1
TEMPEST
We arrived at the castle.
After leaving Vexxion’s dragon, Glim, inside the aerie of Bledmire Court, we flitted to our suite inside the castle of the wicked fae king, Ivenrail Levestan. When he heard we’d arrived, he demanded we make an appearance.
Ivenrail wasn’t known for his patience.
My dragon, Seevar, was dead. It was all I could do to make myself function. While I wanted to curl up on the bed and mourn his loss, our game with Ivenrail had begun.
One wrong move, and Vexxion and I would end up dead.
I left the bathing chamber and walked into the bedroom, finding Vexxion standing near the fireplace and servants putting away the few things I’d brought with me.
Then I saw her . . .
“Reyla.” I sprung across the room, barreling into her, nearly knocking her into the closet where she was hanging clothing. My shrill laugh burst out. The foundation of my world had been rocked, and I wasn’t sure it would ever feel solid again, but here she was. My friend.
Reyla said nothing.
She didn’t touch me.
She stared at the floor blankly, her hands hanging limply at her sides. No, they weren’t completely limp. Theytwitched. Her collar writhed beneath her skin that had a scarlet ring, as if she dug at her neck whenever she could. I itched to do the same, to claw at my collar until I could expose the thorny vines and rip them from my throat. Then I’d destroy it.
Vexxion told me there might be a way to remove it. Could we destroy Reyla’s when we got rid of mine?
“Reyla?” I asked. “Reyla. Reyla!” I shook her, and her head flopped around. When I stopped, she still didn’t meet my eye. Her milky gaze took in nothing.
Don’t. Say. Anything,Vexxion growled in my mind.Back away from her. Come to me.He held out his hand, urging me to join him in the sitting area made up of three plush sofas covered in bright red fabric and six tall-back, squishy-appearing chairs, also covered in the same bloody color. They’d been strategically placed to face the fireplace where flames roared.
Like the pain in my soul.
What’s wrong with her?I screeched in Vexxion’s mind.
She was claimed.
So was I, but I’m still . . . me.
She’s still your Reyla. She’s just . . .
Controlled.I couldn’t stop screaming, though I trapped the shrieks inside my mind.
Nullens fled faerie ages ago but not before the fae stole my people’s magic, guzzling it down like gluttons. Now they were after what little energy we had left.
Right before I killed that Liege in the cave, I thought Nullens only had a tiny bit of energy, that taking it away would make no difference. Now I knew better. The king was taking the only energy keeping us alive.
“One powerful fae lord. Not all. Not yet,” the Liege had said.
The king was doing this to us, of course. He’d drained Reyla. Many others, I was sure. He would never stop.
I told you this wouldn’t be pleasant, Vexxion said.
Had he said something like that? I couldn’t remember.
Calm yourself. Come to me.His outstretched hand didn’t waver.
I had to get control of myself, or this would fall apart.
