“I have all the time in the world.” I tapped an imaginary wristwatch and then peered back up at him. This dude’s life was full of drama, but fascinating; I wanted him to spill the tea.
Brayden nodded. “My father ruled Moon Valley for centuries before he passed the honor down to me.”
He looked at Maddy, who gave him a small smile.
“Everything was harmonious until the fae were driven from their lands by the Phantom.”
An ominous feeling permeated the room and Maddy visibly shivered.
“The Phantom?” I asked.
Brayden swallowed hard. “A living fungus type of creature from the deep abyss of the Ether that invaded Fae Hollow and drove them intoourlands. It’s like a black oily fungus that covers every living thing and devours it.”
I looked around the room. “Is the Etherhereon Earth somewhere?”
Brayden shook his head immediately. “The Ether is a secret place, another realm with portals into Earth. The Phantom cannot come here.”
Phew, that was a relief. “What happened when the Fae Lords were driven to your lands?”
Maddy and Brayden shared an uneasy look. “The Fae charged into our territory and immediately tried to take over,” Brayden said. “But they were no match for my brothers, and Lena and her sisters.”
Maddy nodded. “Brayden told them they could live as refugees within our lands until they could find a more permanent home.”
I winced, already assuming that didn’t go well.
“They made it seem like they were going to graciously accept that deal and then they turned on us,” Brayden growled.
“How did they take down eight Greywolves? It sounds like at full power you guys are a bunch of badasses.”
“They are,” Maddy agreed. “Or were. Until the Fae Lords invited them to a peace treaty signing and poisoned them all over dinner.”
Holy crap! This was like straight out of a movie or something.
Brayden’s face took on a haunted look as he no doubt found himself thinking about the past. “We lay there, my brothers and their wives, writhing in pain and vomiting, and that’s when the Fae Lords bound their power to them, imprisoning them and feeding off of them.”
My heart pinched at the thought of watching someone I cared about get hurt like that. “And you and Lena?” I asked.
Maddy looked down at the blanket and Brayden just stared at the wall, void of all emotion. “At first they tried to strip her of her power right in front of me. Her skin turned so pink it looked like she’d been burned.”
Maddy wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “I could hear her screams and I was five rooms away in the west wing of the castle.”
I suddenly felt sick hearing them relive this moment.
“Then they realized they couldn’t, so they severed it.”
“And then they took your power?” I asked Brayden.
He looked over at me and his eyes were glowing yellow. “Not at first. At first they made me watch as they imprisoned my brothers and their wives, siphoning their magic like it was food.”
Gross.
“They let me mull over my revenge and stew in my anger, knowing I would retaliate.” The veins in Brayden’s neck bulged.
“Where does the Elder Fae fit in to all of this?” I asked, and he seemed to realize that was the original question.
“Right, so while Lena was weak and still recovering, and I was bound and gagged, the Elder Fae did what he did best. He was able to get the Fae Lords fighting among themselves, which was the distraction I needed to try and kill them.”
I gasped. “He helped you try to overthrow them?”
