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A worry for later, once Galleghar is ours.

It seems so easy. He’s right there in front of us. All we have to do is pluck him from his knock-off throne, slap a pair of iron cuffs on his wrists, and take him back to Somnia.

Maybe it would’ve played out that way, but we’ve only taken a few short steps towards him when the air around us wavers. Just as it does, I feel the enchantments dissolving away.

Pretty sure that wasn’t supposed to happen.

In an instant, Galleghar’s eyes dart to us. I catch the flicker of surprise in them, but then his face breaks out into a cold, malicious smile.

“My ill-begotten son, we meet again.”

Chapter 32

“And you broughtfriends,” Galleghar says casually, his eyes flicking to us.

I suddenly feel awkward standing here, like the four of us are some gang of supernatural Avengers. Only we’ve been caught with our pants down.

Not how I imagined this interaction unfolding.

Des saunters forward, slipping his hands into his pocket. “I never thought I’d see the day where you were the one living in the caves, and I the king,” he says smoothly.

Ooooh, burn.

One of Galleghar’s hands fist, but that’s his only reaction. The piece of parchment floating in front of him rolls up and sails softly onto the floor next to the bags of gold. In one of the darkened hallways leading into the room, I see a flicker of movement.

Is that Des’s darkness? Something else? It’s impossible to tell.

The undead king crosses one leg over the other, raising his eyebrows as his gaze moves over us. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to be frightened? Two slaves and a petty criminal with a title—oh, and my scheming son.”

This asshole. All his atrocities aside, he must’ve been a real prick to be around.

“How are your wings feeling?” Des asks. “Still broken?”

Galleghar stares up at him, settling deeper into his seat. “I imagine you remember the feeling. Your wings snapped like twigs beneath my touch.”

I’d almost forgotten the injury Des sustained back in the Flora Kingdom; so many terrible things happened that night.

“Your throne is cute,” the Bargainer says, continuing forward. “I gave my servant’s daughter one just like that—only I believe it was a little bigger.”

Damn. Fairies don’t fuck around with their insults.

Galleghar’s eyes narrow. I’m waiting for his retort when he disappears.

My siren surfaces in an instant, making my skin glow.

Galleghar reappears in front of Des, fist cocked. The Bargainer vanishes just as quickly, flickering into existence behind Galleghar. Des slams a booted foot into his father’s back, knocking the fairy down at my feet.

My soulmate puts a foot to his father’s throat, his hand reaching for his shackles. “Is that all the fight you have? You’re making this too easy.”

“Why fight when the odds are so unfair?” his father rasps out.

Des tilts his head, his eyes narrowing. “You said yourself that we were just some lowly slaves and criminals; no match for the great Galleghar Nyx.”

A child appears in one of the doorways leading into the room, distracting me from the faceoff in front of me. The little girl looks absurdly out of place—until I see her eyes. All that anger, all that malevolence—she must be a casket child.

From the other doorways another few children appear, followed by soldiers with glazed eyes, their uniforms bloody.

Sleeping soldiers.