Page 97 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
No matter how much I’d like to continue this slaughter to sate my bloodlust, the desire to see Rhianelle runs stronger. I sigh and turn to look at the Orc Prince again.
“Are you a man of your word?” I ask the princeling. Should have said ‘orc’ instead of ‘man’ but fuck it.
He opens his mouth for a reply before I interrupt him. “Wait. Don’t answer that. Because I am.”
I make sure I’m looking at the bastard in the eyes.
“So believe me when I tell you that every single soul in your royal household is in my hand now,” I say with a deathlycalm. ”If any harm should befall on the maiden, I will tear your beloved family—your goddamn kingdom to fucking pieces.”
The prince’s eyes harden into crystalized amber, simmering with contained anger and hatred.
Rhianelle will glare at me over such hideous threat; hell, even I loathe myself for saying that, but I need this prince to understand.
“Heed your prince’s advice,” I announce to the rest of the rebels wherever they’re hiding. “The elves will likely reclaim this place soon.”
Rhianelle will no longer be able to stop those foolish Elven Nobles after what these bandits did. They will go to war and she will be dragged into it. I will be with her no matter what happens. Anyone who stayed in this fortress is fair game to me.
A new pair of wings erupts from my flesh and I can hear the panicking heartbeat of those who witness them. They should be afraid, these wide talon-tipped leathery membranes are made from the primordial dark gods of the underworld. The wings create a vicious whirlwind as I take off into the night.
I fly as swiftly as I can, eager to get the fuck out of the fortress. Rhianelle will wake up soon and I want to be there to cut the crust off her bread. She knows about my feeding preferences now, so I will not have to eat those dreadful biscuits anymore. I’m going to miss our little tradition. I feel like I should find Rivtarr and rip his tongue all over again for spilling that secret.
It’s fine. Nel and I will create new memories and traditions. Perhaps we’ll visit her little pet, Coral later. That will cheer her up. Thoughts of her voice and her smile fill my head as I soar over the land.
A foul smell slams over my nostrils, disrupting my musings of little fawn. I track down the scent until I see a flicker in the distant.
Bodies gleam at the break of dawn, their armors glinting in the soft morning light. It’s not long before I encounter more mangled corpses piled in front of Windhaven’s wall. These are the orcs I had thrown yesterday for the town to look at.
I dive to the ground, landing among the vultures and crows picking on the carrions.
Their raspy cawing and grunting create a symphony of death and violence. Whatever euphoria I felt earlier drains from my system as I navigate through the corpses.
It’s just a simple sport Han and I used to play, a competition of who can kill the most opponents…
But I understand now there was a reason why Vlad eventually adopted our little game and started impaling his enemies in front of his castle. He meant to create terror in the hearts of those who saw it.
A vision of hell on earth.
How could I even think my soft Nel would want this?
Eyepatch is the first to spot me, noble and regal in his silver armor. The disgust written over his face is plain, cold, and focussed as he strides towards me. It’s more or less of what will be on Rhianelle’s face when she sees this carnage.
“There’s a washing station near the stable.” The knight grits his teeth with distaste. “Don’t let the ladies see you.”
The soldiers under his command give me a wide berth, falling silent as I pass by. It’s not like I want to comply with the bastard’s demand, but I did try to avoid any attention when I entered the keep. Mostly because I don’t want these people running back to Rhianelle and telling her all the horrors they’ve seen.
The maidens and washerwoman go pale the moment I cross their path, but they keep their wits about them. It is the stable boy who falls to his knees and faints at the mere sight of me.
I enter the deserted stall and turn on the elven machination for water. The shower is near scalding as I let it rinse all the filth, blood, and dirt away from me. Forget breakfast, Rhianelle might never want to breathe in the same room as me again.
Now my wife will truly see me for what I am.
A monster.
Chapter 14 Rhianelle
Ithink I must have fallen asleep the second my head hit the pillow. Svenn was right there beside me before I closed my eyes. I love it when he stays with me at night. My husband is terrifying enough that he scares all my nightmares away. But I don’t wake up to his comforting presence.
A knock on my door rouses me from my sleep instead. I overhear the commotion among the helpers in Wesley’s keep. Is it a fire?
