Nollaig cleared her throat. “Not a fan of the Air Court then? I’m surprised you’re so resistant to fighting for us.”
Reyna whirled toward Nollaig, ready to take her fight out on the cloaked fae. But her rage died in her throat. “It wasn’t the Air Court itself that I hated. It was the prince. I thought he’d make a terrible king, one who would ruin my kingdom. And if I thought it about Thane, then you’ll have a pretty good idea how I feel about your ruler.”
“Thought?” Tarrah asked. “Or think?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Reyna said. “Because my feelings for your court will never, ever change. And I will never forgive your prince for what he’s done to me.”
11
Lorcan
Lorcan charged through the castle, hunting for something to break. How could he have been so stupid? Reyna had hated Thane. They’d fought on the same battlefield, and she’d seen him kill her fellow fae. She was far too stubborn to forget something like that, not even when Thane had come charging in on his gleaming white stead, proud and strong, announcing alliances and peace. Not when she had known all along about the slaughter at the Sapphire Axe.
Lorcan had always wondered why she’d agreed to the betrothal, and now he knew why. She’d always planned to kill Thane once he’d become the High King. It would have kept her sister safe and provided vengeance for her kingdom. That was Reyna Darragh, through and through.
But even though it made horrible, twisted sense, Lorcan needed to smash something. His father’s nose sounded like a fantastic option, but his bloody mark would no doubt put a stop to that as soon as he tried.
His father was wrong. Lorcan had pushed down the mark’s command when Thane’s life was at stake, but he hadn’t been able to replicate it since. Every time Lorcan tried toresist, the dark magic in his skin sent shockwaves of pain throughout every inch of his body. Often, it brought him to his knees. And if he resisted too hard, the mark would blind him with such intense, unimaginable pain that it would knock him out like a sword against his skull. It had done it once before.
So, if he was going to get out of this damn quest, he would have to ask his father. He couldn’t think of a worse punishment.
Swallowing down the tornado of emotions in his throat, Lorcan stalked through the castle to the king’s chambers at the top of the central tower. As ruler supreme, Lorcan’s father had staked his claim on the grandest rooms. His chambers covered two floors connected by majestic curving stairs. Lorcan had never been inside. He didn’t understand why his father needed all that room, and he had no desire to find out.
Lorcan thought back to Reyna’s face as he passed torch after torch. For weeks, he had ached to see her once again. To look into her eyes. To touch her. To hold her. Well, he had finally gotten what he wanted. Part of it, anyway. And now he would do almost anything to undo it.
She was so angry she could scarcely look at him, and when she finally did, all he saw was ice. The fire he knew so well, that he loved, was gone. In the Air Court, he’d thought she’d hated him at first, but he’d been wrong. Becausethiswas hate.
Lorcan strode up the curving stairwell and found Segonax stationed outside of the king’s chambers. The old commander was one of the few tolerable fae inside of Bolg Rothach’s court of chaos, a steadying presence most of the time. His black hair was peppered with a grey that matched his eyes, and his nose reminded Lorcan of the flat end of a shovel.
He stood outside a commanding wooden door that had been reinforced with iron bands. The better for protecting the king in case of an invading army. One of the reasons he had no doubt chosen these rooms. If the battle came to Bolg Rothach, he would hide in his bed.
“Segonax, I need to speak with my father.”
The commander pursed his lips and shifted on his feet. As he did, the grey scales of his armor jingled like pockets full of coin. “I’m not sure that’s wise, Your Highness.”
“I don’t care if it’s wise.” Lorcan took a step closer to the door, and Segonax shifted to block his way. Narrowing his eyes, Lorcan dropped his hand to the golden hilt of his Tamaris steel sword. He did not want to fight Segonax—in fact, he wouldn’t—but if he had to threaten him to get inside, then so be it.
Segonax sighed. “Lorcan, son. You don’t want to go in there. The king is…ah…well, he will be in a state of undress.”
“Of course he is,” Lorcan said, his voice rising. “He won’t rest until he’s impregnated every fae from here to the northern tip of Tir Na Nog.”
The door suddenly swung wide. Bolg stood in the doorframe, tunic off, trousers rumpled and bunched at the waist. His crown sat crooked on his head where sweat clung to his thick hair. Behind him, several females lounged on the bed, all naked. They appeared happy enough. One of them pressed a hand to her lips and giggled.
Lorcan just scowled.
“What’s all this yammering out here?” Bolg demanded, scratching his pink, hairy chest. “I was in the middle of regaling the serving girls here with stories from before the exile.”
Lorcan scowled at his father. “No prisoners for you tonight then, Father? Didn’t feel the need to drag a poor air fae in from her cell?”
Bolg’s eyes narrowed into two thin slits. “Get out of here. I didn’t call for you.”
“I need to speak with you, and it can’t wait.” Lorcan hated that he had to stand before his father and practically beg for his time. It made him feel small, like the young boy in the grasslands who had cowered before the charge of the Fomorians.
“I’m busy.” Bolg grasped the door and pushed it shut, but Lorcan thumped his palm against the wood. The door stayed in place, half open. Bolg might be able to make Lorcan feel small, but he was not the stronger of the two and he knew it.
If they ever fought, Bolg Rothach would not stand a chance. The mark suddenly screamed with pain, and Lorcan flinched.
“It can’t wait. You’ve put Nollaig in charge of a quest to scout in the wood fae lands, one that you’ve commanded both me and Princess Reyna to be a part of.” Lorcan curved his fingers against the wood. “I need to stay here. It would be a mistake to force me to go along. Reyna and I are like bottled lightning. Your precious quest will fail if we both go.”
