“Do you hear that?” he asked.
Swallowing, Bree cocked her head and listened. At first, she heard nothing other than the sound of their ragged breaths and the rustle of the waves lapping against the shore, but then...there. Just beneath those steady sounds, she could hear a rumble.
It was the sound of footsteps, heavy against the dirt.Lotsof footsteps. She lifted her eyes, her gut clenching. The demons were on their way here now.
She and Eurig remained in their Redcap forms while they wound around the city wall and made for the fields that would lead them back to the court. With every step they took, the sound of rushing footsteps only grew louder.
The demons were not far behind.
20
DAGEN
Lord Dagen lounged on the throne while courtiers brought him platters of grapes, meats, and cheese. He popped the fruit into his mouth and chewed the sweet flesh while he scanned a few reports the scouts had brought back. There had been no sign of Bree or the king and queen who had gone after her. He smiled as he wadded the parchment in his fist.
The idiots. They never should have left him alone in this castle. If he’d been in charge of either of those armies, he would have sent out others in his stead, as he’d done himself. Eurig and Norah both knew he’d taken Taveon prisoner, and yet…
Soon, he would control the outposts and Otherworld, too.
There was just the matter of the demon army. Perhaps he could form some kind of truce with them. If they wanted Taveon, he would give them Taveon. What did the half-breed matter to him? By trading him for peace, Dagen could rid himself of any threat to his new crown.
The door thundered open, and a cluster of sweat-soaked bodies stumbled inside, eyes wild, breaths ragged. He scowled when he saw their faces. It was that bloody Otherworld queen and Eurig, the outposter. Where were his damn useless guards? He’d told them not to let the monarchs in!
But then his eyes caught on Bree. Her leathers were covered in mud, and her hair was a wild tangle filled with thorns. His chest constricted, and a part of him he’d tried to forget wanted nothing more than to rush to her and wrap her up in his arms.
Emotions were not for the weak, he reminded himself. And Bree had made her choice. She’d sided with Taveon, making her stance clear. They were enemies now and always would be.
“What is this about?” he snapped, refusing to stand. Kings did not rise.
Bree scowled at him. She always did these days. It felt as though it had been years since she'd gazed at him with soft eyes. He doubted she ever would again. “No ‘happy to see you’ or relief that I’m not, you know,dead?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “You’re Bree. You can look after yourself.”
“You’re right,” she said proudly. “I can. Except when corrupt fae capture me, put me in a dungeon, and agree to hand me over to a demon army that is on their way to this castle right this minute.”
Dagen sat up a little straighter on the throne. All right. She had his attention now.
“What do you mean?” he asked in a lethal quiet.
“Rafe and I went to find a way to stop all this.” She gestured at the silver-haired male beside her. Dagen frowned. Right. That one. He’d forgotten about that pesky creature, always by Bree’s side. He’d escaped at some point, too. “Instead, we found the Worm and a demon army. They were camped out beside Munlin, and they’ve followed us back.”
Frowning, Dagen pushed up. “You mean to tell me that you led the demon army here?”
“No, I didn’tleadthem here since they were, you know,already determined to come here in the first place,” she snapped, fisting her hands. “Honestly, Dagen, are you really trying to blame me for all this?”
“LordDagen,” he replied through gritted teeth. “Soon to be your king. You will address me with the proper title”
“You will never be my king.” Bree laughed, and a dagger of ice scraped down Dagen’s spine. He had allowed her too much free rein. She was going to force his hand. As much as he hated the idea of teaching her a lesson, he would do it if he must.
Norah strode forward, Eurig by her side. “Actually, we’ve decided to strip you of your title, Dagen. You’re no longer considered a lord, and you’ll need to step down from that throne now as well.”
His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. With a low, long laugh, Dagen tried to wrap his mind around their incredible audacity. Who did they think they were?Hewas the ruler of this land.Hehad taken the throne and crown as his. If it weren’t for him, Taveon, the half-demon, would still be in charge.
“This is my throne,” he growled, a wicked smile curling his lips. “And I’m so very glad you returned, Norah, for I have an empty cell set up just for you. You see, a little bird told me a very interesting story. You were the one who killed our prior king.”
Norah went still. Dagen expanded his chest in victory. Did she really think they’d never find out? Fillan saw everything, and it was easy to buy his allegiance. All he wanted was gold. He’d been flittering around, whispering words into Bree’s ears, hoping to lead her in the right direction. All for one reason only. He wanted to get rich.
“You’re right. I did.” She nodded, surprising him. Her eyes flashed. “He was a cruel and wicked king, and he was leading your people into ruin.”
