Page 224 of The Fallen Fae King

I clench my hands.

This is so much harder than I thought it would be.

“I swear,” I pick my words carefully, “that once I have saved my people, I will tell you everything that I know about your brother. I will do everything within my power for him.”

It’s not a lie. But what power do I have over the dead?

Lanlin stalks out of the open cell door. “Then let’s show these dragons why they should have never tried to break us.”

I grip Elatha’s elbow both in greeting and to guide me into the dark. “Let us show them why the fae never fell.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Shadow Court

Daire

“Is every member of the featherglass safely on their way through the portal?” I jump onto Aurelius’ desk in his study, delighting in booting his papers flying like leaves in a storm.

After all, if my plot succeeds today, then Aurelius will never need to work on them again.

I reach forward and grab one of Maximinus’ guards, who have fought us all the way from the dungeons, before smashing his forehead against the corner of the desk with a resounding crack.

Once, then again.

His blood spills over the remaining papers in a crimson pool.

Brilliant.

The guard crumples to the floor.

I dance on top of the desk. I am on a high, twirling with my wings out.

All around me is chaos and death.

This is the world of the Unseelie, the dragon’s order finally overturned.

Joy thrills through me.

When Elatha spins next to the desk, however, she isn’t dancing. Her eagle wings are like blades. A guard screams as she slashes the edge of her wing across his throat, slitting it open.

“Those who have survived. Those who have fallen, may their souls fly with the Shadow Gods.” Elatha wipes a tear of blood off her cheek.

Then she carves a tight arc with her sword, before stepping inside a dragon’s reach and driving her sword through his chest. When he buckles, blood dribbling from his mouth, she rests her foot against his crotch to wrench her sword free.

Our gazes meet.

“We’ve done it.” This feels like a dream, a blood-drenched one but still, a dream.

“Not yet. Don’t get cocky, Thorn.” Elatha points her sword at me.

Finally understanding how deadly a fae truly is, two guards rush Elatha at once.

Everything around me beyond Elatha is a blur, but I can hear and smell the blood, battle, and death.

Elatha presses back against the desk, before burying her sword into the first dragon’s stomach. Then she rakes her claws against the second one’s face. When he stumbles against her with his hands across his mauled face, she whacks the weight of her wings against his shoulders, driving him to his knees.

Then she drags her sword out of his companion’s belly and stabs it into the back of the second guard’s neck.