Let me take Daigh, though. I’ll feed him nightmares until his head explodes.
As much as the thought of watching you kill Daigh excites me, Princess, you can’t. Not tonight.
Why not? You saw what he did?—
I saw.Even inside my head I could hear the darkness in Blake’s words.But this won’t be over just because Daigh dies, and right now his connection to you might be the only leverage we have.
He was right. I hated that he was right. If Daigh died, the Slaugh would still come. And even if we defeated them, the fae would come again, and again. We needed a permanent solution.
What kind of distraction can you do without your magic?
You’ll know it when you see it. Just stay alive for another couple of minutes.
I’ll do my best,I promised.
Blake’s voice went dark as the fae tossed Corbin’s body into the fire. The flames leapt over his body, capturing his limbs and tangling through his dark hair. High, keening wails pierced the night, stabbing into the cavity that had once held my heart. I recognised the voice, even though the sound was like nothing I’d ever heard before.
Rowan.
This was breaking him. His pain pierced the night as the flames charred and peeled Corbin’s skin.
I couldn’t cry, couldn’t feel. Daigh had taken everything away from me.
Daigh strutted down the line in front of his fae warriors, his emerald eyes glittering under the moonlight.My eyes. I hated him with the fire of a thousand suns.
“Why have you done this?” I yelled at him, my voice ringing clear and hard over the crackling flames. “We would have aligned with you and given you back your wild places. We would have helped you oppose Liah. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”
Daigh’s eyes flickered to mine. “What I wanted wasyou, daughter. Your magic will bring the world to its knees. These pointless witches stifle you. They rein in your destructive power and force you to bed them in order to channel but a fraction of your true skill. You and I will rule over this world together, with every fae and witch and human slave in our thrall.”
“Nothing you do will make me rule alongside you now.”
“I don’t believe that’s true. When you brought Aline back for me, for us, I knew that in your heart you wanted us to be together. You gave me no choice. I could see you wouldn’t join me while these humans were still alive. Now you’ll see yourrealfamily.”
“If you think this is the way a family behaves, then you know even less than I thought.”
“True enough. But I need them all gone. I need to show my fae I will be ruthless in the face of my enemies, and any witch who refuses to swear fealty to me is useless. It does well for me to have the humans weasel out the rest of your kind. Once word spreads across the world about what went on at Briarwood tonight, none of the covens will be safe.”
Cold horror settled on my chest. I couldn’t let Daigh get into people’s heads. I knew how convincing he could be, even without compulsion. He’d light the world up with witch burnings once again.
You’re brilliant, Princess,Blake’s voice boomed in my head.Keep him talking.
I glared at Daigh. “If this is about witches, then let Kelly go. She’s not even one of us.”
“No, but you love her. I’m hardly going to share you, now am I?” Daigh snapped his fingers and two other fae stepped out of formation to approach Kelly. They grabbed her arms and dragged her to her feet.
“Kelly!” I screamed, my vision swimming.
Her eyes flew open. “Maeve, help me!” she cried.
I bucked and thrashed, trying to break through my bonds. My magic pulsed and twisted inside me, desperate to be free. It slammed against the wall again and again. I can’t.I can’t I can’t I can’t.
Youcan, Princess.Blake’s fierce voice pierced my mind.I won’t let anyone else die tonight. But you have to keep it together just a bit longer. Distraction inbound.
“Time to hoist up the annoying one.” Daigh snapped his fingers again. Two soldiers by the fire poked Corbin’s body with two long poles, rolling his corpse out of the flames. They heaved him up and shoved him onto the stake.
A sickeningCRACKpierced the night as the stake broke through Corbin’s chest. His blackened corpse slid down the wood. His head lolled back and the whites of his eyes caught the flames. I knew that for the rest of my life I’d never be able to close my eyes without that vision burning my eyelids.
Someone was screaming. It took me a moment to realise it was me.
