“Protect yourselves from what, for gods’ sakes?” Lord Wain splutters.
“From any attempt to silence the truth,” Fairon says, turning. “Lord Gyrion, if you’d please?”
Alastor steps forward.
“Most of you should be aware that Lord Gyrion here possesses a rare sensic ability: he can compel the truth from someone,” Fairon continues. “We’re here today to demand that His Majesty submits to questioning regarding crimes he has committed against the royal family.”
The ruby-wearing fae gasps, while a woman to her right grows pale despite her dark skin.
“Prince Fairon, are you…challengingthe king?” she asks. She sounds more disturbed than angry.
“I am, yes,” Fairon says, to even more gasps. “But first, I’m giving him the opportunity to confess.”
All eyes turn to Respen, and it’s then I see a hint of the rage that possessed him in the sanctuary.
“You dare come here, ordering me to submit to this humiliation?” he says quietly, his voice quivering with fury. “I didn’t think you would stoop so low, Fairon.”
“Ask him, Alastor,” Leon orders as he shoves Velrir into Hyllus’s arms. The huge fae quickly envelops the smaller one in a grip Velrir clearly has no hope of escaping.
Alastor opens his mouth, the fizz of his magic filling the air.
“King Respen, what part did you play in the murders of your son and daught?—”
“You think I’ll bow to the magic of this mewling whelp?” Respen’s voice climbs to a shout.
Abruptly, Alastor screams.
“No, get it off me, get itoffme!”
The blond fae falls to the floor, writhing against the wood. Respen has invaded his mind, flooding it with a paranoia so intense Alastor’s lost all control over himself.
“Stop this, Grandfather,” Fairon orders, but Respen keeps his pale eyes coolly on Alastor as my friend’s shrieks rip at my ears.
“Get away!” Alastor sobs. He tears at his own clothes, gouging at his skin until his nails are bloody. Leon charges toward Respen, blade drawn, but Fairon steps into his path, saying something about needing the king alive. I don’t care about that right now. All I care about is the fact that Alastor is tearing himself apart, and no one’s stopping it.
Anger fills my veins with heat. I can sense it finding a new place inside me, called toward a dark, black space where a piece of soul used to be. I feel the edge of the emptiness as my rage comes up against it, dancing along the brink of the abyss, and suddenly I am limitless. Nothing needs to stand in my way, nothing needs to stop me.
I hurl my magic out toward Respen, burrowing deep within him until I find the celestial flame burning brightly at his center.
I start to choke it.
Chapter 11
Morgana
Ismother Respen’s inner flame with darkness, suffocating it, crushing away its heat. The king’s eyes widen, a gasp rattling through him, and Alastor’s screams stop. Respen can’t sustain his magic when the life is being squeezed out of him.
But he’s not dead yet. The flame stutters in my grasp, fighting not to go out, and I’m aware of a rushing noise in my ears. My whole body starts to ache as my magic drains out of me faster than it ever has before. My hearing goes strange, the sounds of the dining room disappearing behind a muffled wall, as if I’m underwater.
Respen is shaking now, his eyes rolling as he tries to combat my magic twisting inside him. He slides out of his chair and slips to his knees beside the table.
“You can stop now, Ana. My love.”
The words snap me out of my haze of fury, and I look up to meet Leon’s eyes. Of course he can feel what I’m feeling—knows what’s happening inside me. I pull my magic back, allowing theflame to burn brighter again. Respen groans but manages to lift his head, his eyes alert as he looks for the source of the magic.
A wave of exhaustion hits me, but my hearing returns fast enough for me to hear Fairon giving instructions to Leon. The pair position themselves on either side of their grandfather, Leon holding a sword to his throat.
“What part did you play in the murders of your son and daughter-in-law, Keleus and Helena?” Fairon repeats Alastor’s question, loud enough that it rings across the room. The fae nobles seated around the table can only watch in stunned silence as Respen sneers at his heir.
