“What’s happened to you?”He struggled to get the words out, my hand still putting pressure around his throat. I realized then what I was doing and let go of him quickly. He slumped back, and I blinked in shock. I’d never hurt Vissy. I loved him, more than anyone else in my life.
“A new order, huh?”Vissy scoffed, looking at me like he didn’t know me at all. “Do you know how you sound right now? I thought this war was to end Night’s attacks, but now you’re rounding up humans, lashing out at everyone, and don’t even pretend like I don’t know what happened with Astraeus.”
He narrowedhis eyes at me, daring me to refute it. He knew me too well, and while I opened my mouth to defend myself, when he raised a disbelieving brow at me, I couldn’t get the words out.
He laughed wryly,“Where does this end, Cyrus?”
“What?”I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“Where does it end?What are your plans? What is the Shalim damned goal here?” Vissy’s voice rose as he went on, and I tried to shush him, only to be brushed off.
“Shut up!”I finally roared, making him rear back. “I am your king. You don’t need to know. You just need to follow orders.”
He scoffed,shaking his head sadly. When he looked back at me, his gaze was colder than it had ever been. “Fuck you, Cyrus.”
I jolted in shock,rage rising as yet another person turned on me. If I couldn’t even trustVissy, there was truly no one left I could put any faith in.
“You’ve gone too far,”he spat, unaware of my rising fury, the lightning sparking at my fingertips. “The entire kingdom is in upheaval. Humans are revolting. Fae are scared and unsure what to do. Even under your father?—”
That was morethan I could take. Being compared tohim, being told I wasinferiorto him…
I lashedout with a bolt of lightning, and it hit its target with unerring accuracy.
I watched as my brother,in all but blood, fell to the ground, blinking slowly. I crouched beside him, his slackened face and shocked eyes locking on mine.
“Don’t worry,you won’t die,” I assured him, and he continued to blink slowly, still feeling the effects of being shocked by the lightning bolt. “But it’s clear you can no longer be trusted. Questioning me in such a way.” I shook my head sadly at him, tutting. “You’ll enjoy your stay in our dungeons instead of your usual rooms, I think.”
I calledfor one of my guards and had him taken away. I watched as they grabbed him by the arms, his feet dragging as they carried him away.
I sighed heavily,running my hand through my hair. That certainly did not go to plan. I needed to let off some steam, so I went in search of Zerlina. Losing myself in her mouth or cunt would take my mind off what had just happened.Andwhat had happened before it.
Couldno one around me see the vision?
Perhaps not.They had not been blessed with dreams of greatness as I had. I knew what this all led to, and I couldn’t chance anyone stopping me. If the kings and lords knew their own power was at risk, they would never follow me as I needed. At least until their usefulness was at an end.
Zerlina wasn’tin her rooms, and with a sinking feeling, I made my way toward Daneiris’s. Those two had been spending too much time together, and I was nearly positive I’d find her there.
As I got close,I could hear their voices, still at a low volume that was no more than a mumble, but it was definitely them. The guards at my sister’s door spotted me as I turned the corner, and quickly knocked twice on the door, before I even reached them. It instantly made me suspicious.
Didshe instruct her guards to alert her if I came?
Why else wouldthey not wait for me to be standing before them, as was standard procedure?
They openedthe door for me with bowed heads, and I eyed them both carefully, noting their appearances to ensure they could be questioned later.
It wouldn’t doto alert my sister or betrothed that their guards would be questioned.
Entering the room,I found Daneiris and Zerlina looking up at me too innocently from the table. Several other ladies surrounded them, and their slaves were all against the walls, heads down, as if afraid to catch my attention.
As they should be.
“Cyrus, darling,”Zerlina greeted with a smile that was all fake courtly grace. “What brings you here?”
“Well…”I drew the word out, my brow slowly rising as I watched Daneiris stiffen slightly. Zerlina maintained her relaxed demeanor, but I could see their ladies shifting slightly around the table.
“I was hopingto find you, actually.” I smirked, then drew up a chair, sitting at the table with them, and making everyone present even more visibly uncomfortable. “But now, I find myself wondering.”
“Oh?”Zerlina asked, trying to maintain her demeanor, but her mouth gave her away, pursing slightly before she forcibly made her lips smooth back out into a smile. “What about?”
