself is going to tell me anything. So, what do I know? I hold up a finger.
“Denir and Nyssa became rulers of their respective kingdoms around the same time. Neither was supposed to inherit, but because of the power you stole from Madoc, Denir was crowned king. Talks between Nyssa’s father, the King of the Light Fae, and the Fire Fae began not long after. He supported their independence. Unfortunately, dark Fae killed Nyssa’s father, the king, and her mother, leaving the crown available for Nyssa to grab. Of course, she was behind the assassination of her parents, and since the perpetrators were dark Fae, I assume Denir assisted her. Maybe he thought she would be a less formidable adversary than her father. I’m not sure the reason matters, but it’s the first time the two of them collaborated. With your help, I’m guessing. After the Fire Fae Rebellion, the land was divided, and life resumed for them both.”
For the first time in my entire life, Leandra spares me a look of approval. Guess that means I’m on the right track.
“You spent two thousand years by Denir’s side. That’s a hell of a long time. It would have taken something drastic for you to leave him. Something that also involved Nyssa, who had become the incredibly powerful Prime during that time,” I speculate. “Because you used the essence of them both to create me a few years after you left him.”
Leandra claps her hands. “You learned something while you were queen, didn’t you? Very good. But why? That’s the burning question, isn’t it? Denir knows. Ask him.”
She could tell me, but because she’s a narcissistic bitch, she won’t.
“I learned a lot of things while I was queen. After I gave up my crown, too.” I pull the chair across the floor to sit in front of her cell.
