Page 10 of Fallen Court

“They all died.”

“Not all of them.”

Lach. Ciara. Fiona. Shaw. That bloodline ran through each of them, but Lach had renounced the throne.

“You know the royal bloodline lives,” he said, adding, “for now.”

“If you touch my family—” I snarled before I could stop myself.

His smile was as smooth as the polished marble of his estate and just as cold. “I knew you loved him—loved all of them. The family you never had. But how much?”

“What do you want?” I breathed.

Oberon swiveled to face me, his eyes dipping to the ring on my finger. “We’ve been looking for that ring for a long time. It disappeared with the penumbra who wore it, long before the war. But the magic that links it to the Terra Court endures.”

“It’s just an emerald ring. Lach said it was worthless…” The words faded, the truth demanding to finally take hold.

The bargain.

Lach’s demand.

Swear that you will never take it off…

“Can’t you see, Cate?” Oberon pressed. “Lach was using you to get that ring. It’s not an emerald. It’s an esmeraude—one of our rarest gems.”

It wasn’t true. It was…impossible. This wasn’t a fae ring. Oberon was lying, but if he wasn’t… “Why? He is the true heir of the Terra Court. He doesn’t need the ring to claim it.”

“He chose the Nether Court so he could strengthen his empire and prepare to seize more power. That’s why he tried to ally with the Infernal Court. He needs the ring to reclaim his mother’s throne, and if he succeeds, the darkness you saw will spread. Not just through the Otherworld but to the earth itself. You’ve seen the monster that lives inside him.”

I tried to sort the truth from his lies, but it was impossible to know what to believe.

“Tell me how you got that ring.”

I didn’t answer him.

“Who gave it to you?” he needled.

Lie, a quiet voice whispered in my head. I wasn’t sure why, but I listened to it. “The woman who raised me after my parents died.”

“Interesting.” He studied me, and I wondered if he saw through my dishonesty. “It hardly matters. Give it to me.”

My blood roared in response, pounding as if trying to drown him out. I pressed a hand to my spinning head. Oberon wanted my ring just like Lach had. Why didn’t they just take it? I had offered it to Lach that first night, and he had refused. It didn’t make sense. My stomach clenched like an invisible fist had grabbed hold of my guts, and I gasped.

But Oberon continued without noticing. “Lach planned to retake the Otherworld. With that ring and Terran blood, he might have succeeded, might have become like an icon. But I won’t fail.”

Terran blood. He needed Terran blood. My friends…

“If I give it to you…” A sharp jolt of fear rocketed up my spine, but I shook it off. “You won’t touch them?”

“Are you offering me a bargain?” he asked.

Don’t, the whisper warned, but this time I ignored it. If Lach was running from the Wild Hunt—running for his life—the Nether Court was without a leader. I couldn’t help them fight a war, but I could protect them. “If you meet my terms.”

Chapter Three

Cate

Despite my attempt to tiptoe, my footsteps echoed in the airy halls of the court. It felt silly to sneak around because I wasn’t doing anything wrong. After a day of waiting for something to happen—half dreading and half eager—I’d grown restless. No one had stopped me from wandering through the halls. No one seemed to care what I was doing or where I went. I wasn’t a prisoner, just as Oberon had claimed. But he’d also drugged me and brought me here against my will, so trust was going to be an issue, especially until the terms of our bargain were fulfilled.