“So one of your people betrayed you, is what you’re saying?” I pushed, getting frustrated.
“Who’s to say really?” Aelius said casually, smiling slightly, with a shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe one of your people did.”
“They didn’t,” I ground out, aggravated. “The only ones who knew about this were your people.”
When Aelius just shrugged his shoulder again, I ground my teeth back and forth. Just looking at him made me itch with the desire to kill him. His smugness aside, the bits of Asteria I could pick out made me furious. She should be here, at my feet, where she belongs. Not off gallivanting with Calix.
I took a subtle breath, reminding myself of why I must do this. All would be made right by the end, and I’d ensure his daughter would be all that remained of him.
I stood from my throne, enjoying the way heads bowed around the room. The few humans in the room practically cowered back, bringing a small smile to my lips. Now,thatwas the proper order of things.
“Walk with me, Aelius,” I commanded, and the raised golden brow I got in response had me fixing him with a look that made it clear it wasn’t a suggestion.
His eyes narrowed, looking me over critically, before his head dipped in a single nod, and he fell in beside me as I walked through the doors of the throne room into the hall.
“You know who did this, don’t you?” I asked, keeping my eyes straight ahead. The too-casual replies were more suspicious than anything, and I was positive he knew exactly what had happened.
Aelius sighed, beleaguered. “Yes, but I’m handling it.”
“Handling it?” I hissed, stopping in my tracks and grabbing his arm. He looked down at my hand, completely unimpressed. He reached down and removed it despite my trying to fight it. I growled as he managed to throw my hand away from him.
Aelius stepped up into me, until his face was uncomfortably close to mine. Forcing me to witness the streaks of sunlight in his sky-blue eyes that otherwise mirrored Asteria’s.
“Remember,boy,” he spat. “You may be king of this lesser kingdom, but I have hundreds of years on you. Don’t test me. I have little patience for fools.”
Lightning crackled around my fingers, but I couldn’t kill him yet. Luckily, an idea came to me, and a slow smirk replaced the snarl curling my lips.
“It was your son, wasn’t it?” I whispered, cooing at him. “Aw, are you actually trying to protect him? For once in his whole life?” I placed a hand dramatically over my heart. “I’m moved, Aelius.”
“He’s a foolish boy.” Aelius glared, a muscle in his jaw jumping. “He doesn’t understand, but he will. And let me make one thing straight. I may not be impressed with him, but I won’t let you kill my only son either.”
“Then you better get Day in line.” I let the blood magic fuel me until lightning crackled all around us. Aelius twitched as the bolts closed in on him. “If your son gets in the way of our goal, he’ll have to be dealt with. So why don’t you go gather your armies, corral your son, and use your common fucking sense to find where he hid—my—HUMANS!” I screamed, snarling right in his face as my lightning pressed down on Aelius, close enough to kill should he move an inch.
Aelius nodded once, jaw tight, and I let the lightning fade with his submission. Aelius quickly moved to walk away, his body unnaturally stiff.
“Oh, Aelius?” I called as he moved down the hall. He turned back, a glare aimed at me that did nothing but make me smirk following my victory. “Be quick about it. If you’re not back before Night moves, you’re going to have a much bigger problem than a female heir.”
I swirled around, walking off in the opposite direction. Rage was a constant companion, but in moments like these, it bubbled up more. I brought myself to the closest patio and let my wings snap out, bright pink feathers flapping as I took off into the sky.
At least Aelius would move his ass now. I had other things I needed to tend to. I flew off toward the Namminian Ocean, letting the smell of sea and salt calm me when I finally approached Eventide’s coast.
Farther away from the capital than the other cities of Dusk, it had been an ideal spot to set up. Not that Lord Udaya had even been aware of it. The sirens were great protectors when motivated. And free victims for them was a trade I could live with.
North of the city of Eventide itself, there was a stretch of land occupied mainly by tiny human villages. It was all too easy to set up here, and I didn’t even have to move the humans to do it.
I landed by the rocks lining the ocean, cringing as the creatures turned to me. Where the mermaids who called the Damaculous Ocean home were beautiful, with personalities to match, the sirens were horrifying. Instead of hair, feathers swept down their heads, blending into their wings. Their bird feet ended in claws that dug into the sand and rock alike.
Their faces weren’t much better. While ostensibly that of a woman, their teeth were razor sharp, and random stripes of scales lined their cheekbones and other places across the fleshy parts of their bodies.
They swam as easily as they flew and were appropriately terrifying to humans trying to run away. The sirens had been held back since the treaties were signed by the six Fae kings long ago. They were forced to eat fish and whales as opposed to human flesh. The return to tradition was taken to with gusto, and they enjoyed hunting down any humans who might try to escape.
There was always at least one brave soul, once they realized the fate that awaited them.
“Any issues while I’ve been occupied?” I asked the creatures. Not the most likely of guards, surely.
What I could only imagine was supposed to be a snicker sounded between them. “Not enough to hunt, king.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, don’t worry. You’ll have fresh meat soon.”
