Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Horror filled me.
“You kept slinking away from death like a scampering rat. So what else do you do with rats but lead them into a trap?”
“How could you!” I spun, trying to find him. “Why would you do this!”
“It was nothing personal.” I didn’t have to see him to know he was shrugging—the unrepentant kakka. “Believe it or not, I like you. If this were different, I’d want you as my own mate, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.”
My lips twisted. “That’s disgusting. I wouldn’t mate with you if it’d unbind my magic!”
“I couldn’t give a shit about your bindings,” he growled. “This is about my own.”
“What are you talking about!”
“I’m talking about you! Every day, the change spreads deeper and wider—turning this land and the fae into what we’re meant to be. But then you chits show up, seduce Alisdair, fill his head with stupid love nonsense, and risk the chance that he’ll throw it all away to destroy his heart, and love you back. If that happens, it all goes away,” he roared. “We return to being nothing!”
“Being a summer fae isn’t being nothing, you lunatic! Rolling around naked in a dirty pit with fangs and claws isn’t a better life!”
“You like this life just fine, or you wouldn’t be crying for leaving it.”
I clamped my mouth shut, breathing hard. As I just said, there was no point in arguing with a zealot. The only thing I needed to do was get away from him.
Slowly, I backed up—desperate not to let the words “I have excellent vision” deter me.
“Alisdair has no right to rid our land of the change, nor does he have a right to rule it. Wind and Wild is wolf territory. We are its natural-born and rightful leaders. When Raelina threatened that...” His voice whispered through the dark. “When she got too close to him and began addling his mind, my father turned around and addled hers.
“He cursed her with a love curse that made her hopelessly obsessed with that bastard Salman. She practically chased after his carriage out of town.” He barked a laugh. “Curse or not, it was pathetic.”
“You monster.”
“I’m the monster?” He sounded right next to me.
I spun to the left, fist flying, but struck nothing.
“Your husband is the monster. He’s a violent, uncaring beast, and we were certain you were no threat, because there was no way a pampered princess such as yourself would ever fall for him, or make him fall for you.”
Thud. Snap.
“Seems we were wrong, so you had to go. Three times we tried, and then you did something wonderful.” Another harsh, chilling laugh. “You walked straight into the wolf’s den.”
“But you don’t have to do this,” I snapped. “I walked into the wolf’s den because I want to leave him and this cursed place. Holding up your side of the bargain would achieve the same end!”
“I can’t take the chance. What happens when Shadowsoul showers you with enough gifts and praises that you forget this temper tantrum and come running back to him? The only way to end your threat is to get rid of you for good.”
I swallowed hard—feet coming to a stop. “We’re not alone,” I said—voice flat. “Are we?”
“Afraid not,” said a female voice.
“Nope,” sang another.
“This is where it ends,” said someone else.
I nodded slowly, mind churning. My own mind. Emiana had gotten me into this mess, and it appeared she had no intention of rising up to get me out. “All of this because you’re all too chickenshit to kill Alisdair yourselves, or indeed, even face him yourselves. You’d rather skulk around in the shadows, arranging the deaths of innocent women.” I scoffed. “Pathetic.”
A hand roared out of the dark and slapped me across the face. I bit my lip against the pain, not allowing a single sound out while my ears rang.
“Watch your mouth, slut!” How quickly Meallan did away with my lady and my queen. “We’ve tried every means of killing him, but he’s too smart. His cult of loyal followers trail him everywhere, destroying the poison flowers the instant they appear, and throwing their lives before the blade to protect him.
“And unlike us, Alisdair has unlocked the secret of the Taken. Or he’s harnessed enough power and magic that the result is the same. He doesn’t age, wither, get sick, or die. He just keeps going, he just keeps ruling the kingdom that belongs to me.
“All we need is for him to die as the empty shell he is, and then the heart will remain where it is. Safe, hidden, forever cursed. Until that glorious day, we cannot allow whores like you to give him or the faeriken hope. We can’t risk him breaking the curse,” he whispered in my ear, “for something as worthless as you.”
Shaking my head, I laughed. “So that’s it? That was the grand plan for why you wanted to reenter Lumenfell society? So you could sneak around, plotting poisonings, and getting close enough to sense if I’m getting too close to Alisdair, therefore threatening your rightful rule?” I laughed louder.