It is their formal greeting to me, while they glare with deadly intent at Maximinus. If my ravens broke in here, they would peck out his eyes, but not before Maximinus killed them with his metallicum magic.
My throat is tight because I thought that I may never see my ravens again, my loyal friends.
I shake my head at them.
They ruffle their shaggy throat feathers, unhappily flying further into the court gardens.
“Don’t you have an apology for me? No? Then please keep it down. I have a letter to write to invite King Lanlin to visit. He is pretty like you are but unfortunately, is even more barbarous. I am looking forward to civilizing him with the same methods as work on you, when I have him caged, of course. It appears that you already have a plan to seduce him. I should have expected that from a whorish fae. Are you worried that he’ll take your spot as my top assassin? But you’re dying. I need someone to replace you.”
Of course.
Maximinus transformed me into his secret assassin. I should have guessed that he would be planning to find a way to do the same to the most dangerous vampire in the realms.
Arsehole.
I squirm onto my stomach, slamming my fevered forehead onto the cool marble to try and drive away the pain.
It doesn’t help.
I slap my palms against the floor, howling as my wrist snaps.
“Boss… I’m sorry…” I raise my head to look at Maximinus, but the world is blurred to shadows. How soon before I fully lose my vision? Finally, the sound of the quill on parchment stills in excited anticipation of my humiliation. “I’m sorry…that you’re a bloody abusive, traitorous, cowardly war criminal who doesn’t have the bollocks to test his magical powers against anyone who could challenge you without binding theirs first.”
Silence.
Then agony, as the poisonous iron invades every part of me at once.
Agony like I have never felt before.
I tip my head back, my wings stretch out, taut on either side of me, and I scream and scream and…
It’s freeing.
I’m flying.
Floating.
Is this dying?
My vision blurs further. Then it fades to gray…to black…as I pass out.
When I take a shuddering breath, blinking my eyes open, I stare up at the ceiling.
My lungs burn.
How long was I unconscious? Moments? Minutes? Hours?
My body still buzzes with pain. But it’s reduced to a level that I can manage, no more than my dislocated wrist or a unit of dragon warriors slicing my back to ribbons with their swords.
It’s terrifying that I can only see a blur of shapes around me, however, barely outlines.
What if I stay like this? How will I be able to protect Freya? Will the Bloods with their advanced senses be able to tell?
Will Freya truly keep me in her pack, when she is now a Queen and her other Kings are as powerful as Aurelius and Lanlin?
I won’t let her down.
I grit my teeth, shaking, as I push myself up onto my knees.
