The king snarled. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Vexxion’s lips twisted. “What makes you thinkIdid anything?”
The king’s glare only deepened before he turned to where I stood a few feet away, his face coiling into another smirk.
“Interesting,” he drawled, his sharp gaze gouging into me. “She truly is pretty in a humble sort of way. You should dress her nicer. A lower bodice that hints at her rosy nipples. A slash up the side to reveal her legs. Tighter fabric to show off her delectable curves.” His eyes raked down my form.
My skin quivered deep below the surface, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe.
The king dismissed everyone, leaving only me, Vexxion, and the silver dragon in the throne room.
“You should’ve left things alone, Vexxion,” Ivenrail said in a sultry voice. “You were only supposed to go to the fortress to handle the issue with the commander. As if I’d allow him to steal Nullen power. The fool.”
The commander was part of this diabolical plan? How could he take power from anyone? He wasn’t fae as far as I knew, so he couldn’t collar anyone. The Liege said only one person was draining energy from Nullens, the monster sitting on the faerie throne.
“I sent Farnoll to tell the commander to send this particular female to the Claiming,” Ivenrail said. “I wantedhimto claim her.”
“Whyme?” I choked out.
“Some of you have more power than others,” he said. “I find pleasure in seeking you out.”
It all made sense now.
Farnoll would claim those with higher levels of power like me.
The treaty rules clearly stated a fae lord or lady could only take power from the Nullen they’d collared or one of theirblood. What if the king had found a way to accesseveryone? If the commander could drain random Nullens, then so could Ivenrail. He could steal power from whoever he pleased, building the energy he craved until he had enough to rule the entire fae realm. As for the Nullens, they’d be tossed aside, staring into nothing with milky eyes for the rest of their days.
Or killed so another could be collared. A vicious cycle.
And I was the prey.
I’dbeggedVexxion to claim me. He hadn’t known a thing about my plan. That meant he wasn’t involved in whatever this was.
“I suppose it no longer matters,” the king said. “This will work as well.” He leaned sideways to look around me. “Why are you standing down there, Vexxion? Come up. Join me. She’s quite delightful, isn’t she? I might even allow you to keep her. When I’m through with her, of course.”
I was no gift for this heinous monster.
I expected Vexxion’s threads of lightning to snap across the open space. Now, he would act. I’d scream with joy when they coiled around this brutal fae king’s neck. I’d grin while Vexxion strangled the life from him before tossing him against the farthest wall. He’d shove aside his fear of the king and act.
Instead, he walked up the stairs sedately and stopped beside me.
What’s going on?I couldn’t hold back the words.
He didn’t answer, and for some reason, I sensed he hadn’theardme. Why would he construct a wall to keep me out?
Ivenrail flicked his finger at me. “Come closer, rider.”
“Her name’s Tempest,” Vexxion growled.
Yes! Now he’d tell the king I was his fury, that I meant everything to him.
That he loved me.
Although, he hadn’t yet told me that himself.
I was compelled to walk closer to the king and stand beside the arm of his throne.
“Tonight,” the king said jovially, “I’ll take a little sip of her power. Not too much. Nullens like this one are delicacies that need to be savored. I believe even a touch will go right to my head.”
