Chapter 17
Still fuming from my encounter with Sybelle, I paced the length of my room, my shadows swirling chaotically around me as I waited for my temper to cool.
The nerve of her… To order me around, like her servant? And then to act affronted when I reminded her I was her king?
A low growl rumbled from within me, and my shadows thickened, darkening the room.
I had planned to ask her for a vial of her blood. Perhaps if I implied Tislora needed it for a spell, she would comply. But after our conversation, I was doubtful Sybelle would do anything if it did not benefit herself.
I ran my hands through my curly hair, biting back a snarl. How was I to convince her to help me and my court if she despised us so much?
My thoughts turned to my conversation with Tislora. Who gives a shit if the human has a comfortable life or not?
Sybelle had been endearing when I’d met her in the library. Now she was downright insufferable.
But if I took Tislora’s approach, and extracted the human’s blood by force, that made me exactly the type of monster Sybelle accused me of being. In the library, she had called me vile. She had all but stated she feared for her life among my people.
Forcing her to comply with the curse’s demands would only strengthen her belief that we were the enemy. We were the beasts to be feared.
A knock sounded at my door, and I bit back a snarl of rage. “What?” I barked.
“My lord, they are ready for you,” came Clermont’s curt voice.
I groaned and rubbed my temples. Of course. I’d forgotten about the council with the generals. Mother of Shade, this was not what I needed right now.
Realizing Clermont was waiting for an answer, I said, “I’ll be right there.”
His steps retreated, and I closed my eyes, willing my temper to abate so I could face this problem.
I changed my clothes and splashed cool water on my face before opening the door, finding myself facing the throne room.
Silently thanking the castle for being compliant this time, I strode inside.
The six generals were already seated at the round table, muttering among themselves.
All wore grim expressions, and I couldn’t blame them.
The riots were getting out of control, and the shadows had already reached the lower towns.
We were out of time.
The generals all stood as I made my way to the table, seating myself between Generals Vexon and Salyut.
Once everyone was seated, I cleared my throat. “What’s the report?”
“Six dead from riots,” said General Forsenn, who sat directly across from me. The fae had forest green skin and piercing blue eyes. His webbed hands came together atop the table as he spoke. “Two infected by Necro Shadows. One still lives, but he is fading. The other we could not save.”
I exhaled slowly, my chest tightening from the loss. Until now, the shadows had only skirted the boundaries of the city. I had hoped that drinking the elixir would hold them off for a bit longer.
Clearly, I was wrong.
“Sire, the human is here,” said General Olectus, a large fae with antlers and violet skin. His silver eyes were full of accusation as he stared at me from across the table. “The shadows should have slowed by now.”
A few other generals murmured their agreement.
“I understand your frustration and your concerns,” I said. “But as you know, the bond between myself and the human takes time to strengthen. We have only been married a few days.”
“We don’t have time for you to woo your human bride,” Olectus snarled, his nostrils flaring. “People are dying .”
I slammed my hands on the table, making it rattle. Shadows oozed from my body, encircling the table in black mist.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes wide as they fixed on me.
“Remember your place, Olectus,” I growled. “I am your king. Show some damn respect.”
Beside me, Vexon sucked in a sharp breath, and Salyut went completely rigid. I let my shadows linger for a moment longer, driving home the point, before I collected them once more and took a steadying breath.
“I am doing what I can,” I said slowly. “I have taken an elixir. I will extract more blood from her. But you all need to understand that the potion is far more potent if the human bride is willing . That is the goal.”
“It doesn’t matter if she is willing if our people are all dead,” Olectus said. His voice was more subdued, but there was no denying the anger in his eyes.
He was furious with me.
I let my mouth curl into a smirk. Let him rage.
I could certainly use a good fight. “Unlike you, I am looking for a permanent solution to this problem,” I said.
“If I take the blood from her by force, it will strengthen the animosity between our people. It may buy us time for now, but later on, we will pay the price. The Necro Shadows will grow closer no matter what, and the elixir is only a temporary fix. For now, move the people in the lower towns closer to the city. You can offer up rooms in the castle if you must. I will speak with the human about accessing her blood. If I can convince her, it will grant us more time.”
“Will she even want to help?” Forsenn asked softly.
I rubbed my knuckles, considering this. My instincts told me no , Sybelle would not want to help. But she had seemed intrigued when I’d told her she was connected to the shadows. If anything, I could tell I had piqued her curiosity. Perhaps I could capitalize on that.
“I’m not sure,” I said at last. “But if I help her understand how dire things are, it might help.”
Olectus’s eyebrows lowered with displeasure. “It won’t work. The human will never be able to see things our way.”
“That one-sided way of thinking is exactly what is keeping the curse from breaking,” Salyut said in a clipped voice.
Olectus leaned forward, bracing both hands on the table as he leered at Salyut. “Be careful, general. You sound awfully sympathetic toward the fragile humans and, dare I say it, the sorceress who started this whole ordeal in the first place.”
Salyut paled, his head jerking backward in shock. His fearful eyes met mine, but my gaze was pinned on Olectus.
“Perhaps you are a sympathizer,” Olectus continued. “Perhaps we should?—”
My rage spilled over. With the flick of my wrist, my shadows wrapped around Olectus, tightening and swirling until they bound his form like thick ropes.
Black mist clamped over his mouth, cutting off whatever he had been about to say.
He grunted and struggled against them, but my shadows only cinched further, coiling around him like a serpent.
“If you need to spar with someone to work off some frustration, Olectus, you only have to say the word,” I growled. “But I will not have this antagonism in my throne room. This is your final warning. Check yourself, or get the hell out of my castle.”
Olectus’s muffled shouts echoed in the room, but I did not release him from my shadows. I turned to the other generals at the table. “Would anyone else like to challenge the loyalty of this council?”
A few generals, like Salyut, seemed positively terrified. Others looked at Olectus with smug expressions, as if they had been yearning to see the general silenced.
No one said a word.
“Very good,” I said, my anger ebbing. As long as Olectus remained tied up, I could keep my emotions in check.
I wasn’t sure why I’d kept him on the council for this long. I made a mental note to dismiss him and appoint a different general in his stead. One that wasn’t as hotheaded.
“Tell me about the riots,” I said to no one in particular.
“They are getting worse,” Forsenn said. “The rioters are plundering and burning down buildings, and there is talk of the townspeople storming the castle. We arrested twenty this week alone. The jail cells in the Pern District are at full capacity. We either need to execute them or move them elsewhere.”
“How many casualties?” I asked, my voice calm despite the panic churning in my gut.
“Four perished in the fire,” Forsenn said. “We executed two rioters on site to keep them from striking down other townsfolk.”
My eyes closed for a moment to mourn the loss of such precious lives. The curse hadn’t claimed my kingdom yet, but people were still dying. Even if I had time before the curse claimed my life, it still felt like I had lost. I could not fix the broken pieces of my kingdom.
“Destroy the weapons of all the prisoners,” I said at last. “Pardon anyone who will make a fae bargain swearing not to bring harm to any buildings or citizens of this court. Anyone who doesn’t, execute them in three days’ time.”
A few generals at the table shifted uncomfortably in their seats, but as I glanced at each of them, they averted their gazes, unwilling to speak up.
I didn’t like it, either. But I had very few options to work with.
“I will ensure the human bride cooperates,” I said quietly. “You all have my word.”
Olectus might be an arrogant bastard, but he had a point. I couldn’t tiptoe around this issue. It didn’t matter if my demands made Sybelle uncomfortable or not. This was precisely why she was here.
I would ask for her permission. But if she did not give it, I would need to show her firsthand just how awful things were for the Shadow Fae.
When the council ended, I opened the doors of the throne room, hoping the castle would anticipate my needs and take me directly to Sybelle.
Instead, it led me to the grand hall, which was filled with portraits and sculptures of the fae kings from ages past. I frowned as I stepped inside, wondering if Sybelle was here, scrutinizing the art and likely judging each of my forefathers for crimes they did not commit.
Although, I thought bitterly, most of these kings were despicable enough to warrant her judgment.
Did that make me the same as them? Did Sybelle see it that way?
I shook the questions from my mind, knowing they would do no good. I could not force Sybelle to respect me, and I shouldn’t care what she thought of me anyway .
I wandered the length of the hall, but the vast space easily showed me I was alone here.
With a sigh, I turned left toward the open archway that led to the spiral staircase, thinking perhaps the castle was playing a joke on me again. If I could maneuver my way around other doors, perhaps I could find Sybelle myself.
Instead, I nearly bumped into two figures deep in conversation, standing just underneath the archway. They started when they saw me, and I blinked, glancing between them. It was Murvo, my captain of the guards, and a soldier I did not recognize. Both stared at me, wide-eyed.
I frowned, then nodded politely at Murvo. “Captain.”
“My king.” He pressed a fist to his chest. But as he shot a fleeting look at the soldier beside him, I sensed something was wrong.
“What is it?” I asked.
The soldier’s lips pressed together in a thin line, and he shook his head mutely. I looked at Murvo, whose mouth opened and closed before he said in a strained voice, “It’s… the human.”
My eyebrows lowered. Shit, what had Sybelle done now? “What about the human?” My voice was almost a growl.
“She’s been wandering around the training yard,” Murvo said. The lilt to his voice led me to believe there was more to the story.
“And?” I prompted, impatience rising.
“It’s distracting the men,” Murvo said with a pleading expression, his eyebrows drawing together.
I tilted my head at him, eyes narrowing. “Distracting them how ?”
“Well, many of us don’t feel comfortable being around humans,” Murvo said, dropping his gaze and rubbing the back of his neck. “They make us feel nervous.”
My rage emerged again like a feral beast hungry to strike. Gritting my teeth, I said, “Was my wife threatening you or your men?”
“Well, no, but?—”
“Was she doing anything dangerous or suspicious?”
“No, but?—”
“Did she directly interfere with any training exercises?” My voice rose in volume, and Murvo flinched.
“No,” he said firmly, avoiding my furious gaze. “But she was watching us, Your Highness. In a very calculating way.”
I knew exactly what he was referring to. Sybelle got a certain gleam in her eyes when she was scrutinizing something. She had looked at me that way, and I could admit, it was unsettling.
But what Murvo was implying was outrageous. He expected me to believe that an entire squadron of soldiers felt threatened by one tiny, weak human?
“Are you suggesting my wife is not allowed to look at you? Or anyone, for that matter?” My voice was icy and low.
Murvo’s eyes flared wide. “Your Highness, I would never?—”
I raised a hand to silence him, ready to be finished with this absurd conversation. “Let me make one thing clear. If you ever insinuate that my wife is not free to roam the grounds or look at anyone in a certain way, I will carve out your spleen. Is that understood?”
Murvo’s face turned ashen. He swallowed, then nodded quickly.
“Your Highness,” said the soldier, his voice timid. “Does this mean the human is permitted to go anywhere in the castle?”
I inspected the fae for the first time, taking in his polished boots and freshly pressed uniform. He had cerulean skin and a pair of ram horns. One eye gleamed gold, and the other was silver.
His clean attire indicated he was new to the regiment. But there was a confidence in his expression that concerned me. Ordinarily, new soldiers were nervous and antsy. This one seemed calm and collected. Almost arrogant.
I also didn’t like the way he had drawn out the word anywhere . It led me to believe he was privy to certain areas of the castle that no soldier should know about.
“Yes,” I said tersely. “What’s your name, soldier?”
“Warwick, Your Highness,” he supplied.
I burned the name into my memory, making a mental note to investigate this soldier further. I trusted Murvo, who had served me for over a decade. But I didn’t know this fae at all.
I took a step closer to him, my shadows swelling around me. Warwick’s eyes roved over the shadows with interest, but he did not back away or show any sign of fear. He stood a few inches shorter than me, which was an impressive feat, since I normally towered over even the tallest of soldiers.
“Get back to your training before I arrest you for insubordination,” I hissed, jerking my head toward the foyer.
Warwick stared at me for a long moment, unmoving. My shadows darkened, spreading around us like thick black ink. Murvo looked terrified enough to shit himself. He tugged on Warwick’s arm.
“ Move , soldier,” Murvo snapped when Warwick continued to hold my gaze.
At long last, he turned and followed Murvo down the hallway.
I watched them pass through the foyer and then the open entrance doors.
Afternoon sunlight beat down on them as they descended the steps to the courtyard and veered to the right, toward the training yard and out of sight.
That new soldier seemed far too interested in Sybelle and the goings-on of my castle. I would need to ask Clermont to look into him for me.
Shaking off my unease, I took the hall in the opposite direction in search of my wayward wife.