Page 84 of Fae Mates

Gasps filled the air, and a breath of incredulity huffed out from my lungs. The courtiers didn’t react at the slaughter of their king or at Queen Titania attacking her own sons, but they expressed outrage at something as trivial as semen?

Queen Titania ducked behind the throne. I rushed after her, but she sprang out, holding an iron dagger.

She leaped at me, her silver wings expanding. “Die!”

“Fuck off.” I dodged left.

Instead of tumbling down the stairs, she glided through the air, twisted, and flew back at me with the dagger.

I bounced on the balls of my feet, waiting for her to get close. She probably didn’t think I could fly, but I had absorbed enough magic from my mates that my wings now obeyed my commands.

My wings cleaved the air, propelling me to her level. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her down.

We twisted through the air, struggling over the iron dagger, exchanging insults, blows, and the occasional head butt. The queen was surprisingly strong compared to Lady Gala and Lady Aster, which made me wonder if she’d had a lot of practice with aerial catfights.

Queen Titania kneed me in the crotch, and I punched her hard in the middle of her face.

“Ouch!” She reeled back, holding her nose. The dagger slipped from her fingers and fell down the stairs.

I surged at the queen and elbowed her in between the eyes, making her head snap back. Then I twisted in the air and slammed my knee into her stomach. With a harsh cry, she plummeted and landed with a crack on the stairs.

There was no time to waste. I flew down, not giving her a moment’s rest, and punched her so hard in the face, I felt the pain in the bones in my hands. “This is for murdering King Oberon.”

Blood spurted from her nose and landed on my shirt. “Wait—”

“This is for sentencing me to death.” I punched her across the cheek. “This is for leaving me in that dungeon with a pervert.”

A mixture of spit and blood bubbled out from between her lips.

I drew my fist back, wanting to save the best until last. The rotten faerie had cursed Pokeweed and not only condemned him to a life of scorn and ridicule but deprived him of the chance to know his parents.

“Enough.” Queen Titania groaned.

Sparkles rose from her head, revealing an oversized face with small, wide-apart eyes, and a long, thick nose. She pulled her lips back to reveal a swollen, grayish tongue and gums larger than that of the kelpie I had encountered in the moat.

Shock hit me in the gut like an ogre’s fist, and I scrambled back. “What the hell is wrong with your face?”

Queen Titania placed shaking fingers on her sunken cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

Nausea rose to the back of my throat, and I pressed my fingers on my lips, watching her features morph. Was this her true appearance, or had someone cursed her during our fight? It was hard for me to think with that monstrous face twisting with anguish.

Silver hairs sprouted from her cleavage and spread over her chest, her arms, and her neck, providing a covering thick enough to conceal her bruises.

I stood and scrambled down the stairs in case whatever afflicted her was contagious.

“What’s happening to me?” Queen Titania staggered to her feet.

The courtiers shrieked, and many of them ran past where Princes August and Caulden were battling the Duke of Nevermore, to the throne room’s double doors. I shook my head. These people were beyond shallow if the sight of a horse-faced woman caused them to flee.

“Allow me to explain,” said a voice from behind.

Pokeweed stepped out from an opening in his marble sphere, his hair glowing like the sun, and his wings as bright as the moon. A crown of light formed on his head that sparkled like the stars.

The power radiating off him was nothing like I had sensed from the princes at Saltbay Pier. It was a hundred times stronger and sent vibrations through my body and into my marrow.

Everyone, including Queen Titania and me, bowed at the vision of majesty.

“Stand,” he said in a deep, resonant voice.