What would he be like after the trials? Had they changed him? She loved him, but what would become ofthem? Would the dark fae accept him as their king?
“Come on,” Brokk said.
Lexi followed him up the stairs. Before they reached the doors, one of them opened to reveal a beautiful dark fae woman on the other side. The woman bowed her head to Brokk before turning to stare questioningly at Lexi.
“Where’s my brother?” Brokk inquired.
“He’s meeting with the council in the great hall,” the woman replied. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
“No,” Brokk said. “Don’t disrupt them. We’ll wait.”
“As you wish, milord,” the woman demurred before slipping away.
Lexi gazed longingly at the entrance of the great hall. She was impatient to see Cole again, but she wanted nothing to do with that council.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“We will havethe memorial for my father tomorrow,” Cole stated.
He rested the tips of his fingers on the table and studied the remaining council members. After sending the crows to Lexi and Brokk, he’d taken the time to shower, eat, and dress before meeting with them in the hall.
“There may not be a body, but the residents of the Gloaming should have a chance to say goodbye to him. I will take care of the details,” Cole continued.
“As you command, milord,” Elvin said.
“My coronation will be the following day.”
“Why so soon afterward?” Finn asked.
“The Lord threatened to destroy the Gloaming if I do not ascend to the throne. I don’t think there’s any reason to make him wait.”
“And what do you plan to do about the Lord?” Alston asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He killed our king,” Becca said. “He must pay for that.”
“And how do you propose to make him pay?” Cole asked. “Many of the dark fae fought on his side during the war. Some split off to join the rebellion, but we lost a lot of our soldiers during the war. We don’t have the forces to fight him… or the allies. Besides, our loyalty lies with the Lord.”
Cole didn’t care about any of that. However, he didn’t trust anyone at this table not to run back to the Lord and reveal everything he said here. They might act like they were eager to avenge his father’s death, but that didn’t mean it was true.
“He killed our king,” Durin said.
“And he’ll kill all of us too if we try to go against him, and I will not allow the dark fae to suffer any more than they already have.”
A couple of them exchanged a look while Becca batted her eyes like a teenager on her first date.
“There are many in the Gloaming who want revenge for our king’s death,” Finn said. “Tove was beloved in this land.”
“And I bet every single one of them would prefer to live,” Cole said. “And unless they want to unleash the wrath of the dragons on this land, they will accept that my father is dead, and we must move on.”
Alston scowled at him, but Elvin teepeed his fingers and rested his chin on them. His black eyes shone in the sputtering torchlight. He looked about to say something but refrained from speaking.
“The dark fae seek vengeance when wronged,” Alston said.
Cole’s flesh rippled as he gazed at the man. Alston was correct, and not declaring his goal to avenge his father’s death would make him appear weak and could create a rebellion, but if hedidannounce those intentions, the Lord would unleash his dragons on the realm.
He was sure the Lord was well aware of the situation he’d placed Cole in when he killed his father and commanded Cole to take the throne. The almost certain infighting to follow was one more way for the man to maintain his control.
