Page 5 of Dark Sun (Wicked Lovely 6)

“Notmyqueen.” Urian glared at her. “I will never bow to you.”

Aislinn repressed a shiver of fear. She was strong enough to fight any other faery in existence now—at least those who lived in her world. The first faery, Sorcha, was still a threat. But strong enough didn’t mean that Aislinn wanted to fight anyone.

As if oblivious to the tension, Urian looked around. He paused and smiled at Siobhan; he winked at another guard.

“Why are you here?” Aislinn asked when he simply stood there as if this was a casual visit.

“I thought I should meet the child who cost Moira her life.” Urian tilted his head before adding, “Pretty little murderess.”

“I didnotkill my mother,” Aislinn started.

Urian brushed his hand to the side, and shadows slid across the ground as if he was summoning them. He shouldn’t be able to manage that. The Dark Court belonged to Niall, and before that it was Irial’s domain. It wasneverthe right of this faery. The abyss-guardian-- the semi-sentient shadows that the Dark King had as shield, guards, and extensions of his will--were not a typical gift.

“No.” Aislinn said only the one word, but it was enough. Sunlight flooded the room, chasing shadows away even as more of the Summer Court guards surged into the room, a rush of vine and bark and worry.

Urian smiled, cold and vicious. “Frightened?”

His was a look Aislinn had seen on the face of Bananach, madness tinged with fury.

“We arefine,” Aislinn told her guards, motioning for them to leave.

Only Tavish and Siobhan stayed. It was enough. If they were anyone else in the court, Aislinn would feel unprotected, but Tavish was fierce and Siobhan was brutal when provoked.

“If you must address me, you may call me Aislinn.”

“Aislinn,” Urian echoed. “My sister’s granddaughter. The last ashes of my family.”

“Such an odd little mortal-turned-faery. You took my mother’s crown, my niece’s crown.” Urian reminded her of the fey things that had been the stuff of nightmares for her growing up, vicious in ways she would never understand.

“Thelma didn’t want this crown,” she reminded him. “My mother didn’t either.”

“And you?”

“This wasn’t the life I wanted, but it’sminenow. This court ismine.” Aislinn felt her body glow brighter as her skin filled with sunlight bright enough that any faery not of her own court should wince and withdraw.

He didn’t.

Urian laughed. “What makes you so interesting, Ashes? Friend to Dark, embodiment of the Summer, playmate of the son of the High Queen. Why do they care about you?”

“I don’t know, Uncle. Why areyouhere?”

As Urian laughed this time, shadows skittered closer in defiance of her sunlight. Rage and hunger simmered in him, so hot that she could have been looking into Bananach’s eyes.

Without meaning to, a sword of sunlight formed in Aislinn’s grip, blinding bright and sizzling with heat.

Urian glanced at the sunlit blade. A smile identical to his father’s curved his lips. “Do let themallknow that I’ve come calling, Ashes.”

Then he flung something glittering toward Siobhan.

“Siobhan!” Aislinn was halfway across the room before she finished the word, but Tavish was closer and almost as fast. He pushed Siobhan aside.

The blade that had been hurled at Siobhan stabbed Tavish’s stomach. And then he was on the ground, blood pouring from his wound.

Her advisor. Her friend. Her brother-by-choice.

Aislinn was livid. The sword that was in her hand a moment ago was there and raised. She met her uncle’s eye and stalked toward him.

“Will you lethimdie, too?” Urian asked, taunting her with the sort of voice best suited for playground quarrels. “Or will you kill the son of the last Dark King? Whose life matters to you? What do you choose today? Death or life, Ashes?”

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