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7
BREE
She rode beside Eurig at the head of his army. In the end, it hadn’t taken him long to convince the outposters to follow him back to court where they would fight against an unseen army. They’d all seen the storm grow these past few days. Rain now poured from a grey sky, bulbous clouds obscuring the moon from view. A dread seemed to creep along the ground, whispering of darkness and hate.
Bree didn’t know what that meant. Had the demons arrived? Or were they still on their way? Regardless, she did know one thing for sure. The storm was a dark sign of things to come.
The horses slowed to a stop on a muddy field just beyond the castle. Lights twinkled from within. A welcome sight after the past few days spent trudging around in the rain-drenched nights. Even when camping, the outposters had been restrained and silent. It seemed everyone was on edge.
Eurig wiped the back of his arm across his forehead, but that did nothing to free his eyes from the downpour. Instead, all it did was leave behind a swipe of mud. “Do you want to ride ahead and tell Taveon we’re here?”
Her heart thumped at the thought of seeing the king again. Taveon was not going to be happy to see her, especially now that she’d brought another army onto his lands. Well, he would just have to deal with it.
“You’re his friend,” she said softly. “He’s more likely to listen if you come with me.”
“All right.” Eurig gave a nod and dismounted his horse before conversing with one of his fellow warriors. On the way to the castle, she’d seen him with his people. They respected him. They listened to what he had to say. Not once had he ever acted as though he were above them. He was deep in the thick of it, a warrior just like them. And that was exactly what the outposters needed in a ruler.
Eurig rejoined her at the head of the party, nodding. “Micah will keep the army at bay while we negotiate with Taveon. Come on. Let’s go ahead and get this over with. Before that storm gets any worse.”
* * *
The gates and walls were manned by warriors, but they stood aside and let Bree and Eurig pass. Bree frowned at them as she made her way inside the castle. That wasn’t a good sign at all. It looked as though they were preparing for a fight. Against Norah’s army. She had to hope Taveon was not that stubborn. Surely he had to see that the Otherworld fae had come here to be allies.
And yet…something didn’t feel right. A strange magic seemed to swirl through the dark castle corridors, prickling every hair on the back of her neck.
“Do you feel that?” she murmured to Eurig, their footsteps echoing through the silence.
Eurig frowned. “Feel what?”
Strange. He was a dark fae, and she was nothing more than a Redcap. He should feel magic far before she ever did. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but they were interrupted by Lord Dagen sweeping through the corridor toward them, his long black cloak trailing behind him. The grim tension on his face made her heart skip. He must have found out about Norah.
“Lord Dagen,” she said as they all came to a stop in the center of the corridor. She tried to meet his gaze, her heart fluttering a little in her chest. In the chaos of the past weeks, she had not had a chance to speak to him. About anything. And it felt like there was still so much left unsaid between them.
But he merely gave her a curt nod and turned to Eurig. “Eurig. For the first time in my life, I daresay I’m glad to see you. Please tell me you’ve brought your army to fight with us.”
Bree raised her brows. “That’s exactly why he’s here. Why? What’s going on?”
“Don’t play coy, Bree. You know exactly what’s going on.”
“I really don’t,” she countered. “When I left here a couple days ago, Taveon was insistent that he didn’t want to fight. What’s changed?”
A muscle in Lord Dagen’s jaw ticked. “Taveon sat on nothing more than a throne of illusions. He is the descendent of a monster from another realm. He has no claim to that crown. Unfortunately for him, the court has found out. He’s been removed, his title has been stripped, and he will now live the rest of his days in the dungeons.”
Bree sucked in a breath and took a step back. “What? You can’t be serious.”
This couldn’t be happening. Without Taveon on the throne, who the hell knew what would happen now? No wonder the warriors were manning their battle stations. They planned to fight against the light fae and drive them out of Underworld. The Tithe would never end. And Taveon would never again see moonlight.
Sorrow churned through her gut. She should have seen this coming.
“I am afraid that I am deadly serious,” Lord Dagen said quietly.
“Isn’t there something you can do?” she pleaded with him. “You know Taveon. He isn’t what they think he is. This realmneedshim as its king.”
“No, Bree.” He sighed. “There is nothing I can do. The court will never accept him, especially now that we know the Realm of the Dead is coming for us.”
She straightened, casting a quick look at Eurig. “You know about that? He told you?”
“Fillan informed the entire court of everything,” he said quietly. “And the storm was only further confirmation that they are coming. They've opened a gate. We need to be prepared for a fight unlike any we’ve ever encountered. I’m glad we have the outposters and the light fae beside us.”
