A wetthwackcut off Kalen’s protests.
Daigh had moved so fast, I didn’t even see him. Human eyes cannot process the true speed of a fae.
One moment he was reclined, the next, he stood beside his son, bone blade at his side, the tip pointed at the ground. The length of the blade dripped with blood.
A thin wheeze escaped Kalen’s throat at the same time a line of blood appeared around his neck. Daigh had cleaved his son’s head off with such precision that it hadn’t yet fallen from Kalen’s neck.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Kalen’s eyes glassed over, and with a final wheeze, his body sagged to the ground, reverting to its dog form. His head separated from his body and rolled across the dirt, coming to a stop at my feet.
I kicked it toward Daigh, who laughed his deep, horrible laugh, and kicked it over to Elden, the General of the Unseelie guard. Elden kicked it to Hefeydd, and an impromptu game of soccer broke out in the middle of Court.
The Seelie faeries hung back in horror, wrinkling their faces with distaste as lines of royal blood marred the dirt. They were inourCourt now, where chaos and cruelty reigned.
With the Court thus occupied, I slipped back from the crowd and made my way to my father’s throne. Daigh reclined once more, polishing his sword against his black cloak, smearing his son’s blood down his shirt. I knew, objectively, that the sight of it should make me sick, but I’d seen Daigh kill many princes in my lifetime. He could always bear more children, and the life of a prince was only worth as much as his duty and loyalty to the Court.
That’s why I intended to make myself the worthiest of all.
“You were wise to be rid of him,” I murmured in my father’s ear as I reached for a platter of grapes and handed one to him.
“I am disappointed,” he said, allowing me to place the grape on his tongue, while he held up the blade to inspect the edge. “Kalen was one of our finest warriors.”
“A warrior is no good if he cannot follow instructions.”
“True.” Daigh slid the sword back into his scabbard. He patted my knee. “My son was so unlike you, Blake. I alwaysexpected you to be a great disappointment. It would not have been your fault, given your lineage. But you have borne your time here with great strength and loyalty. I noticed that Kalen tried to pull you in to defend him.”
“A foolish move.”And you’re just as foolish, if you believe this flattery imbues my loyalty. It may work on your fae, but I am not fae.
I kept those thoughts to myself and pressed my advantage. “So how will we proceed, now that the witches know of our advantage?”
Daigh gave a shrug, as if it were neither here nor there. “We will send more warriors to bother them near the castle. Meanwhile, while their attentions are elsewhere, we will continue with the plan as conceived.”
“Excellent idea, my King.” I bowed my head, hoping my platitudes had been enough. “And with Kalen’s now separated from his body, who will you send to lead the first mission?”
“I was thinking of sending you.”
Yes.I tried to keep my grin solemn, so he wouldn’t realize just how much I’d been counting on obtaining command. “Thank you, Father.”
“That is, if you can handle it. This will be the first time you return to the human realm. There will be many temptations. It may be hard for you to return, especially if your mission takes you past a curry shop.”
It was a joke, but a pointed one.
I bowed my head again. “You have shown me great favor, Father. To have been allowed to live in the fae realm, to have been given the value of your centuries of knowledge… it is worth more to me than a hundred curries. Even though the portal now allows me egress, I will not betray you.”
At least, not yet.
“You do yourself great honor, Blake.” My father’s emerald eyes bore into mine. “Do your duty well and you will be rewarded handsomely in the new fae world.”
“Thank you, Father. I will make you proud.” I bowed and slunk away, fading into the press of fae bodies gyrating in their revels. I pushed my way through the crowd, stepping over the mangled body of Kalen’s canine corpse, and pressed my back against the dirt wall of the sidhe.
I needed a moment to take stock of my current situation.
Kalen’s stupidity had been advantagous. It would have alerted the witches that the fae were increasing their power and could now send more warriors into their realm, so when it came time to reveal myself, I’d be more likely to gain their trust.
Most importantly, I hadn’t had to kill him, as was my original plan, to take hi place on the next expeditionary force to the human realm. After Kalen’s fuck up, Daigh wasn’t going to trust just anyone, and I’d proved myself more than trustworthy.
This could work.
