“Don’t worry,” he promised his inner circle, “I’m certain we have a slew of lord primes to murder when we get home.” He continued stalking toward the warden’s soldiers who’d been foolish enough to follow her to their deaths. “I don’t hear anyone answering my questions,” he spoke plainly. Softly. Screams pierced the air as his void magic poured darkness into their mouths, noses, eyes, made it seep through the minuscule poresof their skin. The screams hit a shriller pitch as the darkness burrowed into their souls and ate away at their very essence.
The elemental powers—air, stone, wind, fire—were born of the inherent magic within the lands each faefolk spanned. But the other three faefolk, Hyperion, Aether, and Apollyon—their sources of magic were of an entirely different nature. Hyperion fae possessed magic that drew upon the power of the sun. Aether fae tapped into something that was far above and beyond a mere fifth element—aether permeated all matter and all space. It was the fundamental substance from which the Celestials had forged every living and nonliving thing in the world.
Then there were the Apollyon fae.
They drew upon the power of the moon and the dark, icy Void that existed not on this plane but in a pocket between realms and was the origin source from which all realms, including the one Nimani existed in, was birthed. At least, that was how the preachings of the clerics went. Malachi had stopped placing the religious leaders on a pedestal a long time ago, and as a result, he believed little he couldn’t see or prove for himself. So while he wasn’t sure about the exact origins of all the classes of fae magic, he was sure that the darkness that coursed through his veins felt like being trapped in an endless hell, in a void region that was deprived of all light and sound and only allowed you tofeel… where an executioner wielded a frozen hatchet and used it to carve off pieces of you—body and soul—bit by bit.
This was something he truly knew too. When he’d reached the age of maturity, Nychelle had made sure he experienced what being on the receiving end of his own void magic felt like. She’d used a common siphoning rune to briefly steal his power and turn it against him.A king must know his own power intimately if he is to wield it to maximum effect, and he must understand theextent of the havoc it can wreak if he is to wield it responsibly, Nychelle had said.
He inwardly winced at that memory, even as his chuckle now mingled with the Stone Court soldiers’ endless wails. He needed to thank his auntie for making this moment so much more delicious by ensuring he knew precisely how much agony these bastards lingered in. Blood began leaking from the eyes of his captives. Next, it oozed from their noses and mouths, transforming their screams into gurgles as they choked on it. Malachi eased up on the one named Gengin while letting the light fade from the eyes of the others. Once their bodies slumped against the grass, nearly ensconced by the mists that were heaviest nearest the ground, Malachi severed his assault completely on Gengin.
“Start talking,” he ordered, “and I’ll extend you the charity of taking your head rather than resuming the mode of death the other traitors have suffered.”
“The … the warden,” Gengin sputtered, lips and teeth stained red. “She feared that the Aether bitch might be wedded to either you or Cassius—or the Hyperion king if he got her back, or someone else—to make the future that the Celestials predicted come to pass. Lady Niyarre … she … supports Cassius’s challenge for the throne only on the surface. She thought it would distract you, Your Grace, and allow her to kill the Aether—”
“Watch what word you use,” he said, his voice as icy as the cold that had killed the other soldiers, all while wondering why he cared how she was insulted.
Because she ismineto insult—not anyone else’s, and certainly not this piece of shit before me.
Swallowing, Gengin said, “The princess.” Malachi nodded, and then motioned with his hand for the guard to continue.“She knows you wouldn’t pass up the chance to use such a valuable tool to stabilize your rule and make people forget about the prophecy concerning yourself. Taking as your queen and siring a child with the very woman that the Celestials seem to favor would counter the Cleric’s Rebellion’s longtime opposition to you as monarch and make it much harder for them to eventually unseat you.”
Shadows lashed at Gengin and Malachi knew darkness clung to him as well. Knew his pupils had shifted to pools of black that were as glacial and unforgiving as the Void. “First thing,” Malachi snarled, “are you telling me that you, asentrywho had gate duty, are privy to all this? Secondly, are you telling me, soldier, that Lady Niyarre is involved with the Cleric’s Rebellion? To what extent?” The asshole trembled, like he knew the rest of what he was about to admit would piss Malachi off more.
“My patience is wearing severely thin,” Malachi warned when Gengin didn’t continue divulging what he knew at once.
“We talk,” Gengin said. “Us guards. My friends …” He looked around the field, as if realizing that those friends were no more, and choked.
“Tell me,” Malachi commanded.
“Some were part of her personal security. They … they told me what they’d heard.”
“And the rest?” Malachi asked, getting to the true information he craved.
“The … the Cleric’s Rebellion has vowed to support Lady Niyarre’s ascension to the Apollyon throne and in turn she has provided sanctuary for its faithful members since … since the former king and queen’s deaths.”
Malachi blinked. Then he saw black. A roaring thunderedin his ears at the knowledge.The fucking Cleric’s Rebellion. Lady Niyarre was working with the bloody damned Cleric’s Rebellion.And the rot that his father hadn’t perceived and excised when he should have was spreading.But it wouldn’t continue to do so for long. It wasn’t only his rage that crackled in the air around them. Malachi felt the potent rage of each of his Cadre too.
“How long have they been allied?” Jakobi demanded, a void sword having already formed in his grasp.
Gengin eyed the weapon and the stench of his fear intensified. He swallowed thickly. “Since before the former king and queen’s deaths. She was meant to become the court’s new queen.”
“But she didn’t,” Malachi growled. “Their little coup was only partially successful and then the survivors had to scuttle into hiding.” At least all survivors who were not Lady Niyarre, for no one had discerned until this point that she’d been a part of the rebellion’s treachery all along. The bitch had been right there, right under their noses, and she’d escaped suspicion. Further, Malachi had slept with her daughter … an occurrence he was now damn certain was no coincidence.
“The warden’s daughter, Lady Arrenia—what role does she play in this?” Malachi questioned coolly. He wanted to hear the verbal confirmation so when he tore through Lady Niyarre’s entire cursed bloodline, there would be no excuses for people to balk at his actions. He’d be well and truly justified and operating within Court Law.
Gengin recovered a portion of his balls. “Arrenia was meant to get close to you. She was to learn any habits or weaknesses that the rebellion could use against you,” he sneered.
“Again, how would you possibly know this? How would any of yourfriends?” Malachi asked, curling shadows aroundGengin’s throat just tight enough to wipe off the insulting sneer. “There’s no way they’d be so careless as to speak of this around any of you.”
“Bed talk makes for loose lips,” Gengin choked out, and glanced at a body to his left. “He … Arrenia … They were close.”
And now they’re far apart. But not for long …
“Where is the warden hiding the Cleric’s Rebellion?” Shionne asked, interrupting Malachi’s violent thoughts even as he felt the surrounding mist plunging to unforgivable temperatures.
“I don’t know,” Gengin said.
“What else do you know, then?” Shionne pressed. “How about the names of other lord primes conspiring with Lady Niyarre? Can you tell me that?”
