by May Sage
Vale barely recognized himself when he let go of his restraint. He turned into a creature with simple needs. Air, water, food—they were nothing. The only thing he desired, the one thing he sought, was power.
Recalling that there was a purpose to his torture took some time. Oh yes, he’d meant to check into the fae’s mind once he’d destroyed his mind and subdued his soul.
The fae’s mind had been altered by someone who knew how to prevent a psychic from looking too deep into relevant information, but Vale still caught flashes, jumbled visions.
A female. A child. A bed. A throne. The throne.
Vale had only visited the court of crystal once, at his father's invitation, over six centuries before, yet he perfectly recalled that imposing throne, inscribed with incredibly fine words in a foreign tongue. He wasn't sure why, but he'd known that the delicate, translucent crystal throne was no simple seat. It held a strange power. A power the dark prince found himself greatly desiring now.
Vale never thought of the throne one way or another before that day. It was his father’s, and it would go to his brother when the overking passed.
Vale understood that. The dark prince didn’t care.
Enough was enough. He’d let the dark prince take over for too long already. Vale slowly, clearly enunciated the spells he used to control his powers in his mind, and reluctantly the dark prince retracted.
Vale released his hold, and the noble immediately passed out, spent.
A sudden and overwhelming fatigue took Vale’s limbs and mind. It had been a long time since he'd let himself embrace the darker part of himself. He supposed that, like any muscle, his shields became rusty when he didn't flex them. Reining himself in had taken some effort. He needed rest. Food. Water.
But his needs would have to wait. The fact that they'd found a Corantian within their walls needed to be reported to the queen immediately.
“Let me know when he wakes up?”
“You got it,” Kal replied. He hesitated before asking, “Are you okay?”
Kal knew what it cost Vale to use his power that way. Torturing the mind of an enemy, all the while feeling everything his victim endured, was a curse. It didn’t bother the dark prince at all while he did it, but Vale was left with consequences. Each time he did so, part of his soul suffered for it.
Vale was painfully aware of Kal’s concern: his second wondered if someday, Vale might lose his apathy and become the beast he used.
And if he was honest, Vale didn’t believe the concern was unfounded.
Carvenstone was his anchor to the world, the one thing that allowed him to hang on. He was determined to protect it—even from himself, if necessary.
Vale sighed. “It needs to be done.” This was no reply, and Kallan knew it. “I’ll be at my mother’s if he wakes within the hour. Then I’ll try to catch some rest. Get Beck and that damn poser, Drake, to guard him in turn. Only those two. I wouldn’t trust anyone else.”
Ten
A New King
Jiya was being quite impossible. Devi had headed to her friend in a quest to get away from Valerius, but the damn female just wouldn’t stop talking about him.
“Seriously, how could you keep the fact that you’re boning Dark and Handsome from me?”
Devi sighed, repeating herself. “New development. He arrived two nights ago. I’ve barely seen you since.”
She wished she could simply tell the truth, but it wasn’t advisable in a roomful of creatures who all had an acute sense of hearing. It would have to wait.
The crowd was still thick and paying attention to her. Valerius might have had a point about the dress. His words kept her planted where she stood; if she left early, some might believe that she was too cowardly to remain when her protector had left. A retreat might have been wise, but her pride prevented it. She wouldn’t leave quite yet.
“I heard elders whisper around me. They said that while Valerius is known to fuck his way around the court, he’s never singled out any female before tonight.”
Devi shrugged wordlessly, glancing toward the exit Valerius had taken, annoyed at him, and at herself too. What if he’d gone off without a word of apology? She shouldn’t give it a thought after his insult. But she did. Damn her, she found herself looking at that door far too often.
“Go on, give me something. Anything.”
“Tomorrow,” Devi promised, sipping on her second glass of wine. “There are too many ears for my liking now.”
At least that much was true.
Jiya sighed, defeated, then started to talk, but something she saw behind Devi’s shoulder made her gasp and stare, eyes widened.
Devi turned, half expecting to find Vale. If only.
She was seriously considering the nefarious consequences of having too much pride; she should have gone back to her apartment, dammit.
King Devin stood behind her, hand extended, smiling pleasantly.
He was very handsome, and so exquisitely exotic. His skin was golden, darker than Devi’s, and his hair was black as night. Keen green eyes lightened his features, making him appear young and mischievous.
“Devira. I’d be enchanted if you were to grant me this dance.”
She practically grimaced, staring at his hand like it might bite.
“I’m sorry, I do find myself quite worn out.”
He dropped his right hand to his side while his left one scratched his head awkwardly. “I see.” He hesitated before adding, “You’re not quite comfortable in my presence.”
“As comfortable as I can be with any stranger, sir,” she lied easily, offering him her best smile.
“Right. Of course. In any case, I offered a dance because I wish to speak to you privately regarding a matter of some sensitivity.”
The king glanced to Jiya purposefully.
“Perhaps we ought to make an appointment for a later date if the matter is confidential. Anywhere in this hall, a dozen ears will catch it, at the very least.”
“Right.” The king paused. “But at a later date, I am correct when I say that we’d talk in the presence of Valerius Blackthorn?”
“Probably.”
The prospect was obviously not appealing to Devin. “I do not wish to make this an official matter between our two realms. I am simply rectifying a matter that should never have occurred.” The king put his hand in the pocket at the side of his embroidered silver and blue coat, pulling out a small piece of paper adorned with his seal.
“This is one of the twelve copies ratified and filed, restoring you as a member of the house of lords, and revoking my father’s orders against your person. I came to express vows of friendship to the queen and her court. They do extend to you.”
Devi broke the seal, opened the folded piece of paper and read the short order. She was to be called Lady Rivers. Her lands in the banks were restored. She was no enemy of the Seelie Court. Just like that.
She chuckled. “That’s….” Finding the right word took an instant. “Nice. I guess. Not having a bounty on my head is certainly pleasant. But I’ll never step foot in the Seelie Court. I’ll never join a realm where females are expected to wed the lords who put a claim on them. I have no interest in that foreign land that bears my name. It has done well enough for the last century without my meddling in its affairs.”
The king was startled, but not outwardly displeased. His features relaxed.
“Good. This piece of paper won’t change the ways of the members of my court. You’d find little welcome in my realm. Nevertheless, know that I bear no ill will toward you. Not all of us seelie are quite as backward as you may have cause to believe.”
He seemed very sincere, and hadn’t twisted his words in a way that might have allowed him to hide a lie.
“Glad to hear it.”
“How about that dance now?” he asked cockily, an open and teasing smile on his lips.
She laughed good-heartedly. “Thanks, but I’m really tired. I’ll be retiring in a minute.”
The
king’s mouth was very expressive, she noted. It dropped and pouted in a way that struck her as handsome and adorable all at once.
“Shame. The music is quite engaging, and I have a mind to join the dance. I know no one but the members of my party.”
His eyes had returned to Jiya at least twice. At first, Devi thought he was simply checking whether she was eavesdropping—and Jiya most definitely was. But finally she understood. Feeling foolish, she exclaimed, “Oh!”
Devi took Jiya’s hand and pulled her forward. “May I introduce my closest acquaintance, Jiya Duniel.”
Jiya wasn’t used to nobility. As an apprentice protector, she was admitted as part of court, but that didn’t change the fact that she was a common fae. She was mostly ignored by all who didn’t need to deal with her.
Devi winced, knowing she would later pay for putting her on the spot like that. Jiya had little magic, but she was twice the fighter Devi was when it came to games of fists and kicks. She was also fast; potentially fast enough to hold her own against Shea.
The ruthless warrior waved awkwardly, bent her knees and said, “Hi.”
Devin smiled politely, extending his hand again. “Hi back. May I request this dance, Lady Duniel.”
“There’s no lady here, but sure, I guess. Thanks.”
And they were off, leaving Devi amused and grateful. Left to her own company, and with the eyes of the room focused on the seelie king, she could finally slip away unnoticed.
Eleven
Tales of the Ages
The elegant corridor leading up to his mother’s chambers on the ground floor of the residential wing was large enough that six men as broad as him could walk side by side. Along the wall, sculptures of great warriors, beautiful maidens, and a naked Adonis had been planted, and in between each priceless piece of art, there was a guard who surveyed him darkly, threateningly, as if daring him to look the wrong way.
Vale wasn’t surprised to see Drake Night come out of the room just as he reached its curved double doors, but he still threw up a little in his mouth.
The issue wasn’t that his mother was having sex, exactly—although, had she been good enough to abstain, it would have certainly helped his nausea. It was that she’d chosen to do it with a male who’d grown up along with Vale and Kal. They’d never been friends—they were too competitive for that—but they’d had each other’s back in battle. Drake had bled to take a hit intended for Vale, and vice versa.
“No need for the grimace,” said the protector. “I was here in my official capacity.”
“Aren’t you always?”
Drake rolled his eyes. “Go on in. She’s waiting for you.”
Of course she was, although Vale had decided to visit her not even ten minutes ago.
“Kal will wish to have words with you,” he told Drake, leaving it at that, as there were far too many ears in the wide-open space.
Drake nodded and took his leave, and Vale passed the doors leading to the queen’s chambers.
It hadn’t changed, at least not in the last seven hundred years. Behind the large heavy doors, there was an impersonal hall that befitted Shea’s rank. A circle of polished white columns supported her bed at the very center of the room. The bed was large enough for a dozen people, and Vale was quite certain that his mother had tested whether a dozen people would indeed fit at one point or another.
The ominous piece of furniture gave him the creeps. Young and beautiful she may seem, but Shea was his mother, and he hated everything that reminded him of the fact that she also happened to be a grown-ass woman very fond of the pleasures of the flesh.
The queen was seated in her study, fully dressed, and Vale couldn’t discern the distinct scent of sex around the room. Thank all heavens, Drake hadn’t deceived him.
“You’re no seer, and yet you often know things well before they occur. How does that work exactly, Mother?”
“A lady has her secrets,” she replied. “And a little bird has whispered in my ears long ago, telling me that I would reveal some of them to you tonight.”
Vale lifted a brow.
“Tell me of the prisoner down in your little playroom.”
Count on her to know of his dungeon. “He’s not saying much yet, but I’ve learned a few things regardless.”
He explained his findings. Shea remained expressionless while he spoke, but Vale saw no surprise in her eyes.
“And you knew everything I just said,” he stated as a conclusion.
She sighed, patting the seat next to hers.
Vale did as he was bid, all the while trying to recall whether he’d ever been invited to sit in his mother’s bedroom. Probably not. As an adult, he’d never remained within those walls long enough to have any reason to take a seat.
As a child…. He allowed himself a smile, imagining the awe he might have felt, had the great and magnificent beauty he called queen asked him to sit in her presence, back in those days before he’d known that he was her son.
“You’ve always been a curious boy. What do you know of ancient history, Vale?”
He frowned. “Are we to discuss my education? Perhaps you could quiz me on dates. I quite like this game.” Shea set her stare on him until he had to point out, “That glare isn’t working on me, Mother. It’s basically like looking in a mirror.”
“If you’re able to keep your tongue in your mouth for a moment, I’ll tell you what you need to know.”
Vale closed his mouth and forced himself to keep it that way as the queen began her tale.
“I’m not talking about your lifetime, or mine for that matter. Have you ever looked into the times before the age of gold, and before the age of kings?”
“I can’t say I have,” he admitted.
He had enough things to worry about in the present. Getting lost in old volumes about the golden days of the past wasn’t his style.
“Shame. Well, I’ll have to run through it quickly. This world was quite different back then. More populous, for one. There was a lot more infrastructure, technology. And war. Everywhere around Ertia, there was war.”
The queen pulled out a map that showed the Isle, the waters around it, and its walls, separating it from the horrors behind them. The bulk of the map was covered by dark patches of lands and sea. But the long parchment also showed other light stretches of land, some larger than the Isle, all fitted with the same golden walls around it.
“There’s more safe land in the world?” he guessed, frowning.
It had been his understanding that the Isle was the last safe harbor of their kind.
“Indeed. There were once five continents, and three remain unaffected. But there’s no time to run through all of this now. I wish to tell you of a bygone era, five thousand years ago. Back then, the world was inhabited by a race of mortals, with short life-spans and a high reproduction rate.”
“Common fae, then,” Vale translated.
Shea shook her head. “No, not quite. These beings called themselves humans. There are some left in the lands of dragons, on the other side of the Dead Waters. Humans had a love for the arts and enough intelligence to build marvelous things, but what they truly excelled at was destroying one another. Among other weapons, they created a virus meant to incapacitate their enemy, but it was more volatile than they’d imagined. That was their doom. Over 97 percent of their population was infected with it. Some survived it, in a manner of speaking. Their bodies would remain alive, and yet their minds were truly gone, leaving nothing but a beastly hunger for any flesh they could find. It was a thing of horror. All would have been lost to this fate, if help hadn’t come to them.”
“Help?” Vale prompted, now quite attentive.
These were some interesting facts he’d never heard before, but part of him grew impatient. He had pressing concerns, and he had no idea how the lesson was supposed to be helpful to him now.
“Yes. Unbeknown to the bulk of their population, the human evolution had been overseen, and often tweaked, by a higher power
—creatures who came from another world far in the skies.”
Now he laughed, actually laughed out loud for a long while. Then, seeing his mother’s expression, he added, “You’re kidding.”
“Are you truly egocentric enough to believe that in all of the stars you can see, just with your naked eyes, there could be no other planet with life?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.
“And yet these creatures came from the skies. To the humans, those beautiful, immortal creatures were nothing short of gods. Over the next years, they battled those we call orcs, those turned humans, until almost none of those foul beasts were left in the Isle. The gods were mighty, but few. A few dozen of them could not hope to defeat billions of vermin and keep the remaining humans unaffected by the virus, so they erected energy walls to keep us safe from what lies beyond. Two continents, and most of the seas, are still swarming with these evil creatures. They’ve depleted their resources by now, eating every living thing around them. Without the mind to farm or gather the food they need, they’re desperate to get to us. Eat our animals, and our flesh, if they can.”
Vale now perfectly understood why children were simply told that an enemy lived beyond the wall. The detailed version would have given any youngling nightmares for years.
Vale had seen orcs. Occasionally, a few made it through the walls and they needed to be put down. Never had he considered that they could possibly have been anything close to fae.
He expressed his doubt. “You say they’re all behind the wall, and yet I certainly have killed my fair share of orcs.”
The queen nodded. “They’re constantly attempting to cross the walls. Sometimes a few pass through. Battling ten, or even a hundred of them is one thing. Fighting against billions would be quite another. The walls prevent an outbreak.”