Seduced By The Fae King (Mated To The Fae King Book 3)

by Bailey Dark

  I dive down, long claws outstretched. I grasp a demon in my paws and drop my teeth to its neck. Hot, foul blood fills my mouth, dripping over my furred chin as I tear at the demon’s jugular. When it goes limp in my arms, I drop it to the ground and turn my sights on my next enemies.

  Adrenaline flows through my veins like raw power and I let it feed off my anger. These are my lands. They belong to the Fae and have for hundreds of thousands of years. I will not let the Bloodbane and Sadal take them from us with their violence and blood. I roar, the sound echoing through the wispy clouds that are beginning to descend on the valley as a fog rolls in. I know my people have heard it because they slam the hilts of their swords against their shields.

  My claws shred through the demons that are scrambling to reach the walls of the castle. They screech and blood splatters my black fur and wings. Hot oil is poured from the castle walls onto the demons that have reached the base. Without hesitation, the archers dip their arrows in the nearby flames and set the oil ablaze. The demons burst into flames, howling and writhing as the fire eats away at their strange scaled skin.

  The sight is sickening, but I feel my chest swell with satisfaction watching them burn below. A horn blows from the other side of the castle, the signal Moritz and I agreed upon if the demons breached that side. The satisfaction I felt seconds before flutters out like a match in a strong wind. I soar over the castle turrets, eyes locked on the walls in the distance. I see the black shadows of demons scrambling over the ramparts and down into the castle gardens. I land beside Moritz’s best men, the ground shaking from the force of my drop. They glance at me, intelligent eyes flashing with anticipation. I shift back into my Fae form, there’s nothing to be done in the sky while the demons are swarming into the mazes and gardens that have been so carefully groomed.

  I dart into one of the mazes, the hedge walls so tall they cast long shadows into the narrow paths. Sword in hand, I peer cautiously round corner after corner, listening for the rabid breathing of the demons. I squeeze the hilt of the blade tighter as I catch the loud scrabbling of a demon running through the maze. It’s breathing sounds wet, as if blood filled its mouth. I close my eyes, listening intently.

  At the last second, I dart around the corner and shove my blade into its flabby belly. The demon rears up, screeching. Its yellow claws slash towards me and I duck, darting backwards. Breathing fast, I block one of the demon’s long armed attacks. My heart pounds as I dodge another strike, feeling one of its claws slice through the sleeves of my tunic and nick at my arm. I hiss as blood stains my sleeve and the demon’s eyes glitter.

  In the distance, I can hear the slashing of blades as the rest of the soldiers fall into combat with the demon’s that have breached the walls. The demon’s breath wafts over me, hot and stinking of blood. I curl my lip at it and fly into action, thrusting my sword towards its skull. The demon lurches to the side, but it isn’t quick enough. There’s a sickening squelch as my blade slips through the bone of its skull and into the meaty flesh of its brain.

  The demon freezes in place, eyes wide. Its jaw goes slack, black blood dripping thickly from its maw. I grimace as the demon finally falls to the side, landing with a thump. My hands tremble with adrenaline and I toss my head back, a scream wrenching from my throat. A drop of cold rain lands on my cheek and I open my eyes to see a torrent of rain falling towards me. I take a deep, shuddering breath as the rain soaks through the fabric of my tunic. It washes the demon’s blood towards me, and I step back with disgust.

  I run from the maze, towards the sound of fighting. I burst out of the hedges and see Moritz’s men grappling with the demons. The ground is slick, the dirt paths turning to mud. The Fae soldiers’ faces are twisted with fury and exertion as more demons sweep into the walls to replace the ones that have fallen.

  I whirl towards a demon, my sword slicing through its thick neck. It screeches but doesn’t die. I bring my sword down again, hacking through the thick muscles and scaled skin like a man possessed. Black blood flies over me, splattering my face. I feel it drip down over my eyes but it’s not long until the rain washes it away.

  More horns sound, muffled by the rain, and I know the demons have breached the gate. Fear lances through me. We’re falling. I stare towards the door embedded in the castle stones that lead to the hidden tunnels that are our only hope of retreat. Time flows slowly as I watch more and more of Moritz’s best fall, their blood coating the demons’ claws and teeth.

  I spin away, transforming almost instantly into my beastly form. I fly upwards, just out of reach of the demons’ claws. To my horror, I see a group of them scrambling up the wet stones of one of the towers. I drag my eyes away from them, even as some stones come crumbling down. This castle has stood for thousands of years, since before my father’s father. I blink against the rain flying into my eyes, if we lose here, this castle will fall.

  As I wheel around the castle, it’s as if the walls surround my palace have completely disappeared beneath the hordes of demons scrambling over them. The men below are panicking, but they fight hard. It’s as if Sadal only showed half of his force’s strength during the last battle. It’s as if he was only toying with us. I soar towards the walls and plow through a pile of demons trying to claw over each other in their desperation to reach the carnage below.

  I leave the castle behind as I fly over the never-ending waves of demons. They pour endlessly from the forests and over the surrounding hills. A flash of lightning illuminates the dark day, and I spot a red tent in the distance. I feel a wave of anger. Sadal will be there, hiding from the rain, smiling as my people fall.

  I fly towards it, wings beating powerfully to carry my swiftly. Another flash of lightning, followed by roiling thunder, and I see Sadal’s small figure in the distance. This time, nothing will stop me from killing him before he has a chance to take his strange, powerful body of shadows. Nothing will stop me from striking him down before my castle falls.

  I can see his grin now. His eyes are on me and I drop to the ground. I shift out of my beastly body before my feet have touched the ground. I draw my sword without hesitation and stride towards Sadal. Shoulders hunched. I seethe. The demons ignore me, just streaks of black in the fog of the strange storm that rolled in.

  Sadal leers at me when I stop a few feet away from him. Maaz is nowhere to be seen, likely with her Bloodbane forces. I squeeze the hilt of my sword and shake my wet locks from my face. “Sadal,” I growl.

  “Altair,” he says, tilting his head to the side. “Things aren’t looking so good for you.”

  “Let’s finish this now,” I say, lifting my sword towards him.

  Sadal laughs, his shoulders shaking. “Altair, I never took you for a fool. Well, not this big a fool. You can’t kill me. I’m a god.”

  “Not for long,” I hear a soft voice say over the force of the rain.

  My eyes drift towards the voice, heart singing as Verity’s slim figure appears behind Sadal. Her hood is drawn up against the rain, but I can see the light glinting in her eyes. It’s enough to make me forget the flash of silver I saw in her hand. I step forward, relief flooding through me at the sight of her. Her eyes are narrowed, lips pale with cold or fear, I don’t know.

  “Darling,” Sadal purrs. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  Verity doesn’t answer, I see her hand dart towards him and her lips twist into a snarl. I see the dagger in her hand fly towards him and my jaw goes slack. I lunge forward, knowing her attack with such a small thing won’t be enough to kill Sadal. He’ll strike her. I’ll lose her.

  She cries out as Sadal’s hand snatches her wrist. He squeezes so hard the dagger falls from her hand, clattering to the stones. He narrows his eyes at me, a scowl twisting his handsome face into a gruesome expression of cruelty. “Excuse us, Altair, I’m afraid my wife needs punishing,” Sadal says smoothly.

  “Verity,” I shout, reaching for her.

  Her eyes are wide, locked on mine for an instant before she disappears. I spin,
almost losing my footing on the slick stone. But Verity is gone. The dagger is still on the ground and I tuck it into my belt. With a roar of fury, I throw myself into the clouds and shift into my cursed form. Verity is gone, gone, gone. It’s all I can think. Verity. The castle is coming back into view, and I know we’re overrun. Moritz will have called for the retreat. I fly towards the tunnels and see the last of my men fending off the demons.

  We’ve lost.

  Chapter 11

  Verity

  The night was long after my dream of Altair. Sleep never came for me again, but the images of Altair were so clear I didn’t want to sleep anyway. I only wanted to remember. I spent the last stretches of darkness finessing the spell that will turn Sadal mortal.

  I heard the demons marching all night and the Bloodbane rustling into action. I knew something was on the horizon, another of Sadal’s plans to take the kingdom and then more. The light of the morning sun glows against the red walls of the tent. I feel like I’m trapped in a giant womb. I bend on the ground, using powdered glass to create intricate patterns on the tent floor. My blood is already pooled beneath the powder, glistening in the low light. I take the dagger in hand and slip it through my blood and the various powders and spellwork.

  The air sings with the force of the enchantment and a grin stretches across my face. I lift the dagger and stare at my reflection in the dark blood. I wait for a moment for the blood to absorb into the porous metal and then wipe it clean on the folds of my cloak. The sun is brighter now, and the marching of the demons is just an echo in the distance. Sadal will be here soon. Whatever he is planning, we’re on the cusp of it.

  I scramble to hide my spell and tuck the blade into a strap of leather I’ve tied around my thigh. Sadal’s fingers are always playing at my waist, making me sick. I rise from my kneeling position and catch my reflection in the mirror. Bruises have blossomed on my neck, like pale purple orchids. I close my eyes and relive the moments Sadal forced himself on me. Anger blooms in my chest and my stomach coils with the intensity of it.

  I crack my knuckles, imagining it’s the sound of Sadal’s bones breaking and I feel a small thread of satisfaction. With a vicious smile on my lips I slip out of the tent and into the foggy morning air. I take a deep breath of clean mountain air. The soft wind blowing through the pass has cleared the air of the demons’ stench that hung heavy over it. It’s a new place now, reborn. I would almost call the gray crevices and tall, sheer cliffs beautiful.

  Nowhere I’ve been in my own dimension was anything as imposing as the pass we’ve camped in for the past few nights. I think back to only a few months ago, when I knew nothing of Fae or old gods or magic. I smile, picturing the students at the rundown high school I worked in. I wonder if any of them noticed my absence or how the administration explained my disappearance. I wonder about my parents, if their lives have returned to normal yet. I wonder if they have pictures of me on their mantle, if they tell new friends that their daughter disappeared, and they still hope for her return. I feel a pang of guilt and sorrow in my chest as I think of the life I lost.

  But there are people in Alnembra, thousands of people, who needed me. And they still do. Because without me, the curse will take hold again. I know it will, I can feel it coming. But Sadal doesn’t need the curse to take what he wants. I wonder if he simply let Maaz play her games because he was bored.

  Sadal doesn’t have to speak for me to recognize his sudden presence. The air itself grows cold; a cloud mysteriously blocks the sun. I glance over my shoulder towards him. He stands tall, imposing, and surrounded by a quiet anger. My thoughts flash to last night and I know he’s thinking of it too. I wonder just how many Bloodbane have ever denied him. But I’m no Bloodbane. This cloak means nothing, and neither does my quest for vengeance – no matter what Nakarr says.

  “I have a surprise for you,” he says smoothly, his black eyes roving over me. They linger at the wet blood on my cloak. “What’s that?”

  I trace it with my finger and hold it out to me, the blood glittering in the sun. “Have a taste,” I say innocently. I lick the blood from my finger when he doesn’t come closer.

  Sadal stares at me with unreadable expression before slipping an arm around my waist. “Ready, my bride?”

  I stare up at him defiantly. “Ready.”

  I mean it. Whatever horror he has in store for me, whatever vicious plan he’s concocted to break me, it won’t work. Sadal smiles at me and it stretches too wide. I know he senses my defiance, that he knows I’m more stubborn than ever. Without warning, he forces a rough kiss to my lips, and I lurch back in surprise. His tongue darts into my mouth and I release a muffled cry. I feel his cold skin heat at the sound.

  He darts away as I bite down hard on his bottom lip. I taste blood, sharp and sour, and spit it out, onto his shoes. He chuckles, unbothered by the pain or the soiling of his clothes. Sadal wipes away the blood and smears it across my cheek with his thumb. I flinch away, disgusted by the smear of off-colored blood that coats my skin.

  “I think you’ll enjoy what comes next,” he says jovially.

  Sadal teleports us out of the pass before I can blink. When I open my eyes again, my vision is still fuzzy from the jolt of the magical travel. I take long, shaky breaths, straining my eyes to take in my surroundings. The silence in this new place is overwhelming, so quiet that it sends a chill down my spine.

  When my vision finally clears, I inhale sharply. Sadal has brought me to the hill overlooking Altair’s castle, my home for the last few months. The hills are covered by the demon army, stretching from behind us to the surrounding forests, to the walls surrounding the castle. I curl my hands into fists at my side at the overwhelming sight of the demons surrounding Altair. I can only imagine his forces are sequestered behind the walls, preparing for the coming carnage.

  My narrowed eyes slip towards Sadal. He’s watching my reaction closely, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I draw the cloak closer around myself to keep my hands away from the dagger around my thigh.

  “Your mortal eyesight isn’t quite as fine as mine,” Sadal purrs. “But I’ll tell you what I see.”

  “Where are the Bloodbane?” I ask, ignoring him. I don’t see their bright red cloaks anywhere.

  “Where they need to be,” Sadal says. “The fighting has begun, watch closely.”

  He’s right. The demons are storming the walls with vicious howls, breaking their silence. By the sound of their crying, some have fallen by the archers lining the ramparts. Suddenly, I catch sight of a black wings, longer than the length of my body, stretching through the rolling fog. I gasp at the sight of Altair in his beastly form, sweeping through the crowds of demons. I almost drop to my knees seeing him alive in the present. I dreamt of him last night, but I thought it was only a desperate vision – one more memory to get me through life after his death.

  Sadal is watching me, I can feel his eyes on me. I don’t bother hiding my happiness. A smile spread across my face and I feel tears welling in my eyes. My chest is too tight, painful even as I hold back cries of happiness. Alive. Alive. Alive. Altair is alive.

  He disappears behind the castle towers and my heart instantly aches for another sight of him. Sadal closes in on me and grips my chin hard. He forces my head towards him but I can’t drag my eyes away from the battle.

  “Look at me,” he hisses. As if his words were a spell, my eyes dart towards him. “I’ll break him as many times as I have to, to make you understand.”

  “You can’t break him,” I say through gritted teeth. My heart is swollen with pride. “He’s stronger than you.”

  “You forget that I’m a god,” Sadal says coldly.

  My eyes flash. “I haven’t forgotten.”

  “My strength is infinite, my power is endless, time is nothing to me. Do you understand?” Sadal hisses.

  “I understand that Altair doesn’t need your strength or power to make you fall,” I say, eyes flashing with faith. “He’ll fight
you for thousands of years until you understand that. He’ll fight you without his armies if it comes to that.”

  Sadal curls his lip at me and tosses me aside. I stumble as rain begins to pour from the low-hanging clouds above. The rain doesn’t touch Sadal, as if even the rain is too frightened to wet the evil god. I draw my hood up as rain spills into my eyes. The fighting is obscured now and the sounds are muffled. I can only imagine what must be happening at the castle.

  Anxiety sweeps through me, sending tingles to the tips of my fingers. This is Altair’s last stronghold before Desmarais. I can only hope that Desmarais is truly empty now. More demons rush past us on the hill, heading directly for the castle. I turn and see an endless stream of them from the mountains and fear grips my chest. There can’t be many Fae soldiers inside the castle walls. They’re outnumbered but I know that won’t stop Altair from putting up a fight.

  From the fog and roiling clouds, a black-winged beast appears. Altair’s hazel eyes are locked on Sadal, and I know by the curl of his lip that he has eyes only for Sadal. Sadal steps forward, anticipating Altair, but at the last moment, Altair drops to the soggy grass at the base of the hill. I reach down to the dagger lying against my thigh and hide it in the folds of my cloak.

  Altair stalks up the hill, his sword in hand. His hazel eyes flash, locked on Sadal. Rain pours down his face, his hair, sopping wet, sticks to his forehead. He shakes it, droplets of water spraying around him. He scowls at Sadal and lifts his sword up. Altair points the blade directly at Sadal and I feel a rush of pride at the way he faces off against the dark god without fear.

  “Sadal.” Altair’s eyes are cold and calculated, narrowed.

  Sadal smirks. “Altair. Things aren’t looking so good for you.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, curling my lip. But I wait, partially hidden behind Sadal’s wide shoulders. Altair points the tip of his blade at Sadal’s throat. “Let’s finish this,” he says, his voice dangerously low.