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Before Vorl could blink, I wrenched his hands off me as his thumbs remained in my grasp. I knew I could let him go. Knew I could end it here.
Yet this male hadn’t learned anything from his time in the dungeons.
He truly would never change.
And if these hands couldn’t be used to hurt me, then they could certainly be used to hurt another.
A small shadow of darkness slithered through me until it beat in a throbbing hum.
“You’llneverhurt a female again.” I snapped Vorl’s thumbs back with a wrenching twist.
Resoundingcracksechoed through the dungeon as my former archon let out a howl of pain. He staggered back, staring at his thumbs, which now bent at unnatural angles. And I knew without a healer to assist him, his fingers would never work properly again.
“You witch!” Disbelief shone on his face as spittle flew from his mouth. His teeth clenched, and then roaring, he charged and hit the bars so hard that they rattled. He thrashed, trying to reach me despite his fingers growing swollen and purple.
I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow. Howls of laughter and hooting came from the other prisoners.
The sound of locks being turned came from the main door, followed by creaking and groaning. When the final lock unclicked, the dungeon door swung open, and the two guards came to investigate.
“What’s the meaning of this!” one of them yelled.
Vorl snarled and continued trying to grab me.
I stepped closer to him and knocked his thrashing limbs to the side. He howled when I made contact with a broken finger as the guards marched toward us.
“You know, at first I told the crown prince not to torture you,” I said quietly. “I asked him to show mercy as I thought any fairy deserved.” The guards grew closer. The other prisoners’ jeers rose higher while they avidly devoured the scene I was causing. “But I see now that you haven’t changed at all, and you never will.”
Vorl’s lips curled back in a snarl.Mother Below.He looked more animal than fae right now, and I had a feeling I was looking directly into the eyes of the beast I’d always known he was.
I leaned closer and hissed, “I think next time I’ll stay and watch what Norivun has planned for you.”
I kicked precisely through the bars, hitting him at a calculated angle in the knees, which knocked my former archon to the ground just as the guards reached our cells.
Vorl yowled again, but he immediately pushed himself up.
The guards scowled and looked from me to him, then back to me.
“What did you do?” the taller one asked.
I crossed my arms. “Something I wish I’d been able to do a long time ago.”
And for the first time, I felt the truth in those words.While I still was and always would be Ilara Seary, daughter of Mervalee Territory, the female who believed in kindness and justice for all fae, I was also the true victor of the Rising Queen Trial.
And a queen knew when to let her vengeance rise.
CHAPTER 4 - NORIVUN
Ipaced in my private chambers as Balbus scurried about, doing everything he could to appease my foul mood.
Three days.
It had beenthree fucking dayssince Ilara had been taken from the throne room and locked in the dungeons while I’d been locked in my chambers like an errant toddler.
“My prince, I’m sorry. What can I do to assist you?” Balbus twisted his hands. “That horrid Lochen prince will no doubt be back within the hour, but perhaps I could help you escape, and then your affinities could finally return. Please, my prince, tell me what I can do.”
My faithful servant’s jowls jiggled he was talking so fast, but there was nothing he could do to help me. Not unless I was willing to risk my father’s wrath if he found out Balbus had assisted my escape, but I wouldn’t do that to a male who’d been nothing but loyal to me.
I would have to find a way out of this myself, but as long as Tylen returned and suppressed my affinities every hour, I would remain significantly impaired.
