“So I started a fire,” said Tessa, “and we saved her.”
“That wasn’t following protocol,” Bezaliel said tightly. “You’re supposed to move unseen without being noticed.”
“We weren’t noticed,” she replied haughtily. “And we saved a female fae from being burned to death.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She said she was returning to her home in Nævhail Glen,” said Jessamine. “Then she turned away from the fires, walked into the night and disappeared.”
“Literally disappeared,” added Tessa. “She seemed to vanish altogether.”
Bezaliel huffed but stroked a hand down her back affectionately. “Who exactly were these moon fae wanting her to hurt? And why?”
“They plan to kill King Gollaya,” Jessamine added, a quiver in her voice now. Though whether it was fury or fear that put it there, I wasn’t certain. “Then they plan to kill all of the dark fae.”
I watched her, all of us quiet, letting that threat sink in.
“They want to crown a new leader, a new king of Northgall and Lumeria.”
“What bloody bastard do they plan to make their king?” I realized I still had hold of Jessamine, but I couldn’t let her go yet, my own fear that she’d been in danger still humming through my veins.
She paused and licked her lips. “Lord Gael of Mevia.” She held my gaze, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He is there.”
I let her go and took a step back, my hands curling into fists as I gazed across the field at Hellamir. The fire dimmed on the rooftops of the town. But not inside me. A blazing desire to fury unlike any I’d ever known flared bright. I wanted to kill.
“He is there,” I repeated to myself, taking another step toward Hellamir. Then another.
As if my body weren’t my own, I strode on, slowly but with intention.
“Where are you going?” called Bezaliel.
But I didn’t respond. The satisfying thought of wrapping my hands around this high lord’s throat was becoming increasingly necessary. I wanted his blood on my hands. I wanted him dead at my feet. I wish I could say it was because he threatened the dark fae king and all of our kind, but it wasn’t that at all. It was the fact that he’d once threatened Jessamine, that he’d planned to use and abuse her for his own selfish gain. I could remove that threat from this world here and now.
“Stop.” Bezaliel halted my steps, standing in front of me, both hands on my shoulders.
A growl reverberated from deep in my belly. That was my only response.
“You can’t go into that town and kill a moon fae,” he told me, knowing exactly what had been on my mind.
“Get out of my way,” I commanded.
“No. Let’s say you find and kill this Lord Gael. What do you think will happen then? Even if you kill all of his guards and make it back out alive, others will witness this. Then there will be a headhunt across the land for all beast fae to find you. You’ll put not only our clan in danger, but every beast fae clan.”
“I won’t be seen.”
“No.” Bezaliel shook his head, digging his claws into my shoulders, a warning. “I can’t let you do this. You can’t risk it. Riskus.”
My entire body locked up, muscles bulging, ready to fight my chief, when a small hand touched the skin of my wrist, holding it.
“Redvyr,” Jessamine whispered.
My gaze darted to hers, my breathing heavy, the need to let my inner beast kill and maim desperately urgent now.
She eased in front of me, nudging Bezaliel who stepped out of the way. She wrapped her dainty fingers around my other wrist, my hands still balled into fists.
“You can’t kill him right now. He is surrounded by too many light fae.” She placed one hand on my sternum, on my bare chest.
It wasn’t her words, but her touch that calmed the beast within me. The monster that lived inside, who wanted nothing but blood and carnage, had never retreated until he got what he wanted. But this soft beauty, with her soothing voice and compassionate eyes, quelled the fury, sending the monster back into his cage with a gentle touch.
