The Darkest Night

by Emma V. Leech

  "Not noticeably," he muttered, staring at himself in the mirror and trying to make himself presentable. He looked pale, though, and there was nothing he could do about it. He gestured to Laen that he was ready, and moved towards the door. Laen cast a surreptitious look up and down the corridor before they emerged again and carried on their way. He could feel Laen’s eyes on him and prayed the man had the sense to hold his tongue.

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  Damnation. Océane had a lot to answer for. Corin glared at him, but otherwise ignored the comment. Although he really had forgiven Laen this time, he could not help but feel it was his own guilt making him so uncharacteristically voluble and caring.

  “It might make you feel better,” Laen pressed, the sympathy in his eyes more than Corin could bear.

  “No, it might make you feel better!” he snapped, trying hard to ignore the hurt look on Laen’s face. Damn. He shouldn’t have said that.

  Laen sighed and looked a little mutinous. "Well, don't say I didn't offer,” he muttered, glowering.

  Despite his better judgement, Corin felt his temper fray. "Laen, much as I commend your newfound ability to speak about personal matters, for the love of the gods, don't try it on me!” He knew well enough he was being irritable and ungrateful, but felt quite unable to stop himself. He wanted to find Claudette and have some peace and quiet, but the night was far from over yet.

  Laen stopped in his tracks, looking really rather annoyed now. "Well, that's bloody typical. After being harangued for years for not talking to you about such things, now you’re annoyed because I am."

  "No. I'm not,” Corin said through gritted teeth, trying to hold onto to some semblance of calm. “I would applaud any attempt you make to speak of your own emotions, but keep the hell out of mine!” He walked away again, Laen beside him still, which just showed what a good friend he was. Anyone else would have run for cover by now. “I have no problem sharing,” he added, feeling the need to defend himself, despite the fact he’d never spoken to anyone about this. Ever. “If I want to speak of it, I will.”

  Laen grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Corin, surely you can tell me. Can’t you?” There was a question in his eyes and Corin took a breath, reminding himself of who he was talking to.

  “Yes, Laen,” he said, his voice low. “If I was going to tell anyone, it would be you, but I can assure you that on this occasion, it will be a cold day in Tartarus before I feel like reliving that particular episode." He removed his arm from Laen’s grip and carried on walking, studiously avoiding looking at him again. He was aware that his outburst had revealed far more about how he felt about his run-in with Devil than he wanted to say, but it was not something he cared to remember. Not ever.

  He felt the weight of a large hand on his shoulder and the silent reassurance that Laen would be there if he changed his mind. Corin looked up and met Laen’s eyes, forcing himself to smile and nod. He shouldn't shout at Laen, after all; if not for him, that day would likely have ended in disaster. Though it was hard to forget that it was only because of the terrible falling out they'd had that he’d fallen into Devil’s clutches at all. A fact they were both well aware of. He knew Laen still felt guilty about it, but they’d both been so young. The duke was ten years older than them and had already been powerful.

  It was strange to remember that he and Devil had been close once upon a time, or Raven, as he’d been known then. That was so long ago now, even before Laen had arrived. Corin had been a very small boy, and Raven’s older brother had been the Duke of Ravendell. As the duke was a favourite of Corin’s mother, the queen, they were often at the palace together.

  Devil, as the second son, had never expected to inherit, and as he was mostly neglected by his family, he was as isolated as Corin. Thrown together at the palace, Corin had pestered him and run after him, rather in awe of the glamorous older boy. Raven had been kind to him, and treated him like a little brother. But then when Corin was seven, his older brother, the duke, had died, and everything had changed. Raven had become duke, and friends had become enemies. In a way, Raven had died the same day as his brother, as from that day he had changed. People stopped calling him Raven and the rumours began, until Devil was as notorious as he was dangerous.

  Devil would never stop punishing him.

  For Corin, at sixteen, after Laen had beaten him and said things he’d never thought to hear from his best friend, things had looked bleak and desperate. When Devil had offered to be his friend again, Corin had been naive enough to believe himself forgiven. He’d been wrong.

  Corin pushed the tangled thoughts away, they were too fractured for him to understand. Nothing about that night made any sense to him, his memories were corrupted, coiled up and knotted in Devil’s magic, but nothing would change the past, and right now he did not want to talk things through. Perhaps Laen was right and he ought to, though. Burying his feelings had not done him any good before, after all. With a frown, he promised himself that he would consider the idea, but not tonight. He had more pressing concerns tonight.

  They rounded the corner to find Inés waiting before the doors of the grand hall.

  Corin swore with annoyance, not giving a damn whether Inés heard him or not. "Just when you think the evening cannot possibly get any worse,” he said, making sure she could hear him now.

  Inés laughed, her green eyes glittering with amusement. She tilted her head to one side, thick, black hair cascading over her shoulders. "Define worse," she said, walking towards Corin, her eyes focused on him alone, hips swaying. She was dressed all in black silk, a long, fitted dress that hugged her curves and dipped low in the front to show off impressive cleavage. She looked stunning and very, very dangerous. He wanted her out of the Fae Lands, as fast as he could remove her.

  "What do you want, Inés?" Laen asked, not that either of them had any doubt.

  "Oh, I think he knows what I want,” she said, smiling at Corin. “Though I am willing to negotiate terms.”

  Laen stepped backwards and Corin couldn’t fault him for it. He was in no mood to be toyed with, his magic blazing already, and Laen had been burned already tonight. Corin doubted he was in a hurry to get between him and the witch. So no one stopped him as he stepped closer to her and their magic leapt together. Inés gasped and looked up at the twisting colours that coiled around them as their powers entwined.

  "Look," she said to him, reaching out her hand as magic slipped between her fingers. "We are not even touching, and look.” Her voice was awed, her eyes glittering with excitement as she looked back at him. “Imagine, Corin. Imagine what it would be like between us." She smiled, smug and self-satisfied as magic sparked between them as she touched his hand. "Your human girl can never give you this,” she whispered, the desire in her voice only too audible.

  "Do you want to be alone with me, Inés, is that what you desire?" Corin asked, ignoring Laen’s frown and keeping his voice low and seductive. "Do you want a taste of my magic?"

  "Oui,” she said, sounding as though she’d do anything he asked for a taste of him. “You know I do."

  "Very well." He grasped her wrist and he saw Laen flinch at the wash of power that stung his skin. "Laen, see that we are not disturbed."

  "As you wish," Laen said, understanding now, as he watched Corin tow the witch away from the grand hall to a quiet room. Corin led her into a small hall, secluded and dark and away from prying eyes.

  The moment they were out of sight, Corin tugged Inés closer and put his hand to her throat, his fingers prickling with power as they closed around the delicate skin. "I warned you not to trifle with me, Inés,” he said, his patience for such games long since vanished. “It was not an idle threat."

  "Oh, come now, Corin, don't play coy with me,” she said, breathing hard and not the least bit put off by the possibility of being roughly handled. “We both know you won't be able to stay faithful to your pretty little fiancée, after all."

  Inés gasped as a wave of pow
er filled the room, sending her to her knees. Corin went with her, his hand still at her throat, gentle yet firm. "You will address me as Your Majesty,” he snarled, staring at her with loathing. “You forget your place, witch."

  Inés laughed and looked up at him through her lashes. "My apologies, Your Majesty." Her voice was breathless, her eyes dark with desire. Corin tightened his grip just a little, pulling her head up towards him, as though he would kiss her.

  "Let us get one thing straight between us, Inés,” he said, praying she would heed his words. Her grand-daughter, Jéhenne was a powerful woman and one he preferred to be an ally. Killing her grandmother might make relations rather tricky. Nonetheless. “Come between me and my fiancée, cause trouble of any kind … and I will break your pretty little neck.”

  “Oh, but isn’t it tempting?” She reached out and trailed her hand down his chest, making their magic sparkle and glitter in the dim light of the room.

  Corin caught hold of her hand, pulling it away from him. “I can understand why you find it so hard to believe,” he said, deciding that he would give her one last chance to listen to him and heed his words. “But this is the last time I am going to say it. I love Claudette and I will marry her. There will be no others."

  He watched her with fury in his heart as she threw her head back and laughed.

  "Oh, merde! That you actually believe that. It's priceless!"

  He released her, standing and walking away, and her laughter stopped abruptly as the thick oak floorboards began to creak and groan. She scrambled to her feet, flames blazing at her fingertips, watching the floor as it began to twist and grow. Shoots appeared as the tortured boards burst to life, their new branches twisting and snaking towards her. Inés grinned, her eyes flicking to Corin. "Want to play, do you?"

  "No, Inés, I don't. That is my point,” he replied, his tone bored. He wanted this done, but he would make his point. The shoots slithered faster now, grasping her ankles, coiling around her legs and arms. She threw her magic at them, kicked out and burned them, but more shoots simply replaced the damaged ones far quicker than she could destroy them. The room was filled with magic, the cloying scent of it overpowering as she fought to keep his magic at bay. Too late, fear flickered behind her eyes as she sent a powerful binding spell towards Corin, and he turned it back towards her with a negligent flick of his hand. Frozen by her own spell, she was powerless to stop the twining plants that seemed to creep from all corners of the room and bind her tight, like a fly in a web. "You picked the wrong night to try me, Inés. I would have forgiven much for Jéhenne's sake and as thanks for what you did for Bram, but now, if you are lucky, you will leave with your life and be grateful for it."

  "Ah, oui, my beautiful granddaughter, I wonder if you would reject her so easily if she changed her mind? Somehow, I think not.” Her jealousy was palpable and Corin smiled at her, outwardly calm despite his anger. It was true that he had desired Jéhenne. He had wanted her badly, in fact, but now that desire seemed a frail thing in the light of his feelings for Claudette.

  "It is true, she was a far more tantalising prospect than you. Your power is a frail thing in comparison to hers,” he said, deliberately mocking her as he walked closer and whispered in her ear. “My, how we blazed together when we touched, such fire. You will never see the like of it." He allowed his magic to brush against her skin, making her shiver, and laughed at the jealousy he saw in her eyes. "And yet I would refuse her just as easily … because I love Claudette. Do you remember that emotion, Inés?"

  Her face shuttered up, her eyes cold and hard, and he knew that she had mourned her husband. She had loved once. "Oui, I remember. I remember the pain that followed the loss of it, too,” she said, her voice harsh. “Have a care, King of the Fae, if you truly love her, then she is where your enemies will strike. There are those who would take what is precious to you. Love makes you weak, that is a lesson I have long since learned."

  "And the lack of it makes you bitter and dead inside," he snapped despite the way her words had struck at his deepest fears. "And any that dares to try and harm those I care for will die the most excruciating death." He stared at her, his voice hard and ruthless now. “You’ve heard of what I did to the last man who tried to hurt her, I think?” he said, holding her gaze. “I’m an imaginative man, Inés. Don’t make me dream of your death.”

  She held his gaze and he could only admire her nerve as she didn’t flinch. "Devil Ravendell plots against you,” she said, and he couldn’t read the look in her eyes now.

  Corin gave a snort of amusement. "You think this is news to me?"

  Inés tried to shrug, which was difficult within the bindings he had wrapped around her. “Revenge on a prince is one thing. To bring down a king, that is another matter.”

  “What do you know?” Corin demanded, his anger growing as Devil’s name was thrown in his face yet again.

  Inés shook her head. “Rien.” The bindings tightened, making her gasp for breath. “Truly, Corin, I would tell you if I knew anything. I only know he means to bring you down, to ruin you. He will do anything to make you pay for the death of his brother.”

  Corin nodded, his face impassive, and she sighed as the bindings were released. The floor boards returned to normal, and as the binding spell lost its grip, Inés stretched her arms in relief. Corin paced away from her. She was nothing to him, little more than an irritation. Devil, though … guilt and fury and revenge warred in his heart.

  “You were just a child.” Inés’ voice surprised him, sympathetic as it was. He turned back to her, watching as she rubbed her wrists to get the blood moving again. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “What do you know of it?” he asked, his voice dull, though he found himself curious all the same.

  “My sister’s husband was Dark Fae,” she said with a shrug. “I heard enough.”

  Corin shook his head, raking one hand through his hair. “Then you know that I did kill him. Not on purpose. It was an accident, but … my fault. It was my fault.”

  Inés looked back at him, her eyes curious but showing no judgement. “How old were you?” she asked, folding her arms and staring at him. “A little boy, all alone in Dark Wood, facing down a beast as old as the earth?” Corin was silent for a long time, unwilling to remember.

  “Seven,” he replied at last. “I was seven.” He took a breath, wondering how on earth he’d ended up discussing this with Inés of all people. “I didn’t know the army had come for me, didn’t know anyone even knew where I was. I just wanted to kill it before it did any more harm. It had killed people I cared for, destroyed their homes, and I wanted to stop it. But I was an idiotic child and I had no idea what I was facing. So bloody stupid.”

  Inés shook her head, daring to take a step closer to him. “You were very brave.”

  “No!” he shouted, enraged by the idea. Gods, if he could only go back to that day. The damage he’d done. If he’d only known. “I was very stupid,” he insisted, knowing it was true. “And because of my stupidity, a man died. He didn’t know I had the power to kill it. No child should have that kind of power, let alone a seven-year-old. He tried to pull me from its path, but I didn’t see him. I killed the beast and I killed him, too. There was nothing I could do.” He stared back at her, his heart full of anger and regret. “Devil wants to punish me for killing his brother, he always has, and I can’t honestly blame him, but the stakes are so much higher now. He only ever hurt me before, you see, but now it’s different. Now there is so much to lose.” Corin snapped his mouth shut, aware that he had said too much, but it was too late. Inés was intuitive, and she’d known him a long while.

  “Merde.”

  Corin looked up to see her eyes widen as she worked it out.

  “By the gods, she’s pregnant!”

  “Inés ...” There was a clear warning in his voice now. If he’d have killed her for trying to get him into bed, that was nothing to what he’d do if she threatened Claudette or their child.

 
Inés shook her head and held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not going to say anything,” she said, and for once he believed her. “You dream of a golden-eyed son still, don’t you?” she added, a smile at her lips which was so full of understanding that he said nothing at all, unwilling to give any more away than he already had. She stepped closer to him, sympathy in her eyes. “I know how much you grieved the loss of your son - my great-grandson.” She laid a hand on his arm and Corin forced himself not to move away from her. “Believe me, I did as well. Jéhenne, too, though of course she will never admit it to you.”

  Corin nodded, finding it strangely cathartic to speak of his lost son, even to a creature like Inés. “I know.” He hesitated before speaking again. “Jéhenne is well? She’s happy?”

  “She is,” she said, smiling at him now. “In truth, it is because of her that I forced Bram to bring me to you. She wants to ask a favour of you.”

  “Oh?” Corin moved away from her, immediately on his guard. “What would that be?”

  Inés smiled at his obvious suspicion. “Something I think you will understand.” She sighed as his frown only deepened. “You know that she really did have a son, the one Dis Pater tried to make her believe she would have with you?”

  Corin nodded, remembering only too well.

  “He is here, in the Fae Lands. Dis Pater hid him here so that she would not find him. Dis Pater admitted to her that he was here, somewhere on Dragonback Mountain.”

  Corin’s eyes widened at the idea. “Dragonback Mountain?” He watched as Inés nodded, and shook his head, his expression sorrowful. “Inés, when I became king, I brought magic back to our world.”

  He watched her nod, the awe in her eyes slightly fanatical, so he looked away.

  “I brought many things back to life with my powers, though,” he said, wishing he didn’t have to explain this. It wouldn’t be good news for her. “Dragonback Mountain was named when the Old Ones walked the earth, and it wasn’t named for nothing. It is a dangerous place now.”