They acted like Faerie was sentient—Caedmon had hinted at it as well—and Morgan itched to get as far away from it as possible. She attracted more than enough trouble at home, she didn’t need to be a bone of contention between the two realms as well.
“The light fae can protect you.” The light queen seemed almost earnest, until she opened her mouth again. “We can put you in an everlasting sleep and bury you where no one will ever be able to find you.”
Her insides lurched, and everything inside Morgan rebelled against the idea of being buried alive. A spark of fear made the magic in her blood feel like acid as it tried to rip free of her control and destroy the threat. Her flesh burned under the strain, static crackling along her bones as it demanded to be set free.
“It’s far too dangerous for her to remain in Faerie,” the dark fae argued, dismissing Morgan like they weren’t discussing her fate. “It’s too big of a temptation. The dark fae believe they canstep out of the darkness if the gods returned, that the curse would be lifted for daring to help imprison them in the first place. But there is beauty to the darkness, a balance that keeps Faerie alive. Nothing will change if we rise to the light and you fall to the darkness, except chaos.”
While their people might want change, the queens were terrified of losing their powers.
And fear made people do stupid things.
Morgan wasn’t foolish enough to put her trust in either queen.
They only cared about Faerie and their own power, their people nothing more than pawns.
The last thing she wanted was to leave her fate in their hands.
She would choose her own future.
“You’re worried about my effect on Faerie, but what if we took Faerie out of the equation, where the gods could never set foot on it again?” She dangled the thing they wanted most out in front of them.
Intrigued, they turned in unison, their faces rippling as the monsters beneath peered out through their eyes. “Explain.”
It was a demand, one that if they were not happy with her answer, they would take it out on her.
Morgan licked her lips, then plunged in headfirst, hoping she wasn’t about to lose her head for suggesting it. “Lock down Faerie—no one in or out without your approval.”
The light queen tilted her head with curiosity, her mind working through the different angles, but the dark queen frowned. “It’s not so simple. There is a cost to everything.”
“I never said it would be easy.” She threw their words back at them. “Locking down Faerie will stop the war between the light and dark. It’s the only way to preserve peace. Isn’t that worth the cost? The fae have mostly retreated from the human realm already.”
“And what would you gain?” The dark queen’s expression took on a calculating gleam.
“Peace between the realms.” Not to mention she would get to live without being hunted every day for the rest of her life.
Maybe even be able to live in peace with her mates.
“Even if we wanted to agree, it would take the blood of the gods to lock down Faerie.” The light fae shook her head, her eyes downcast.
When Morgan didn’t immediately say it was impossible, a calculating glint entered her light blue eyes, and Morgan wanted to curse herself for the slip.
While the bitch might appear friendlier than the dark fae, Morgan wasn’t fooled. She would sacrifice anything to get what she wanted. “Do you even need the blood to close Faerie?”
The dark fae frowned, clearly annoyed at the other queen. “She does not lie.”
“Maybe you need a little incentive?” The light queen lazily waved a hand toward the door.
Morgan turned and saw the air shimmer, a glamor falling away to reveal three dozen armed guards. They rushed through with weapons drawn, surrounding her men in seconds. The wolves stood between her men and the soldiers, their hackles raised, snarling when the guards got too close. Loki hunkered down with a fierce growl, his claws digging into the granite, ready to create chaos.
The last shreds of her control snapped, and Morgan released her hold on her magic. “You would take what is mine. Maybe I should take what is most precious to you.”
“You dare threaten me?” The light queen gave an amusing laugh, the sound like chimes, but it carried an undertone of menace.
Morgan gave a vicious smile, and the darkness of the void exploded out of her in a massive wave, drenching the room behind her until the castle disappeared under a massive wall of black clouds. It looked like the midnight sky, the stars twinkling almost merrily…until a bitter cold seeped into the room like it was consuming the warmth of Faerie.
Without an ounce of remorse, Morgan focused on the guards.A curl of black smoke snaked out of the darkness, stretching out across the floor before it shot forward, grabbing the nearest soldier.
Tentacles like an octopus wrapped around the man’s leg, yanking the guard right off his feet. He smacked to the ground with an oomph, his weapon clattering as it spun away from him. He screamed and clawed at the ground as he was pulled into the darkness.
