Page 110 of The Fallen Fae King

He lets out a surprised cry.

Thrilled, I extend my claws and fangs and pin him beneath me.

Our noses are touching.

I don’t expect him to grin.

Then Aurelius hurls me up like I weigh nothing, and I crash against the wall.

I am weakened but I am still faster than Aurelius.

I spin out of his grasp.

I expect him to reach for his dagger or call for the guards.

He doesn’t.

Instead, we tumble and fight like we used to, when we playfought in his mother’s rose garden.

I flit to the back of the cell, darting out of his reach, forgetting everything but the joy of the fight.

He grabs my ankle, yanking me back. I thrash, but he drags me like a cat’s prey until I am underneath him again. I kick him, but it’s as if he’s made of stone.

I flip our positions, however, with all my skills, and we roll from one side of the cell to the other.

I snap my fangs at him, and he lets go of me to narrowly miss them sinking into his shoulder.

I squirm out from underneath him.

Then he grabs me by the thigh, flipping me onto my stomach. I snarl, as he presses me down with his weight.

Just for a moment, I forget all the years that have come in between.

He is simply my best friend Relius again.

I throw my elbow back as far as I can in my shackles, catching Aurelius in the jaw.

His hold on me loosens, and I manage to scramble onto my back. But then he drops down onto me, yanking my shackled hands above my head, pressing the metal more firmly against my wrists.

The pain is enough to still me, and I let out a grunt.

When Aurelius settles his full weight on me, I still.

I grin, however, breathing fast. I am high on the fight.

I am shocked, therefore, by the agony in Aurelius’ eyes as he leans close over me. “How the fuck did you break a blood and horn oath? How did you betray me to kill my brother? Tell me, or I will flood this cell with sunshine, and you will burn.”

My grin fades.

So, we’re doing this now.

“I never broke it,” I reply, earnestly. “I didn’t betray you. I protected you, Relius. I always have. I would give my blood for you.”

Sparks spray from Aurelius’ horns. The embers fall on my cheeks, and I flinch at their burn.

“You murdered Tarq. How is that not betraying me? You more than anyone knows how much he means to me. I had no one else.” Aurelius lowers one of his hands to my throat.

I draw in a deep breath in expectation of being choked. Instead, he only rests it underneath my chin, keeping my head raised and my gaze on him.