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Her heart beat to the rhythm of the horses stomping feet. She could hardly hear over the sound of rushing blood in her ears. All it would take was one swing of her staff and she’d have every man on the trail behind her pinned to his very spot. But a woman who wanted to be a wife was meant to look weak, or so she’d always been told.
Idalia had come to know when acts of menace were appropriate. Today, however, was not one of those times.
The smooth leather fell from one hand as she stretched her fingers out toward Markus. Sure and ready, his hand clasped around her forearm. She’d moved quickly like this before, she was a warrior herself though most had forgotten that of her. She’d made sure of it. It was easy and muscle memory took over as she swung herself over her saddle and leapt for his horse. Strong arms pulled her in and allowed her to hook her legs over his. Idalia pressed her face into Markus’s chest pretending to be nothing more than a frightened girl. She snuck peaks over his shoulder looking at the few men who followed.
Ephram was nowhere to be seen. Even when she let out a sliver of the power within her she could not find his presence on the path. She doubted the arrows had frightened him.
No, not at all.
She’d seen right through his pathetic disguise on day one. Did Ambrose know? Idalia wasn’t sure. There was no doubt in her mind though that this one small attack had been of Ephram’s doing, someway, somehow.
No one else knew, no one else would understand.
One of the five Fae princes had chosen to grace her castle.
Ace
Ace knew of the Impelling. She’d seen the after effects of its terrible mind manipulating abilities. However, she’d never seen how it was done.
Every muscle in her body had frozen as if she’d suddenly been struck with ice. Even her heartbeat felt sluggish. Rehan’s grip on her loosened as her struggling became weaker before it stopped altogether.
Blood oozed from Derfla’s neck. A crescent moon wound showed the shape of King Osiris’s shark-like Fae teeth. Ace had no doubt now that she’d seen him yesterday…when she’d heard Shelby talking to his mother. When she’d found out that a Fae prince had been trapped in Glatton all this time.
That’s what had led King Osiris here.
Ace shrunk into herself as the Fae forced his own blood into Derfla’s mouth. The witch struggled against him. The few who dared to stand against the king lay somewhere behind them, no longer moving.
Rehan whispered into Ace’s hair. Not that she heard him, not that she was listening.
When the witch could not avoid it any longer, she drank the offered blood as if she was breathing it in. Either the world was trembling under them at the rush of magic or Ace was shaking uncontrollably within Rehan’s grasp.
“Stop it!” Margo cried out as her mother’s limbs went weak and dangled at her sides.
It was too late now. Ace knew it and so did the gasping crowd.
The morning breakfast, the celebration of broken wards, the reuniting of sons with mothers, all of it was ruined. King Osiris had not just crashed the party; he was an attack on this very town.
“Now, take me to my brother.” The king growled. Drops of crimson ran from the corners of his mouth. His lips were stained, though it was fainter after he ran his tongue over his bottom lip.
Derfla took one slow step forward, her foot dragged as if she was still battling somewhere behind those glassy eyes. Osiris stepped out of the way, allowing the witch to lead him.
“Mom?” Margo stepped into Derfla’s path. “Mom? Stop!”
What did the girl know of the Fae? What did she know of the Fae prince that’d lived within the confines of this town her entire life?
Margo’s palms pressed into her mother’s stomach as she dug her heels into the ground. Derfla paused to look down.
“Mom, it’s me—”
Ace saw Margo’s body flying through the air only a second before it happened. Magic whispered like a prayer within her thoughts. A shout tore its way up her throat as her body was lifted from the ground, a blue orb of magic lit from her mother’s palms. A table cracked and caved in as Margo’s weight was slammed into it. Dishes slid across the tabletop into her slackened form.
The king didn’t so much as offer the girl one pitying look. Nor did he pay attention as Ace shouted out. Warlocks and witches alike parted as he made his way through the crowd.
“Why aren’t they using their magic? Why aren’t they stopping him?” Ace whispered at Rehan.
“There are Fae guards surrounding Glatton. I’m sure they can sense them. If they fight, they die.”
“Let me go to the girl.”
