Chapter Thirty-Nine
Daxton Aegaeon
I stared into the turquoise eyes of my personal damnation, standing before a ruler I had never wanted—a queen as cruel as she was beautiful.
She wore her power like a crown, veiling her tyranny beneath hollow promises of protection and prosperity. Yet, I refused to bow to the dictator who craved dominance, wielding fear and control in the name of safeguarding the very people she claimed to protect.
A maddening smile crossed my lips, knowing she would be forced to relinquish her claim once Skylar unlocked the Heart of Valdor.
The queen I despised with every fiber of my being and breath I fought to take met my stare. The memories of her carnal touch darkened pieces of my shattered soul.
Minaeve tilted her head to the side. Her crown of three glimmering gems shimmered in the fae lights as she relaxed on her single golden throne. Her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders, curling around her waist near the exposed front of her silky midnight gown.
“She said kneel!” a guard grunted, slamming their foot into the back of my knee.
I took the hit, my expression unchanged as I slammed into the marble floor. My stare remained forward, locked with the false queen sitting before me.
“Still defiant and ungrateful, I see.”
Seamus.
I didn’t have to glance in the direction of his vile voice to know who was speaking.
Hold your tongue, Daxton, I warned myself, clenching my jaw so tightly it practically shattered my teeth.
Puppet. False king. Weak.
That was all Seamus was.
I almost… almost felt sorry for the poor bastard. Like Minaeve, he desired power and control, ruling as the high prince of a realm longer than me or Adohan.
“Seamus, my king.” Minaeve said his name without tearing her gaze from mine. “We’re here to celebrate the success of the champion. Of Daxton’s mate.”
The crowd surrounding me now gasped, shocked at my presence. I blinked, and Anjani appeared in the corner, laughing to herself.
Gods above. I fucking hated her mind tricks.
“Mate?”
“Can this be true?”
“A shifter mated to a High Fae?”
“The bond is unsealed, yet true,” Minaeve said as she stood with Seamus at her side. “Is it not?”
I attempted to rise to my feet, but the guard behind me held me down with his mind. If these fucking chains weren’t on me, I could easily break through his hold and unleash hell upon this place.
“Are you ashamed of a bond to a shifter-human hybrid?” Seamus dared to ask.
“Skylar Cathal…” I said in a low tone that mimicked the icy kiss of death. Cold, lethal, and, above all, terrifying.
The crowds immediately hushed around me, hanging on the silence I commanded.
“…is my mate.”
“But you didn’t claim her,” Anjani taunted.
I turned my gaze to Seamus’s second, my eyes blazing with hatred. “She’s mine,” I growled. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”
Seamus smirked behind the safety of his queen’s throne. “Your mistake.”
“One I won’t make again.” I glared, doing everything in my power to keep the magic that I stored away quiet in my center.
“Enough,” Minaeve commanded.
“You’ve had your fun, cousin,” Seamus replied, glancing at Anjani as he stroked a hand along Minaeve’s chest.
Minaeve grinned wickedly. “Now, it’s time to celebrate. We’ve won.”
My eyes widened by a fraction, turning to look at the queen once more. The smile caressing her scarlet-painted lips sent a chill along my spine and twisted my stomach into knots.
“Rhett, bring forth the scroll,” Minaeve announced.
Like the loyal servant he was to the Aelius court, Rhett brought the scroll and unrolled it on the raised platform, displaying the enchanted parchment for all to view.
“As you can see, the third star is filled in,” Rhett announced, “which means the champion has completed the trial of the soul and has obtained the third and final key to unlock the Heart of Valdor!”
Cheers erupted from the throne room. My presence and the declaration of Skylar as my mate disappeared from the forefront of their minds.
I smiled to myself as the commotion of the throne room spilled over to Minaeve and Seamus. They descended the steps and joined the boisterous crowd behind me, wisely giving me a wide berth. Even the guards at my side were distracted, their watch on me slipping.
The celebration was so loud I almost missed the familiar presence gliding toward me. His dress coat was a dark shade of green with a hint of silver thread along the collar.
Silver, not gold.
“Excuse me,” a drunken male fae said to the guards as he looped his arm around one of them. He fumbled with the glass in his hand and threw it back, draining the contents. Once finished, he carelessly dropped it on the floor, and I watched as the golden chalice rolled near me along the bottom step.
“Gods. Get off me,” a guard grunted.
“I’ll be needing that, don’t you agree?” The male euphorically slapped a guard on the chest as he pushed forward, his steps faltering as he attempted to reach his fallen cup. To any onlooker in attendance here tonight, he was staggering in a drunken haze.
Except, he wasn’t.
The pine scent of my homeland was muffled, but still present. As the male bent to reach for his goblet, the guards turned away to scream their own cheers of delight, celebrating my mate’s victory. Celebrating and overlooking the male in front of me.
The silver in his hair was dyed brown to disguise his allegiance—clever. His dark eyes snapped open as he looked me over, quickly sobering as they met my stare.
Reece.
His hands discreetly moved to sign, “Be ready, my high prince. You’ll recognize the diversion when it’s time.” He paused and glanced at the guards, who were still distracted. “It’ll be hard to miss.”
I widened my eyes, trying not to draw any attention by scanning the room behind me.
Reece oversaw multiple types of trade in Silver Meadows, and recently, one item, in particular, was known to make a bang.
“Your job is to reach the scroll and head toward the shadows behind the throne. Zola will be waiting to shadow-jump you out of here,” Reece signed.
I nodded, motioning to the chains. There was nothing I could do with these gods-damned chains still on me.
Reece tripped over his feet and laughed aloud. The guards turned their attention to him for a moment, shaking their heads before looking away, convinced he was nothing more than a foolish, drunken guest of the Aelius court.
“Here.” Reece retrieved a small metal key from his jacket pocket and slid it along the floor.
Thank the Mother and Father.
Reece was able to pickpocket this off the lead guard when he stumbled past them onto the steps. I was more than grateful for his fast hands.
Still kneeling on the floor, I began working on the shackles along my ankles.
“Hurry,” he signed as he stumbled on a step while attempting to rise to his feet. “It sss-eeee-mmms I need a refill!” Reece announced to the guards, who thankfully didn’t turn and look at him, which meant they still had their attention away from me.
I quickly unshackled the cuffs along my feet, gently placing them on the ground without a sound. Next, I adjusted the iron encircling my neck. The skin beneath it stung as I moved the ring around my collar to find the lock. This one was more difficult to manage because I couldn’t see the keyhole.
“Would you look at those females?” Reece joyfully said as he found his feet and looped an arm around the lead guard, keeping their attention on the crowds behind my back.
There. The lock turned, and I unlatched the iron around my neck. With my hair loose, I was able to conceal the area until finally, I worked on my wrists.
I sighed with relief as the iron chains and shackles finally dropped to the floor. I remained utterly still, silently waiting for the distraction Reece said I wouldn’t miss.
“You know what thi-ssss party need-sss?” Reece asked.
“Less wine?” One of the guards snickered.
“Never!” Reece scoffed. “What’sss the matter wiitttth youuu two?”
Looking at their feet behind me, I could tell Reece had his arms around their shoulders and pulled them toward him. “Some pizzazz. Some excitement,” he said in a hushed, sober tone that gained their attention. “Some fireworks.”
I grinned. Here we go.