Page 15 of A Game of Monsters (Realm of Fey #4)

Whilst I took the quill and prepared to sign the treaty, Cassial taunted me with his sly scrutiny, and he enjoyed every bastard minute of it. He watched me like a predator watching prey, whereas I couldn’t take my eyes off the horror behind him.

Standing proud behind his throne was a glass case, refracting the sunlight in beams of multicoloured splendour. But there was nothing beautiful about what stretched out behind the glass.

Wings. Two familiar limbs held by straps. I had to fight back the urge to scream or release my magic upon him again. Because I knew who those wings once belonged to.

The woman imprisoned beneath my feet. But for her sake, I had to be the demure king upholding the illusion of amity.

So, this was why Cassial changed the location of the treaty’s signing last minute. Because he wanted me to see them.

No one else noticed, perhaps thinking it was some glorified decoration brought over from Irobel. But if I looked close enough, I could see the stains of blood soaking into a few feathers.

For a pious man, Cassial held dark thoughts in his eyes. His silence scorched across my body as he watched me sign my name upon the parchment – securing the future for everyone I cared about. A world in which the fey and the humans would live in harmony. I was no mind reader, but one look at him, and I knew just what he wished to do with me. I took pride knowing he would never get the chance once the ink dried.

As the sworn protectors of humans, if Cassial made any move against me, it would forfeit the peace. He was a twisted bastard, but I had to trust he wasn’t that stupid.

Once my ink soaked into the page, I stepped back, forcing a smile so no one else around me knew there was anything to worry about. “Is that everything you need of me?” I asked.

Cassial didn’t reply with words but bowed his head instead.

I was the last person to sign the treaty. Althea and Elinor had gone up before me, scrawling their names upon a document that would ensure the two realms would become one. A place without borders. A representative from the Elmdew Court, a woman wearing a circlet of silver attached with the ivory horns of a stag. In her hands she held a baby, swaddled in blankets and cooing softly, I knew it had to be the young prince Jordin.

I took my place, stealing myself against any remaining hesitations.

I knew what I had to do to ensure that all this mattered – and with Rafaela’s help, I would. First, I had to make it through tonight’s ball, and tomorrow’s wedding. Then I would return to Icethorn with Rafaela, prepare to journey with Duncan to Irobel, and complete the ritual Rafaela had confirmed might just work.

But before then, as Rafaela had said, I had some peace to make and goodbyes to offer.

“Today, we have made history,” Cassial drawled, looking at everyone but me. “We have ensured those who come after us will get to enjoy a world in which our personal sacrifices mean something. Eighteen years to this day, we will return to Lockinge and host the crowning of the human Princess Eugena with the Spring Court heir, Jordin Elmdew, thus bringing our peoples together in more than just spirit. Until then, we begin our celebrations tomorrow with the wedding between Althea and Gyah–” Cassial physically winced at that, as if the idea of the marriage displeased him, but he dared not admit it aloud. It seemed I wasn’t the only one to notice. One look at Althea and I saw her eyes narrow. However, she was good at plastering a fake smile upon her face, whereas I was shit at it.

“If that is all,” Althea said, the dismissal overspilling in her voice. Even though I hadn’t told her what state I found Rafaela in, she certainly wasn’t pleased with the ‘confusion’ about her not being in Lockinge. “I would like to return to my rooms and prepare for tonight.”

Cassial bowed, waving a hand in polite dismissal. “That is all. Unless anything further is required of me, please enjoy yourselves. I regret I will not be able to join you tonight, but please, raise a goblet on my behalf.”

Murmurs rose throughout our crowd.

“Is there somewhere more pressing you need to be?” I asked, unable to hold my tongue.

Cassial slowly swept his eyes back to me. Bless his heart, he really did try and hide the abhorrence he held for me. “Yes, Robin Icethorn. In fact, there is. I’m required at the south border, to ensure our plans have been followed for the celebrations tomorrow. But do not concern yourselves with that, please. Zarrel will stay behind and see to any needs you have. For now, I wish you the best. My one request is that you are careful with the drinks tonight. No fun will be had tomorrow with sore heads.”

“Let them have a little fun, Cassial.” Zarrel nodded with a knowing smile, clutching Rafaela’s hammer in his hands as if it had always belonged to him.

“You are right, Zarrel. Drink us dry if that is what you would all wish.”

We were all prepared to depart when the doors to the great hall crashed open, and a Nephilim soldier speared inside. The suddenness had us all holding our breath, although Cassial actually seemed undeterred by it all.

“Your Brilliance,” the Nephilim bowed, breathless and faced flushed. “We have news from–”

“ Thank you, Damious.” Cassial’s raised hand was one way of cutting the Nephilim off. “But our guests do not need to be concerned with any minor issues.”

“Actually, we are rather adept at dealing with issues,” Gyah said, hand laid upon the hilt of her sword. “You’re welcome to share this, if you choose to.”

It was another dig, at Cassial’s prior mistruth.

“My betrothed is right,” Althea started, sensing the tension in the air. “If there is an issue at play, we absolutely should be included in the conversation.”

Cassial stood from his chair, which was better described as a throne. It was impressive how obvious he displayed his comfort whilst sat in it. I’d think that a warrior of the Creator would at least pretend he wasn’t interested in control. All that was missing was a crown, and Cassial was no different to a king. “Princess Cedarfall, these are human matters.”

“And the treaty we have just signed ensures that we are united, does it not?” Althea pushed on.

“It does, but that starts in eighteen years, as mentioned.” Cassial’s dismissal was cold as ice. “Now please, if you wouldn’t mind, I have matters to deal with, and you have a party to get ready for.”

Althea and I shared a glance, mirroring that which Erix and Gyah had. Elinor too. But none of us asked questions. Elinor was the one to shepherd us all out of the room, like a mother goose guiding her hatchlings out of danger.

“I, for one, would like to know exactly what has ruffled his feathers,” Althea said as the grand doors closed. “Secrecy is certainly not a way to set the tone before the ink has had a chance to dry on the papers.”

“In his defence,” I said, attempting to dilute the distrust between my allies. “We have kept secrets, as has he.”

“I don’t like it,” Althea persisted. “Minor or not, I want to know what is going on.”

I took pleasure knowing that my friend didn’t like Cassial. I knew she had good taste. But for the sake of pretences, I had to keep up my attempt to distil this tension. The first being that my investigation into the Below proved that Rafaela was not, in fact, there. I’d lied and told them she was in her rooms, healthy and whole, certainly not severed of wings.

It was necessary to further my plans.

“I’m sure it is nothing to worry about,” I replied, offering her a subtle, discarding shrug. “As Cassial said, these are human matters. They’ve been dealing with them for a while, and we don’t divulge matters that occur across our borders. We can at least trust he has it under control.”

Althea shot me a look that told me she didn’t believe me. “Did you see that Nephilim that came rushing in? He looked rather flustered about something.”

Erix was so still beside me, I almost forgot he was even there. It wasn’t until he spoke that I remembered his ever-presence. “Hunters. That’s what they are discussing.”

We all looked to him, shocked at his admission. Before we could ask how he knew, Erix gestured to his pointed ears. “My hearing has improved. Thanks to… you know–” He gestured a hand down his body as if pinning the blame on his new form. “This.”

I wondered how many unwanted conversations Erix had heard before now. Like last night, did he know who visited my room? When I entered his, and he woke from sleep, was that all an act?

My own lies were poisoning my judgement, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“What else do you know?” Gyah stiffened, wrapping a protective arm around Althea’s waist. “We’re going to need more than that.”

“Cassial has left already. Zarrel is on his way to check on us,” Erix’s eyes flickered toward the corridor. “I say we go before he discovers we are all stood around discussing matters that, as Robin put, are not of our concern, shall we? We can pick this back up later.”

“Should we be worried?” Elinor asked, rich voice dripping with concern. “Because I am.”

Erix shook his head. The way his eyes diverted to me, how when he replied his voice shivered slightly, I knew he was lying. “No. Just that a band of them have been found near Lockinge. It’s in hand from what I could hear.” A creak sounded beyond the door. “Now, scatter.”

And scatter we did. I’d no choice but to follow Erix, because he threaded his hand with mine and guided me through Lockinge Castle toward our chambers. The suddenness of the touch, when we had been dancing around it, took any ability to do anything but follow away from me.

Only when we came to a stop, and he dropped it again, did I find I could speak. The lingering warmth of his touch didn’t falter.

“You just lied to them,” I said once I knew our companions were out of earshot. “Didn’t you?”

I knew Erix had the moment the words came out his mouth. How his gaze had strayed, and his left hand flexed on and off at his side. Telling signs, considering I knew him well.

“I did,” Erix replied, coldly.

“So, we should be worried?”

Erix swallowed hard, the audible thump of the lump in his throat making the hair on my arms stand. We’d come to an abrupt stop, in a narrow hallway lined with empty portraits. Sconces burned with fire, lighting the way, making the golden hue of flames lick and dance across the many banners displaying the Creator’s symbol.

“I heard a mention of a convoy. Hunters were seen in a small village not far from here.”

“So, it wasn’t a lie?”

Erix looked to the shadows, inspecting them for secrets. “The Hunter part, no. But the Nephilim didn’t seem awfully surprised. If anything, I heard that the party had been expected.”

My first instinct was that something terrible had happened. A pillaging of the village. I had the impression that Cassial’s mention of being needed at the border had little to do with the wedding, and everything to do with Hunters. Why else did he not seem surprised when Damious came in? It was certainly like news he expected to hear.

“What did they – these Hunters do?”

In the dark of my mind, I saw a flash of destruction. It was brave, for the Hunters to continue their goals, knowing everything they’d lost – or believed they’d lost.

If only they knew the truth. If only they found out what I had bound to the bed in Imeria.

Erix shook his head, searching the shadows around us for threats. “I don’t know. I heard Damious mention something about the wagons being empty. The Hunters are giving something out to the locals, saying it’s in the name of the capital. Cassial went into a fury and departed before anything else was said.”

I shook my head, unable to make sense of it. “So whatever is happening, Cassial will resolve it.”

“Will he?”

I could only hope. “He has no other choice.”

“Robin.” The seriousness in Erix’s tone had me snapping my eyes back up to his. My breath hitched in my throat at the bright glow of his silver irises, next to the red-tinged whites of his eyes. Whatever was bothering him called to the monster inside of him. “If I even get a whiff of a threat, then I am getting you far away from here, wedding or not. Your safety is all that matters to me.” His hands gripped my upper arms and held me firm. “I promised Duncan, and I take that vow seriously. Do I make myself clear?”

The severity of his words made my knees tremble. “Loud and clear,” I answered, finding words hard to grapple. “But dealing with Hunters is nothing new. The Hand’s poison will take more than a few months to purge–”

“It’s not the Hunters I worry about. It’s you . And something is screaming at me, an intuition that is telling me something isn’t right here. So, the second I feel like those worries are proven right, we are leaving.”

“But that’s not it, is it?” His grasp on my arms lessened, but the intensity in his eyes never faltered. “Something else is worrying you. I can tell.”

Erix paused, taking in my accusation. That was the thing about him. Erix could read me, just as I could read him. So, when he shook his head and dismissed my question, I knew he was lying again.

“I think our focus should be getting through tonight and tomorrow. Then we can make plans to visit Irobel, with Duncan – and save him.”

I looked around, panicked for hidden ears to overhear. “Not here.”

“We are alone,” Erix said, and something about it sparked a heat inside of my gut. “No one will hear me.”

Erix was the only person I had been completely honest with when I left Rafaela. He knew everything that happened, all but a small detail spared. Mostly because I trusted him with my biggest secret; this one paled in comparison. But we were a team, as Duncan wanted. I wasn’t going to waste the only true ally I could afford.

“Then you know why we can’t cause any issues,” I reminded him, clutching his hand desperately. “The next few days must go smoothly for us to get a chance to get back to Duncan. Then we can worry about the charter to Irobel.”

Erix calmed, if only slightly, but it was enough. “I have already sent word back to Imeria for my gryvern to prepare for Duncan’s movement. I would suggest they meet us at the coast, it would cut the journey back to Irobel in half.”

A warmth of thanks enveloped me like the embrace of strong arms, knowing I wasn’t the only person to deal with this issue. With Erix, I didn’t feel as lonely as I had before.

“Thank you, Erix. I mean it.”

He laid a soft hand upon my cheek, my breath caught in my throat. “For what?”

I swallowed hard. “Shouldering this burden with me.”

“Of course. As I said it’s my–”

“Duty and pleasure,” I repeated the sentiment he’d said to me a number of times. “I know.”

“Exactly, little bird.”

I drew a step back, hyper aware of his hand falling uselessly back to his side.

“You know, we could skip the ball tonight, if you prefer,” I said, almost hopeful Erix would agree. “I’m not really in the mood to celebrate after what I saw today.”

“As much as I agree, I know that would not be wise,” Erix replied.

“Can I ask why?”

“Pretences. I wish I could do as you want, but you must be seen by the Nephilim and human nobility. It is all a game, one you must see through to the end.” He stepped closer, the flames reflecting across the hollow planes of his handsome face. Erix refused to look anywhere but at me. “But not only that, you also deserve a night to enjoy yourself. This game of pretend will not last much longer, you may as well enjoy it whilst it does.”

My brain told me to step away from him, but my heart kept me in place, our proximity so close I felt his breath on my face. “Is that the only reason?”

Erix mocked a smile, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Well, between me and you, I need a belly full of strong spirits if I can even hope to get through another interaction with Zarrel. I’m so close to giving in to the gryvern and tearing him into lots of little pieces.”

“Wow,” I gasped, “you feel that strongly about him? I’m jealous.”

I regretted those last words the second they came out of my mouth. Before Erix could press forwards, I turned toward the door to my chamber, wincing when my back was to him. “I’ll knock for you when I’m ready to go back down.”

Although I couldn’t see Erix’s expression, I heard it. The sigh he exhaled was so impressive, I felt it in my bones. “And I shall be waiting for you, little bird.”