Panic jolted down my spine.
I flicked my gaze to the king, determined to imprint his image on my mind before returning my attention to the floor. It was all I could do not to gasp when I spied his face. Images from the Claiming flashed through me.Thisman had collared Brodine.
Which meant . . .
The fae were only allowed to claim one person at a time. The king could not collar another until the Nullen he’d bonded with was dead.
In less than seven days’ time, the king would marry Brenna, the long-lost daughter of the Lydel Court. Rather than carry her off to bed, he intended to collar her, then drain her vast power. He’d use it to rule the fae realm forever.
But before he would be allowed to wrap the collar around Brenna’s neck, he’d have to murder Brodine.
2
TEMPEST
Brodine! I silently cried, my body swaying.
Do not move,Vexxion snarled in my mind.
I needed the stern warning. I was falling apart, and I couldn’t maintain control of anything. I snapped my spine into position and internally growled at myself. If I wasn’t careful, I’d ruin this.
“Please, Your Highness,” someone said from ahead of us. I’d missed the person kneeling in front of the king, his torso bowed to press his forehead against the floor. “I told them what you required but they begged for more time. I granted them a week, until after your upcoming wedding. Surely you won’t need to conclude this matter before then.”
“You’re one of the most powerful lords in my court,” the king growled. “Yet, here you are, a complete failure. You disgust me.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him lifting his index finger.
The dragon rumbled behind him, slowly slithering forward, a silver menace with rage boiling in his eyes. His scales shimmered like molten silver, each on a polished fragment of the moon. Untamed fury blazed in his red eyes, and his vast wings unfurled behind him, casting shadows that whispered horrifying secrets. His jagged rows of teeth glistened as he let out a low grow, resonating deep in my chest. Every movement was both fluid grace and terrifying power, and I sensed he’d strike without mercy or hesitation.
“No. No!” The man scrambled to his feet and raced toward a door on his right. Before he could reach it, the dragon blasted him with fire.
Like a candle wick snuffed out, the fire cut off. A pile of ashes smoldered on the floor as the dragon coiled backward, retaking his place behind the king. When a light breeze swept through the room, it caught the ashes and skipped them across the floor in a morbid dance.
I gaped, my breathing stuttering in my throat, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I’d seen dragons kill dregs. A few had scorched trainers.
But I’d never seen anything as vicious and torturous as this.
“Vexxion,” the king said with a heavy sigh, casually brushing bits of ash off his tunic. “You misbehaved. However, I’ve decided to overlook that shortcoming for now. Come forward. Bring your little Nullen along with you. She’s pretty, isn’t she, in a quaint kind of way. Send her up to me. I’d like to examine her.”
The Claiming was about more than bonding servants. More than about creating servants.
Access . . .
My collar tightened, and I’d swear to the very fates themselves that my neck blazed red on the surface. Magic churned up from my well in a rolling mass, but I found no comfort in its embrace.
My hands tightened against my sides. No, they’d beenpinnedto my sides. By whom? The king?
My legs were made to move forward. I was forced to walk past Vexxion, and I was not allowed to look his way no matter how hard I tried. My deadened feet took me over to the edge of the dais. They carried my limp body up the stairs and across the platform toward the king.
That’s when I realizedwho was controlling me. After all, controlwasthe first step of a Claiming. It wasn’t the king.
Vexxion.
My heart shuddered. I tried to tell myself he was doing this to protect me, but doubts clanged against the side of my skull.
When he pushed, I refused to allow him to magically force me onto my knees in front of the king.
“Where’s your cousin?” Ivenrail asked Vexxion. “He flew with you to the fortress to complete an errand for me, but he hasn’t returned.”
“I’m afraid he won’t be able to make it to the castle for an indefinite length of time.”
