Page 63 of The Maleficent Faerie
“Walk with me,” Malec says. “We’ll return to camp.”
He lifts his staff, and the tall grassfolds. A huge swath of it simply lies down flat, creating a broad avenue straight back to the camp.
I manage to stay upright and mostly steady until we reach the circle of men and horses. The other Edge-Knights freeze as we approach—me, disheveled and stricken, accompanied by Malec’s dominant winged figure, with the thorn-wrapped corpse of Reehan dragging along the ground behind us.
Ember is the first to speak. “You killed him.”
From the stark disbelief in Ember’s tone, Malec doesn’t do this often. Which is somewhat reassuring.
“I kill rapists and molesters,” Malec says icily. “He was warned, as you all were, to respect the Princess. No one may touch her. She is mine.”
A terrifying, radiant thrill runs through my body at those words.
Defender, captor, murderer. My lover and my enemy. My comfort and my doom.
How can he be all those things at once?
24
I have not felt such fury since the day I cursed the Princess.
How could I have let this happen? How could I have missed seeing the evil in Reehan? I have been too distracted, too focused on the larger plan, not careful enough about the details.
I failed again. And this time my failure could have been catastrophic for Aura. Her mental and emotional state is already fragile, and forthisto happen—
The fact that Reehan didn’t get inside her doesn’t diminish the trauma of the assault. She has every right to hate me for permitting this to occur while she’s under my care.
I’d have killed Reehan even if he’d targeted some poor farm girl; but this was a vicious attack on someone I’m beginning to cherish deeply. The connection between Aura and me makes his betrayal so much worse.
My anger swells my chest until I feel as if I’m bursting at the seams. I kick Reehan’s thorn-covered body to the edge of the camp and round on my men.
“You let them go off together,” I snarl.
“She led him away, Sire.” Vandel is bone-white under his freckles. “She hinted that they were going to—to—”
“And you let them go.” I stalk nearer to him, my claws lengthening, the remains of my Void magic stirring under my skin. I’m tempted to plunge all five talons into Vandel’s flesh and yank out his heart through his broken ribs.
Suddenly Aura is there, between us, her blue eyes wretched and pleading. “It’s not his fault, Malec.”
Andras sucks in a quick breath when she addresses me like that—so familiar, no honorifics.
“I just wanted to spar with someone,” Aura says. “To beat someone up—I wanted to give pain, and maybe get a few bruises in return. I didn’t expect him to—I forgot that I’m not as strong as I…” Her voice trails off, her face downcast.
“Vandel was stupid to let you two go off together. He should be punished.”
“He didn’t think I could escape. And he didn’t suspect Reehan would go that far—did you?” Aura glances back at the red-haired knight, who shakes his head fervently.
“I made a foolish decision,” Aura continues. “I led Reehan on, and I—”
“Stop,” I bark. “There is no excuse for what he did. If you place one crumb of blame on yourself, I swear I’ll—”
“What?” She looks up at me, a sweet, sad smile flitting across her mouth. “What will you do to me?”
I’m aching, burning, guilty, furious—a tempest I cannot quell. A passion I cannot allow myself to express, not here, not now.
“Nothing,” I rasp. “I’ll do nothing.”
Her back is to the others, so they don’t see her lips move. Two words.
