King Traevon lifted to his full height and spun on his heel, starting his deadly march down the streets once more. Our people hadn’t moved, their heads still bowed low to the ground. Shifters were on our land playing a war song—they knew this—and my father was out for blood—they knew this, too. All would stay clear until “business” was handled, their trust in their king rock-solid in the face of lethal threats.
Loyal to the crown, I followed.
We found the shifters in a field full of crushed fireflies, their yellow lights still glowing on the grass like some kind of twisted beacon to the shifters’ bad deeds.
Twenty men stood behind six females playing the drums, the dreadful beat dying off as we entered the wrecked space. All the beauty of this area, usually full of elven children playing in the daytime, had been desecrated by their unforgiving, overlarge boots. Snarls of all types of wild animals took the place of the drums’ war song, displaying just how much they didn’t give a Fae fuck who we were.
Father didn’t give a damn.
He stepped forward and flicked one finger.
Instantly, the twenty-six shifters were surrounded in a circle of thick fire blazing blue as it burned hot.
“Quiet,” King Traevon bellowed.
The murderers had some type of self-preservation, as they all skittered closer to each other, away from the leaping flames, and shut their mouths, their disturbing growls quieting.
I took an uncertain step to stand beside my father.
I was here as I had wished. It was time to do my duty.
Sweat trickled down my temples.
Faces…people…stared back at me.
I could do this. I could.
They had killed my grandmother.
They weren’t good.They were murderers.
Frightened eyes flicked in my direction.
They were murderers.I could do this.
My hands clenched into fists down at my sides.
Perspiration swamped my entire face now.
King Traevon sneered at his prey. “How did you enter my kingdom?”
A tall female shifter stepped forward, her eyes blue as the day sky, no white showing as elven eyes had. “Our king is true and intelligent. We came as part of the carnival troupe. And you will release us and let us go. King Athon said you’d have a message for us to bring back.”
The elven king laughed without humor. “You are correct…and wrong. Your king is intelligent, but he is not true to you. King Athon sent you to your death as a sign of peace for my kingdom to not retaliate against yours for this action.”
The blue-eyed beauty didn’t understand, shaking her head in aggravation. “What do you wish us to tell him?”
The modest, golden ring of my father’s crown reflected the moon’s glow as he stated simply and without remorse, “Your bones on my castle’s gates will work just fine to soothe my soul.”
I quickly wiped the sweat that was dripping into my eyes.
Father lifted both hands, though he didn’t need to. He did it just to scare them, to let them know what was coming for them.Death.He was so powerful he could have done it with only his mind.
He was right. This wasn’t pretty or nice.
Itwasugly and cruel.
What had been snarls, turned into wretched screams.
