by Bailey Dark
I nuzzle her neck, letting the fog of the wild overtake me. Verity stiffens in my arms, and then suddenly eases into me. A thrill courses through me. I nip at her neck and she gasps softly. I don’t care that Verity and I can be seen by the entirety of Fae nobility and my foreign guests. The last thing on my mind is prudence. The music escalates and I hear the Fae shrieking wildly in the background.
I bury my hands in her tulle skirts to clutch her ass. Her arms wrap around me tightly as I drive her back against the pillar. The wildness in me wants her right now, to take her while the music is at its peak and the moonlight shines through the windows. I growl low, trying to restrain myself even as I fight to give into the urge. I don’t know if it’s the wine she drank, or if the atmosphere of Summer’s Eve has affected her too, but Verity is supple in my hands.
She shivers as I drag my tongue across her jugular. It’s been too long since I kissed this woman. Too long since I felt her heat in my arms. She writhes against me, panting, and I grin ferally. Suddenly, I feel a sharp tug at my collar, and I’m ripped away from Verity’s body. I stumble, catching myself before I fall into the crowd.
Navi glowers at me, one hand on her sword while I glare at her. “Altair,” she says firmly. “Get a grip.”
I snarl. “Back away, Navi. She’s mine.”
“I don’t want your mortal,” Navi hisses.
I clench my hands into fists at my side, wishing I had a weapon with me. Suddenly, Navi strikes me. My cheek stings painfully with the force of her slap. She narrows her eyes at me and tucks her hand behind her back as if to hide it. But the pain and the shock have had the intended effect. I blink and stare at Navi in surprise. It’s been centuries since Navi last struck me.
I glance towards Verity. Her skirts are wrinkled, her hair mussed, and her cheeks are flushed pink. I feel a wave of shame seeing what I’ve done to her in front of the Fae. Verity isn’t one of us. She isn’t as animalistic as we are. I drop my chin and take a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, Verity,” I say.
“It’s okay,” she stammers.
“It’s not,” I snap. “I have to go.”
“Go?” Verity follows me up the steps towards the doors. She clutches at my jacket. “You told me you wouldn’t leave me. Where are you going?”
I tear my arm out of her hands, feeling the well of desire growing in me again. “I can’t be here with you, Verity. I can hardly think straight. You’ve sworn yourself to me and I-I don’t know if I can stop myself.”
“Stop yourself from doing what?” She asks, reaching for me again.
I dart out of reach of her elegant fingers. “I’ll come back when I’ve calmed down.”
She inhales sharply, eyes filled with worry. “Please don’t leave me here.”
“Navi,” I say, ignoring Verity’s words. “Find Thal and keep Verity close to you.”
“Thal?” Verity’s brow wrinkles.
“Thal can keep his head better than I,” I say softly. “I’ll be back.”
I spin away and bound out of the ballroom, leaving Verity behind. My heart clenches in my chest as I fight against the urge to return to her. But I know that if I do, I’ll just fall back into the haze of desire. I stalk away from the ballroom and lean against the wall.
In the past, I used to dive into the revelry of Summer’s Eve. I would celebrate our past with the others, dancing under the arch of flowers. I would even find a Fae woman, sometimes more than one. But it’s been hundreds of years since I celebrated Summer’s Eve, and I lost my head to the haze. It was stupid of me to bring Verity to the celebration, stupid of me to think it would be just like any ball. The Fae haven’t celebrated Summer’s Eve like this in years, they will throw themselves into the cloud of Summer’s Eve without a second thought.
Navi is stronger than most, more stubborn. She can resist the temptation as well as the older Fae. Despite Thal’s playboy nature, he’s never participated in Summer’s Eve. I trust them more than myself to take care of Verity. She has to stay for the length of the party. When the moon sets, I’ll announce our engagement.
“Your Grace,” a voice says behind me.
I twist, taking in the messenger standing in the hall. He leans imperceptibly towards the music floating towards us from the closed ballroom doors. “What is it?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“I have news for you from your general on the border, General Kane,” the messenger says. “While patrolling, he found one of the guard towers in ruin.”
“Ruin?” I sober up immediately. The towers along the border have always been repaired throughout the years, even during the curse. We’ve never let one of our precious protections against the Bloodbane fall into disrepair.
The messenger bows. “He said it was completely destroyed and there were no signs of the soldiers stationed there,” he says seriously.
I press my lips into a thin line. “You may go.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The messenger runs off down the hall.
I pace the hall, picturing the crumbling guard tower. We only have one enemy that would dare to do something like this; the Bloodbane. I curl my lip as I think of Maaz. She won’t crawl into a hole and give up after being defeated. Whatever her plan, I know she won’t rest until she’s destroyed every Fae in Alnembra, and perhaps the world.
Fury lances through me as I picture her giving the order to destroy the tower. A message for me, telling me that nothing will stop her from taking what she wants. Her curse failed, the lazy way of leading my kingdom to ruin failed her. Now she’ll try to take over my kingdom in a more traditional way – a more violent way.
If she wants a war, I’ll give her one.
Chapter 7
Cleo
The chill wind of the summer night pricks at my fingertips as I clutch the hilt of my deadwood broom. I squeeze the wood tighter, ignoring the pain of the frigid air. Below me, Altair’s palace is sprawled out and glowing with lights. Carriages trundle up the long drive and music floats up into the sky to reach my ears.
The hood of my blood red cloak is drawn up to protect me from the chill. The light fabric rustles in the wind. The young Bloodbane beside me sighs dramatically, as if our mission here isn’t interesting enough. I scowl. Even Maaz doesn’t appear particularly interested in Altair’s movements. Since we summoned Sadal, she has had eyes for him alone. I’ve taken it upon myself to study our enemy for weaknesses. Maaz has grown complacent, too proud to see how dangerous a war with Altair could be.
I watch as a group of Fae women prance up the steps and into the palace, their thin gowns shimmering in the starlight. I sigh through my nose at the sight of them. There was once a time when Maaz and I celebrated Summer’s Eve with the wildest of the Fae. Their parties were never truly enough to sate us. We preferred the old ways – the violent and bloody sacrifices, the lusty rutting. Now, we don’t celebrate Summer’s Eve at all.
I lean forward, careful not to drive my deadwood broom any closed to the ground. The celebration is in full swing. I wonder briefly if the Curse-Breaker is enjoying it, or if she’s frightened. I grin viciously, picturing the tiny mortal quivering in the corner. Mortals aren’t fit to reside with the Fae, and they certainly aren’t fit to join the ranks of the Bloodbane. And yet, Sadal wants her. He wants every Bloodbane.
He won’t be pleased when he hears that they’ve announced they’re engagement. The young witch beside me flies in slow circles to ease her boredom. I snap my teeth at her and narrow my eyes. She freezes, paling at my furious gaze. The more she moves, the more likely it is that we’ll be spotted in these clouds.
“Why isn’t Maaz here?” The young witch asks after a moment of nervous silence.
My fingers twitch as I picture what Maaz must be doing at this moment. “She has duties in the ether, attending to Sadal,” I say coldly.
I think back to the night we summoned him. When Maaz confessed her failure, he was furious. I have not seen Sadal often, but I have never seen him look so murderous. His eyes flashed
dark and his lips settled into a cruel smile. He isn’t the Dark One because he abhors punishment and anger. He welcomes them. Even now, he must be punishing her with his sick games.
I shudder. He likes to take disobedient Bloodbane into the ether when circumstances call for it. And there he will pretend to be kind, only to toss them into the void to meet with their truest self. It’s enough to drive any Bloodbane mad.
When she asked him for armies to accomplish the task, he laughed in her face. Then Sadal beat her until she and I – nearly identical – could hardly be compared. At first, it was amusing as all beatings are. Then I grew bored. But as it continued and her shrieks fell silent, my own stomach was twisted and sick.
I blink as I come back to my sense. My companion is speaking. “Why not attack now?” She whines. “They’re drunk and unguarded.”
“Two witches against hundreds of noble Fae and Altair’s guard?” I smirk. “Don’t be a fool. We’re formidable, but we’re not invincible. So, unless you’re looking to die tonight and broadcast to Altair’s entire kingdom that we haven’t finished with him, then be my guest.”
Her lips twist into a frown. “Bitch.” I hear her whisper under breath.
I chuckle. Maaz and I selected this young witch for grooming. We thought she had enough fire in her to lead the Bloodbane someday. Clearly, we were right. There aren’t many Bloodbane that would dare speak to me with such insolence.
I cock my head as I spy a messenger running up the palace drive. “Look.” I tilt my chin in his direction.
“So?” The witch sighs.
“A messenger on Summer’s Eve,” I say thoughtfully. “This is important.”
“What do you want to do? Snatch him from the ground?” She asks, her attention snapping towards the messenger with renewed interest.
I drift lower. “Perhaps.”
The messenger disappears into the palace and we hover near a tower, out of sight of the patrol. Maaz was never one for discretion, she has a flair for the dramatic. The Bloodbane have gotten used to following suit and I can tell that the witch beside me is itching to sweep directly into the castle. I hover in front of her, blocking her from doing just that. While Maaz works in the spotlight, I prefer to tug on the tangled webs in the shadows.
Soon enough, the messenger will leave, and we will interrogate him. Altair’s guard is sparse tonight, no doubt because of the celebration. We will flit down into the light and back up into the darkness before anyone of the insolent Fae have noticed us.
While we wait, I take note of the castle defenses. The walls aren’t even particularly high, and I see no defense weaponry whatsoever. I grin to myself, tugging my hood into place. Whatever army Sadal grants us will be more than enough to overrun this elegant palace. Light floods over the courtyard as the doors open. I spot the familiar shoulders of the messenger and swoop down without warning.
The young witch exclaims sharply but I silence her with a flick of my wrist. The Fae messenger turns just as I level out, his eyes widen, and his mouth goes slack as he takes in the wild-eyed Bloodbane swooping towards him. I have him in my arms, one hand wrapped around his mouth to silence him while I control my broom with the other. The rushing of the wind in my cloak and the surge of adrenaline from the hasty abduction are like a drug to me.
I return to the young witch and we take cover behind one of the gabled roofs of the palace. The messenger is quiet as I lift my hand away from his lips. He knows better than to scream when the Bloodbane have him in our grasp.
I smile pleasantly, tugging my hood back. His eyes rove over my supple breasts and full lips but he doesn’t move. He’s frozen like a mouse in a field.
“Tell us your message,” the young witch demands.
I roll my eyes at her. “No,” the messenger says stiffly.
I cradle the Fae man in one arm as I reach into my cloak for my dagger. The hilt is engraved with a phoenix and the blade is softly curved. I’ve had the dagger since I was a young girl, when my father gave it to me. It glistens in the starlight. I twist it in front of the Fae and sigh softly.
“It’s coated in Oakswald. You know what that is, don’t you?” He shudders in my arms. I grin. “One tiny slip of this blade against your skin, and you’ll have thousands of microscopic parasites eating away at your flesh. It’s not poison, it’s much worse. First, they eat the meat and bones around the cut. But they don’t work their way through you from there. Their favorite snack is right between your legs.”
“What do you want?” He says hoarsely, clenching his legs together.
I smile, eyeing the young witch imperiously. “We want to know what you told our little Altair.”
“What I told the King is none of your concern.” His words are strong, but I can hear the fear in his voice.
I sigh loudly and slouch. “If you don’t tell me, I won’t hesitate to let my parasitic friends here delight themselves on your perfect, Fae flesh. You know perfectly well that we Bloodbane aren’t the compassionate type.”
He clenches his mouth tightly shut. I shrug and lower the blade to his leg. The sheen of the Oakswald on the blade is bright at this angle. I grin, even if he doesn’t give me what I want, I’ll certainly enjoy watching him waste away. They always writhe so powerfully they bite their own tongues off.
“Wait,” the messenger blurts. “I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, good,” I purr.
“General Kane discovered one of our border towers completely destroyed and the bodies disappeared. There were signs of a struggle, but no remains,” the messenger says quickly, panting.
I purse my lips and meet the young witch’s eyes, testing her. “Tell me what this means.”
“Altair knows we’re coming,” she says, narrowing her eyes and staring out towards the mountains.
“It means one of our covens needs to be punished,” I snap.
The messenger shifts against me. “Can I go?” He asks nervously.
I smile and tilt my head. “Of course.”
With a flourish, I slip my blade over his knee, slicing through the thin layer of skin and flesh. He howls in pain and fear. Without touching the blood coating the blade or the residue of the Oakswald, I slip the dagger into its sheath. The Fae man is panting uncontrollably, clutching at his knee as his skin slowly disintegrates.
“They’re eating rather quickly,” I muse. “Must have been hungry.”
“You said,” he moans, trailing off.
I ease my broom away from the tower. “I lied.”
Cackling, I release my hold on him and watch as he drops several stories to the cobblestone drive below. The young witch and I rocket away from the palace and back to the mountains. Maaz and Sadal must be told of what we’ve learned. Any suspicions from Altair could give him enough time to move against us before we’ve managed to secure our army. There is no time for games anymore. War is on the horizon.
Chapter 8
Verity
I take a long sip of wine as the Fae woman sighs dramatically. The wrinkles around the corners of her eyes deepen as she scowls. “I’ve never liked mortals,” she quips. “I’ve always found them to be stupid and petty creatures. It’s a pity that King Altair is forced to marry one because of the curse.”
Irritation sparks in my chest, and I squeeze the flute of wine in my hand imperceptibly. Since Altair left me, Thal has been leading me through the calmer crowds of Fae, introducing me to nobles of significance. This woman has spent the last several minutes complaining loudly and often about mortals.
“He could kill me instead,” I say, cocking a brow. “The curse would be just as broken as it is now.”
The woman purses her thin lips. “Perhaps you think you’re funny. Our King is a man of honor.”
“I never said he wasn’t.” I finish off the wine and search for another.
Beside me, Thal already has one in hand. He exchanges my goblet for a new one with a flourish. “Watch yourself, mortal, Fae wine is strong,” the older Fae woman warns me.
“Savages. We Fae have long since outgrown those ancient rituals,” she says.
“Not all, apparently.” I raise my glass. “To willful and petty creatures.”
The woman narrows her eyes at me, as if she senses the sarcasm dripping from my words. “You’re the perfect example of why most Fae can’t stand mortals. So young, and yet you think your cleverness is impressive. This is exactly why you don’t belong on the throne. I could never stand for it.”
I lower my glass, my eyes filled with quiet anger. “You could never stand for it? Could you have given up your life and family for one man?”
Without another word, I take a long drink of the wine and smack my lips together. She curls her lips in a deep frown but I only give her a simpering smile. I pivot and stomp through the crowd towards an empty corner for some peace. Navi has drifted off to make large sweeps through the crowd in a circle around me, leaving me with Thal.
“Do you know who that was?” He asks, chuckling low.
I eye him. “I’m sure introductions were made but I made a point of forgetting once she decided to insult all of humanity.”
“Lady Reina Yointus; a very powerful family.” Thal leans against the pillar beside me and smiles. “I fear you’ve just made an enemy.”
“You don’t look very afraid,” I say bitingly.
“Oh, I’m more amused than anything – and impressed.”
“Impressed?” I laugh mirthlessly. “I’m sure Altair will be anything but impressed.”
Thal moves quickly, filled with deadly grace. He leans close to me, his breath brushing my ear. “Altair has grown much more serious, like an old man. A man like that could never please a woman like you.”
