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“Yet your magic diminishes every year, does it not?” Solok’s question was filled with veiled threat and I jerked in surprise at the startling revelation. He nodded to the blue flame that winked out when Estienne closed his hand. “Little more than parlor tricks.”
“Our magic will come back.” Berenger insisted, some of his old arrogance creeping back into his cold voice. “It has waned before, then returned, stronger than ever.”
“Ah yes, the prophecy of King Vandran, Supreme Ruler of Varitus.” Solok’s mocking tone sent Berenger’s teeth grinding. “A hollow promise from a false king who knows his time is up.” His gaze drifted back over to the castle, the predatory gleam in his eyes more pronounced.
“Listen closely, little thief. For I shall reveal the truth.” Solok didn’t so much as blink, but as one, the soldiers stepped forward, the points of their spears herding us into a tight knot for them to skewer.
“Varitus is the prison colony for Caladrius. Everyone here is descended from the dregs of true Fae royalty—hence your title—Descendants. You mongrels are the children of traitors and thieves, bastards and the dishonored.” His smile turned sharper.
“The very worst of our kind, who we dumped here, in this godsforsaken land, to die a slow, miserable death.” That light in his eyes brightened.
“Except you did not have the decency to die. You bred with humans to become…this.” Shock turned Berenger’s face as slack as my own.
Was that true?
Were these pompous, arrogant assholes descended from criminals?
“Now you are weakandarrogant, capable of nothing more than parlor tricks. Mining.Growing crops, of all fucking things, instead of conquering realms. You assimilated too well to this place, gave up everything that made you Fae. Now the only thing you are good for is replenishing the wall between us and food for my forces, who are quite hungry after their long journey.”
I glimpsed a flash of fangs, sensed the ravening hunger vibrating the air.
“But…but you can’t touch us. We areDescendants.” Berenger protested, backing away, Estienne at his side. “We can pay you…we have money, slaves, we will provide you with enough blood to satisfy your king. More than enough.”
Solok’s answering smile glittered like diamonds. “I’m looking at everything I need right here.”
Berenger made a sound deep in his throat, the sound of a small, helpless creature who knows it’s about to die. “We were only having a bit of fun. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Nothing wrong, indeed.” Solok agreed, the writhing shadows around him reaching out and brushing Berenger’s face, leaving a trail of frost.
Berenger’s panicked gaze found me. “Takeher. There’s a hundred more just like her at the castle, you can have them all.”
I narrowed my eyes at the bastard. “In case you haven’t figured it out, we’re all going to die, you fucking coward. Face your fate like a fucking male.” I squared my shoulders as Solok chuckled, his gaze raking over me once more, leaving me cold.
“Oh, I’ll take her, young lord, trust me on that.”
One of the males ran, made it all of two steps before he was brought down like a rabbit, two Fae soldiers ripping and shredding him apart. Berenger and Estienne backed away, babbling nonsense, as if that might save them.
“You can’t touch me, I’m a…” Was all Berenger managed before the Axe ripped out his throat, blood splashing my face, dripping from my hair as I squeezed my eyes shut, sure I was next.
7
ANARIA
Solok calmly wiped Berenger’s blood from his mouth as his soldiers slaughtered the other six Descendants, his soldiers making no attempt to make their deaths clean or quick.
In fact, the Fae seemed to relish the screaming and thrashing, as if they wanted to keep their prey alive, their blood pumping while they feasted.
I was trapped in the middle of the carnage.
Every time I fought to break through the writhing bodies, I was knocked to the ground, my dress forgotten as I tried to escape before one of the Fae tore outmythroat. I was desperate to be free of this—to not feel another slippery torso writhing against mine—not to taste the bloom of someone else’s blood in my mouth.
When I crawled out of the chaos, I’d lost my dress, gravel sticking to every inch of my body, which meant I was not completely bare to Solok’s keen gaze as I shakily climbed to my feet, my knees nearly buckling.
“Ah. There you are. Let’s get a better look at you.”
He eyed me like a prize mare, reached out and rubbed my long, white hair between his fingers, his puzzled expression growing more intense when he studied my face.
“Your eyes are an interesting color. Green as a mountain lake, clearer than any I’ve seen.”
