Page 127 of The Reaping Rose

“Ms. Vale believes there might be.” A chill runs my spine with the emphasis he puts on my name, pulling my attention back to his malicious eyes. “I suppose we should go and see.”

As expected, Overlord Farseth doesn’t request that I leave while he takes Esen and a few of his men into town. But while I hoped it would give me time to snoop, he assigns one of his men to watch over me in his absence, forcing me to sit and stare at the woman hanging on the wall, wondering what secrets linger in her eyes.

The furniture is dusty. Barely used. I imagine the manor was abandoned before Overlord Farseth came to stay here, and I’m curious what happened to the woman in the painting.

By the time the creak of the gates comes from outside, I’ve drifted so deep in my mind that I blink the room back into focus.

I stand, twisting my fingers in front of me in a failed attempt to stifle my nerves.

Walking into this, we knew our magic would be useless against Esen; the only chance we had was to subject ourselves to that weakness and hope alternative methods would work. After all, magic isn’t all the Fae have in way of overpowering humans. Between Callum and Perame, they’re stronger, quicker. We planned it carefully.

My information would lure the overlord and his men to the edge of town, where Callum and Perame would spark just enough of a flare in the woods to draw them away from the main street. From there, they’d overpower the overlord with physical force and remove his ring to break his tie to Esen.

Then, it would be my job to convince her to help us.

The moment Overlord Farseth steps into the room with Esen at his side—no Callum or Perame in sight—my stomach plummets. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

I’m careful not to break the facade. I hold my chin high, relaxing my shoulders even as he circles the room and pulls back the dark curtains to let in the night. His fingers grip the fabric, and I get a glimpse of the ring that binds Esen, firmly in place.

Esen watches his back, not daring to meet my gaze even when I look at her.

“Were they there?” I press, unable to stand the silence.

“They were.” Overlord Farseth turns slowly, his white teeth gleaming.

Candles on the table flicker, casting an ominous glow over his already strong facial features. Thick eyebrows. A prominent nose.

It takes all my restraint to wait for him to continue. To not shift on my feet when the soft satin will give away my every movement.

Overlord Farseth steps toward me, Esen tracking his every movement with her eyes until her gaze drifts out the window. In the moonlight, I almost swear I see her stoic expression break into a frown.

“They were dealt with.”

My heart races. The slightest twitch of my fingers draws his attention. “Dealt with?”

The words nearly catch on my tongue. Even with all his weapons and men, Callum and Perame are stronger. Smarter. We were prepared.

Unless…

My gaze moves to Esen, who finally looks at me.

What is she capable of that we don’t know about?

“They will no longer be a problem.” The overlord smiles wider. “Although, I suspect they weren’t anticipating that.”

His chin angles, and I catch sight of a scratch. The drag of a dagger, if I had to guess. So there was a fight, and somehow, the overlord won.

“Fae can be quite feisty when you meet them toe-to-toe. I learned that from my family’s records. It’s rare a Fae wanders here now, but records of the past detail it quite clearly. They came in the name of the royals, taking as they wished from our people. Using us for their entertainment. Now, we don’t see much of them.”

Centuries of anger spill out. Vile words dripping with poison.

“But you have seen them?” I ask, curious how the overlord could have seen Fae when the Arch has been closed longer than his lifetime.

“You seem surprised by that.” His head tilts. “They must not have been from your realm then.”

“My realm?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know what you are—what you’re hiding? How you flinched at my magic when I kissed the back of your hand, and my ring grazed your skin. You were repelled like the grotesque creature you are. I’ll admit, the rounded ears were quite confusing. But I suppose not impossible like I once thought.”