The other sister, Calamity, let out small shrieks as she watched her sister claw into the dead guard.
“King Rylo, you are looking a bit pale. Would you like to sit down?” Mara chided.
Rylo shook his head. “Not at all. However, I do not see the purpose of your little display. Is this supposed to convince me to hand over my nation to you?”
Maglar let out a cold laugh. “Go ahead, Tyranny.”
The tiny woman stood up, blood dripping from her chin. She seemed calmer than she was when she entered the room, moreat ease, and that realization chilled Rylo’s blood. The woman looked at Rylo before she rolled her eyes back in her head, exposing only the whites. She lifted her arms up over her head and began to mutter something Rylo couldn’t understand.
The corpse on the floor convulsed then jerkily began to stand, turning toward him in a shaky gait.
“What is this thing?” Rylo muttered as he moved across the room to stand nearer to Maglar and Mara. Surely their close proximity would keep this act of dark magic away from attacking him.
“I told you Tyranny was a necromancer. She is quite capable of raising an army of the dead,” Maglar replied.
Rylo shook his head, not able to comprehend the horror he was witnessing.
“Now, if you do not agree to the terms, you have had a taste of what your folk will face,” Mara said with a saccharine smile.
The creature moved closer to Rylo. So close, he could see the insides of the former warrior.
“I won’t do it,” Rylo said, letting his essence gleam under his skin.
Mara shook her head. “Then you leave us no choice. At this moment, a group of warriors are on their way to confiscate your witch. We will be happy to add her to our collection of slaves.”
Rylo couldn’t let them get Morgan. She was his and his alone, and he’d damn all of Onyx Cavern to the Abyss before he allowed them to touch her. His essence pooled inside of him, a molten well of sunlight and heat until it burst forth, striking the King and Queen of Goldoth and incinerating the jerking corpse of the guard.
Morgan
The acrid scent in the tunnel was building. It was so terrible that it was beginning to burn Morgan’s nose. Although she couldn’t see Elio as they blindly followed the pull of the necklace, she felt his strong presence close behind her. It was a little unnerving to be alone with a fae other than Rylo. In all her time here, her contact with other fae had been so limited that she still felt like she didn’t really know much about them, other than what she’d read in the library.
“I think the smell is getting worse,” Morgan whispered.
Elio didn’t respond and Morgan let her mind try to connect to Rylo. It was fuzzy from this distance, his mind a blur of light.We’re going into the mines. Be safe.
She didn’t know why she added that last part. Between the two of them, he was much more likely to be able to handle his present situation. Morgan wished he could reply, but that seemed to be a witch’s power that he lacked as a fae.
Morgan focused her mind back on the necklace, its strength fading while she connected to Rylo’s mind. The heavy pull that she experienced toppled her forward, but Morgan didn’t hit the ground. She let out a shriek as she plunged into the air. Her body was falling so quickly, she would never survive the impact from the crash. Her shadows plunged with her, and she tried to make herself float, to control the fall in some way, but her efforts weren’t working. The necklace strained at her, increasing her speed as she plummeted into an abyss.
Bright bronze light filled the mine shaft and Elio’s strong arms wrapped around her. “I have you,” Elio said, tugging her close. Morgan shook against his chest, thankful for this strong fae and his unwavering loyalty to Rylo.
They landed with a graceful swoop and Elio helped Morgan steady herself back on the ground. The rotten smell consumed them both and Morgan watched Elio heave up his supper as she followed. The sting of her vomit burned her throat and she tried to clean herself up as much as possible.
“Let me fly us out of here. We need to leave,” Elio said through dry heaves.
Morgan could only shake her head and point at the necklace. The heavy draw of it was stronger than ever, penetrating her mind as she struggled to walk forward. “What is that smell?” Morgan asked.
“It’s—No offense, but it’s faintly like you,” Elio said through gags.
Morgan flipped herself around and looked into Elio’s eyes as best as she could in the darkness. “Excuse me?I do not smell like that!”
“No, not really. You’re more scented with orange, but under that there’s this earthy, salty scent to you that fae don’t have.”
Morgan just shook her head. “It’s because I’m human. I stink, that’s what you’re saying. Humans sweat and smell bad. Are you trying to say that you think this is a human scent?”
“That’s what I suspect. This place is dark and these fae are hiding something.”
As he spoke, Morgan felt cold, clammy hands cover her face and tug her back. Elio let out a strangled shout. The tunnel was blasted with his essence, illuminating the corridor with light and heat. Morgan sent her shadows forth, wrapping around her attacker. With a snap, she felt the attacker’s hands release her, the body made a heavy thump on the ground.
