While fighting the war, the death anddestruction hadn’t bothered him. Since its end, it haunted him.
But the war was over; their side had won.That was all that mattered to the rest of the Shadow Realms. Or atleast it was all that mattered to those who hadn’t fought in thewar.
It’s over. Yet a part of him remainedon the battlefields, and he suspected it always would.
“We’ve packed our palace with immortals whowould gladly tear out each other’s throats,” Brokk muttered as hearrived to stand beside him.
“But these are our allies and friends, littlebrother,” Cole replied.
“The dark fae have no friends.”
Cole couldn’t have said it any betterhimself.
“Father says it’s time to take our place onthe dais,” Brokk said.
Cole barely managed to keep from sneering atsitting on that dais in front of all these gawkers. However, thisball was to show they were ecstatic about the war's outcome, and hewould do his part to keep up the charade.
Brokk adjusted the thin, princely crown onhis head. The light reflected off the silver fae metal that hadforged the crown. In the center was the black, oplyx stone of thedark fae realm. Located only in the clintick caves, workers onlyharvested a few of the rare stones from those deep bowels.
Looking at Brokk’s crown reminded Cole he hada slightly larger crown perched on his head. He didn’t touch itbecause, if he did, he’d tear it off and throw it away. He was notin the mood for this shit.
Cole slipped from the shadows beside the daisand strode across it. Brokk walked beside him as they putthemselves on full display of everyone in the grand ballroom. Thecandles’ flames danced in their golden sconces and cast shadowsacross the black walls.
The dark fae do have one friend… theshadows.
They thrived in the shadows.
For a few seconds, the room's noise remainedat the same level, but as more and more guests spotted them, thenoise declined until silence descended. Not even when the hush gaveway to a raucous wave of applause that shook the chandeliersoverhead did Cole look at them.
He gritted his teeth against the impulse toleap from the dais and punch them all. Beside him, he sensedBrokk’s growing irritation.
“How long do you think this will last?” Brokkmurmured as they approached two of the three thrones set in themiddle of the dais.
“Days,” Cole replied.
Brokk’s shoulders hunched up as he muttered,“I’d rather be back in the war.”
“So would I.”
Never had Cole wished to return to thosebattlefields, but at least he knew what to expect there. He had noidea what to expect from the immortals crammed into this room.
His father rose from the massive throne setin the center of the three. A smile lit his handsome face as hespread his arms. Increased applause followed, but apprehensionflashed in his father’s eyes as he looked from him to Brokk andback again.
Cole smiled, but he was aware that while heand Brokk were making a good show of seeming perfectly fine to theroom, they didn’t fool their father. Though they tried to hide itfrom him, the king of the dark fae knew his sons hadn’t returnedfrom the war the same.
But then, the king wasn’t the same either. Hecouldn’t be after losing five of his sons.
Cole didn’t miss the increased sorrow in hisfather’s black eyes or that he sometimes locked himself away forhours during the day. He hadn’t done that since the yearsimmediately following the death of Cole’s mother.
With the door to his private solar shut andlocked, the king sat in solitude while he grieved his losses. Colewould like to do something to ease his father’s sadness, but he hadno idea how to help him when some days he felt like he was drowningtoo.
Their side won the war, but they’d lost somuch, and they’d failed to accomplish what they set out to do.
Still, Cole’s smile became more genuine ashis eyes held his father’s. Unlike Brokk and Cole, the king waspure dark fae, and because of that, he possessed the black hair,eyes, and lithe build of all purebred, dark fae.
Cole saw little of himself in his father’snarrow face, hawkish nose, onyx eyes, and lean frame. His fatheralso stood a good three inches shorter than Cole’s six-sevenheight.
However, there were similarities in theirthick eyebrows, full lips, and steel wills. Like himself, hisfather’s ciphers ran from the tips of his fingers, up his arms, andacross his shoulders.
