Page 12 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #1)

Chapter Twelve

Vad

G ritting my jaw so tight that my teeth ached, I lunged forward, but the veil didn’t budge again . Intense heat shot through my knuckles, causing the burns to deepen. This time the tops of my hands and my wingtips were impacted. I needed to get in there to her . She’d gotten so injured, and now was mourning the death of another contestant, leaving her back open to Kaylen.

As expected, Kaylen summoned and raised a wind dagger in her uninjured hand and poised to strike Briar.

No. Fate, please don’t let her die . I shoved the black stone railing toward the veil. The stone groaned, but that was all.

Hands blazing with red flames, Quen shouted, “Back off, you fecking bitch!” She stood between Kaylen and Briar, making it clear she would step in to protect Briar.

Thank Fate Briar had saved those women. A little bit of worry lifted from my shoulders, making it slightly easier to breathe.

Myantha crouched on Briar’s left side, placing an arm around Briar’s shoulders. Her lips moved, but all I could distinguish were two words– light and passed .

And Briar sobbed, leaning to kiss Aelir’s forehead as one of her hands closed Ailer’s eyes.

“Lower the veil,” I growled. My hands gripped the railing tighter, and magic sizzled over my flesh as I pressed harder against the veil. As much as I fought to hide the desperation in my voice, some likely seeped through. “Lower it now .”

Vyraetos turned from the gap in the railing to face me. Beneath his dark hood, I glimpsed his withered face. He spoke with the slow tone of an elder lecturing a child. “It cannot be done, Your Highness. Not until the contestants have all been removed. To do so would taint the results. The magic of the arena will draw them back to the Ascension Hall momentarily.”

“Then get them out of there. All of them.” I bit out the words.

My heart ached, wishing I could wrap my arms around Briar and vow that everything would be okay. My wings tightened and flexed, and Silus cleared his throat.

Kaylen snarled, bringing my attention back to the candidates to find her expression twisting.

If one of these women didn’t kill that bitch, I might do it myself, which wouldn’t bode well for anyone.

Face flushing, Kaylen let the knife disappear. “There can be only one queen. Why do you care? With her eliminated—”

Briar stood, her hair hanging down her front, covering her ample breasts. It was somehow a brighter copper than before the lights had gone out.

She lifted her head high, and I couldn’t stop myself from taking in her figure. She was gorgeous, inside and out. I hated that everyone could see her like this. In fact, I wanted to stab everyone’s eyes out, but that could happen after she got to safety.

“You fucking monster ,” Briar spat, Aelir’s blood dripping from her hands. “I will take pleasure in killing you.”

“Like you ever could,” Kaylen exclaimed, but the irony of her clutching the forearm Briar had bitten to her chest in clear discomfort had a low laugh escaping me before I could hold it in. Briar’s spirit was exceptional.

She’d proven she couldn’t be discounted, and if Kaylen were smart, she’d realize that.

“Seriously.” Briar snorted. “You’re saying that after I nipped you on your foreman and you freaked out? The only reason your bone didn’t fracture was that I pulled back. Next time, it won’t be your forearm I go after.”

Remembering her in beast form had a shiver running down my spine. My wings tightened. I’d never seen anything like that before—it had been magnificent, but also unnerving. Who knew what other magic she possessed?

“You won’t get the chance, weakling,” Kaylen screamed, and wind began whipping around Briar.

A sharp blast of flames exploded from Quen’s hands, and the fire singed Kaylen’s hair.

Kaylen squealed, falling back a few steps. The wind faded.

Lifting her arms, Yuki raised two blocks of stone, creating a barrier between their group and the others. “And you thought no one would pay back the debt? If not for Briar, we wouldn’t be breathing. You and your cabal tried to kill us after we did our share. You’re scaffing cowards!”

The coiling of blue water whips and the hissing of wind struck up as two others took up positions on either side of Briar. And then Rhielle spread her arms, and her shadow tendrils crept out like roots spreading over the stone.

“If you—” Rhielle scoffed “— ladies would like a cheap, cruel death, I will happily oblige you. But like I said, these challenges are hard enough. We don’t have to be friends, but by Fate we surely can be enemies.”

Kaylen and her supporters growled threats but didn’t break the barrier.

And my respect for each woman surrounding Briar rose exponentially.

The murmurs of the council members jarred me back to the balcony. They spoke of Kaylen and Rhielle but didn’t mention anyone else, not even the women who’d died.

What the feck was all of this? What game was Fate playing with these atrocious trials? No rumor or tale I’d heard of the trials in other kingdoms had come close to capturing what we’d just witnessed.

I’d felt uneasy the entire time, my stomach twisting in knots from the moment we’d stepped into this foul-smelling observation booth situated above the cavernous arena. And it had only gotten worse once the trial started in earnest. The council had offered us chairs and refreshments, but I’d refused. Thank the scaffing void for that.

I had to find a way to ensure that Briar was kept safe until the end, even if she wasn't the one Fate chose. She had to live.

Something was wrong with me. Maybe the ailment that destroyed my father and weakened my sister was now affecting me. The tugging in my chest kept me from breathing properly, my lungs so tight I couldn’t take a full breath. I wanted to punch straight through that veil and go to Briar.

“You can tell that that one has tremendous power yet to be revealed,” said one creaky-voiced shadow councilor. “And she’s a Shadow Fae as well. When we discuss the most promising of the candidates, she must be at the top of the list.”

"I agree," another of the Shadow Council said. "She is already showing great promise, and unlike that one, her magic is knowable. We don't want a red shadow beast for a queen."

“Yes, and the ruthlessness the tall Sylvan Fae showed was striking—”

A growl rose in my throat. Kaylen would never be queen. I’d cut my own throat and hers before that ever happened. However, I’d made enough errors in front of the Council and needed to compose myself. Briar was safe. She had made strong allies to help her fight. She'd done well.

I couldn’t continue to break down in front of the council—couldn’t let them see this soul-sucking weakness that made my blood boil—but I wouldn’t stand by in silence. “That Sylvan Fae is a coward. Physically she possesses strength and magic, but she has no strength of will nor discretion. Certainly not behavior appropriate for a queen.”

Two council members, one from the Neutral Council and from the Shadow Council, stepped back, lifting their heads in shock. “The purpose of this test, Your Highness, was to identify ruthlessness. It is not forbidden for the contestants to behave in such a manner.”

I hated their smug condescension. The knife in my gut and the tightness in my lungs remained, along with that horrid tugging sensation. “No, but it speaks to her character and the kind of queen she would be.” I kept my voice steady. “As far as I’m concerned, any of the fae who lured another to their platform and cast them out after they had already contributed to strengthening the shield should not be considered further. Such a woman would be unfit as a queen and just as likely to create problems as resolve them.” Briar had shown ruthlessness as well, but against herself and in her efforts to ensure all in her circle survived.

Vyraetos nodded somberly. He kept his hands folded before himself, his movements so slight he looked almost like a statue. “To lead is not to conquer by any means necessary, but to weigh the consequences of one’s conquest and intention. That, she failed to do. She is like a double-edged sword without a hilt, sharp, but capable of cutting us even more grievously than our enemies. She has not shown honor or wisdom.”

He agreed with me? I almost drew back a step, and despite the confusion, I found it a little easier to breathe. Most of the others seemed in agreement as well, murmuring or nodding.

A Neutral Fae with a softer, younger voice cleared his throat. “We cannot eliminate her or any of the others from the tournament based on the conduct described when that was not listed among the rules. They must be considered and have the opportunity to continue proving themselves so long as they live, and so long as they do not murder a member of the Shadow Kingdom royal family.”

Vyraetos lifted his hand. “I am not suggesting that they should be eliminated from the competition. All conduct must be considered. It may simply be that Fate has allowed them to be in this place so that they may serve as the refining fire for the true queen. It seems likely that the remaining tests Fate will require will examine wisdom and intellect, but we will see what is drawn forth tomorrow when we discover Fate’s will for the second test.”

Most of the councilors nodded.

I braced my blistered hands on my belt. “Regardless, I want guards in the halls and protective sigils applied to the guest wings. The needless bloodshed stops now. And the contestants must all receive healing treatment.”

I caught Elara’s eye. She had drawn back into the shadows, her hand against the wall. Her face was deathly pale, her lips tinged purple through her weakening glamour, and her eyes shone bright with unshed tears. A shadow passed over her face as she strengthened her glamour.

“Prioritize treatment and care as justice deems," I commanded.

She gave a small nod, and her lips pressed into a tight line.

Thank Fate she was smart and understood what I could not speak aloud. Regardless of the conduct of the women, I had to remain princely. But my first stop out of this cave would be to Briar.

Movement shifted near me, and a low groan reached my ears. I froze, ice cutting through my veins.

I’d forgotten about my father. He’d remained silent throughout the trial, but now tears—actual tears—filled my father's eyes, and his body sagged. I was at his side at once, gripping his arm and guiding him to the door. He stumbled half a step and then grabbed hold of my arm. His fingers squeezed harder than they had in a long time. "Not like then, but the same. The blade through the back. Can’t be saved," he muttered. His left shoulder drooped, his wings flinching and then folding tighter against his back as his dark-blue eyes grew dimmer and murkier.

Feck! Not here, not now. We had to get him out of here before the councilors noticed. His hold on his magic wasn’t slipping this time—his body and mind were.

Elara’s gaze flicked between our father’s face and me. She stepped forward out of the shadow. "With permission, I will see to the contestants. Esteemed council members, I invite you to return to the Ascension Hall with me to continue the evaluations." She spoke louder than usual this time, drawing their attention to herself. She didn't wait for my response before she was moving to the exit.

Silus inclined his head and fell in alongside her. Both disappeared in a spiral of dark smoke.

As the Council continued to speak among themselves, I guided my father to the larger door with the shadow beast sigil. Thalen came up on my father’s other side and pretended to lean in to whisper in his ear, but really helped to support him.

As soon as we stepped upon the shadow beast sigil in the doorframe, I reached out with my magic. The red of its eye glowed, and the black mist coiled around us. We reappeared at the end of the hall in the royal family's private quarters, just a few doors away from my father’s chambers.

I half expected Thalen to make some ill-timed joke, but he had gone almost as pale as his hair, and his amber eyes had dimmed. Somehow that made the situation worse, making me feel as if my world was breaking apart.

Father wrapped his arms around himself. Two tears rolled down his cheeks. "It shouldn't be this way. It wasn’t this way.”

"What shouldn't be this way?" I frowned and guided him forward when his pace slowed. His grip wasn’t as strong as it had once been, but his weight certainly hadn’t lessened. At least here, only the servants who had been sworn to our family were present. Their loyalty was to us and not the Shadow Kingdom as a whole.

"They've never been this brutal," Father continued. “And I was invited to three besides my own. Never—never like this.”

My scowl deepened, and an uncomfortable pit formed in my stomach. "The trials? I have heard about their harshness, but not of the kind of brutality we witnessed today. I believed the purpose was to test the candidates."

He waved his hand weakly, a rumble of a growl forming in his throat. His booted feet shuffled over the rug, creasing and rumpling it with each step. "It is—it is not like this. It was not like this before. There were deaths, yes. From accidents. Most survived."

As soon as we got him to his bedchamber door, it opened, and my father’s most trusted servant appeared. He bowed his head and stepped forward to take my father’s other side, allowing Thalen to dart away. He disappeared into one of the washrooms, and I heard the faint sounds of retching and wondered how long he’d been holding that in.

Father's hand on my arm faltered, but he fumbled about until he held on to me again. "I tried to save your mother, but it did no good." His voice cracked. “They stabbed her like that. So quickly. So cruelly. Didn’t even give her a chance.”

My spine tensed, fire radiating through every joint in my body. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have right now.

"Easy, Father. Deep breaths.”

His wings twitched and fluttered as he tightened them against his back, and he mumbled something I couldn’t quite make out. His foot caught on the black rug, causing his body to lurch and the servant grunted.

The bedrooms in this palace transformed to reflect the tastes of those who lived in them. Ever since my mother had died, his had been dull black and lifeless gray. No trace of bright color or shine. No richness or luster. I hated it in here, and tonight it felt even more oppressive than usual. It usually smelled of junipers and smoke, but now something was off, like bad wine or vinegar had been added to the mix.

"Father—" I looked to the gray-cloaked servant as we moved Father onto the bed. “Go fetch him some fortified wine, red tea, and the healing herbs. He needs rest.”

Mumbling and slurring, Father lay back, his eyes unfocused.

I unfastened his surcoat and loosened his tunic so that he could breathe easier. Then I removed his boots and set them at the foot of the bed. “Rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.” A morning would come when he didn’t, and that knowledge cut through me like a knife.

“You should go now.” More tears rolled down his cheeks, and his jaw trembled as he ground his teeth.

“Father—”

“Go!” His voice broke near the end of that single word.

I bowed my head then and started for the door, the weight of it all crushing me. My boots made no sound on the thick rug.

"Vad…” Father slurred, and I turned back toward him. “Vad, there’s something I need to tell you." He stared up at the lifeless black canopy that stretched over his bed, his hands folded over his chest.

Head spinning, I inhaled sharply at Father’s vulnerable tone. He hadn’t used that tone with me since I was a child, before Mother passed. "I'm here, Father."

"There’s something I need to tell you—about that night."