Page 206 of Brimstone

Another burst of laughter spluttered out of the king. He sighed, lying back in the snow. “You know,” he said, squinting up at the sky, “you have done your mate a woeful disservice. She knows nothing of how this realm works. Nothing of our ways. Nothing of the rules that govern our existence here.”

I prowled toward him, wondering where I should hurt him first. “Is that so?”

A deep, rattling cough seized the king. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. When he’d recovered again, he spoke. “She came here and used your true name to free you. And it worked. But it’s ahollow victory,” he said, emphasizing the words as if I were stupid. “She used your true name . . . in front ofme. She armed me with the most powerful tool I could have hoped for. You’refucked, Kingfisher. Or should I sayKhydan? Let us see if I recall it correctly, shall I? Khydan Graystar Finvarra, I command you to draw this sword from my chest and use it to kill your pretty little mate!”

The air around me shivered. His will crashed down on me, bringing me forward, urging my hand to reach for Nimerelle. Igrabbed the blade. I drew it out of him. I carried it over to where Saeris stood, bloodied and swaying on her feet, and I lifted it, aiming the point of the smoking black blade at my mate’s throat.

Now that he was free of Nimerelle, Belikon was slowly getting back to his feet. “Do it! I’ve had enough of this charade!” he barked.

Looking at my mate, I fixed her with a sorrowful smile. “I’m so sorry, Osha.”

She didn’t blink. Didn’t move. She returned my sad smile with one of her own. “It’s okay. None of this is your fault.”

I swung the blade, spinning at the same time, and plunged itbackinto Belikon’s chest. I drove the sword through him with both hands, slamming Nimerelle down so hard that she went straight through the sorry excuse for a male, pushing him back down to his knees and pinning him to the frozen ground.

“But—what—I—command—commanded—” Belikon insisted, panting out his words.

It was Saeris who stepped forward to break the news. “You see this?” she said, holding out her right hand so that he could see the back of it. The simple interlocking rune she traced with her left index finger didn’t glow, but Belikon’s face turned the color of ash when he saw it. “A rune for undoing. For breaking.” She cut him with a bloodletting smile. “Did you really think I would be stupid enough to speak my mate’s true name in front ofyouwithout protecting him first? You’re out of your addled fucking mind. I couldn’tcommandthe oath he spoke to you and render it moot. But with this, I couldundoit. And after I’d spoken his name and told him to be free, what do you think I didthen, Belikon?”

“His name. You—you—”

She nodded. “Yes. I undid the magic that binds it. No one can use it against him now. No one willevercontrol him again.”

“You poor . . . deluded thing.” The king bared bloodstained teeth. “You are simple if you believe that. So long as . . . you or your friends exist, there will always be leverage to controlhim.”

Pay him no heed, Osha. He’ll say whatever he can to get under your skin. Let’s get out of here before those other guards show up.

I knew better than to hang around. We’d gotten lucky. I hadn’t been permanently trapped inside the dryad, and that was something to beseriouslygrateful for. Once you went in, you normally didn’t come out again. Saeris flared her nostrils, her hatred pouring out of every pore as she slowly shoved away from the prone king. She grabbed Solace’s hilt and began to draw her sword from the king’s back—and a flurry of motion to our right came out of nowhere. Black, swirling robes. A rough-edged dagger slicing downward toward Saeris’s neck. And then white fur and snarling teeth, and eyes the color of polished jet.

Orious had been a second away from slitting Saeris’s throat . . . but then there wasOnyx. The little fox raced out of the shadows and launched himself at the seneschal’s face. He snarled and scratched, sinking his teeth into the thin male’s jaw and cheek.

“Demon dog!” the seneschal growled. He clawed at Onyx’s fur, trying to get a hold of it. “I thought you weredead!”

“Onyx,no!” Saeris was gone before I could stop her. She left Solace buried in Belikon’s chest. She had the dagger I’d given her weeks ago—it was in her hand by the time she reached the male, who was cursing fitfully as he tried to shake off the fox. Canines sharp as needles sank into Orious’s wrist. The male let out a howl of pain . . .

The fox had saved Saeris. He had already done enough. Saeris sank the dagger I’d gifted her into Orious’s side, burying the Fae steel deep. I sent out tendrils of smoke at the same time, lashing the piece of shit around his ankles. My magic swirledaround his torso, about to draw tight and crush his ribs, when the seneschal pivoted, snarling like a rabid beast, and slashed out at Saeris again. The weapon—a null blade, carved an arc through the air, its wicked edge seeking flesh.

And it found it. It just didn’t belong to Saeris.

Onyx let out an agonized yelp, dropping to the ground, and Orious let out a victorious whoop. The fox had darted in front of the blade, ruining his opportunity to end Saeris, but from the gleeful grin on his face, the seneschal didn’t care. He wobbled, staggering sideways, mad laughter boiling out of him. “At last!” he hissed. “I got youulllcchh—” Saeris’s response was instant and ruthless. She buried her face in the seneschal’s neck, and she ripped out his fucking throat. Blood and viscera sprayed the snow. My magic struck the male a second later.

In, I ordered.Destroy.

My shadows went hunting. I’d never commanded my magic with a mind to cause pain, but I sure as hell did now. Smoke and shadow tore down the male’s mangled throat, eviscerating him from the inside out. He died in agony, robbed of the ability to scream.

“No, no, no.” Saeris went to the small bundle that lay on top of the snow. Onyx’s side was torn open, his eyes rolling and tongue lolling as he panted, trying to catch his breath. His fur was stained the brightest red.

My mate turned and grabbed me by the arm, dragging me to the fox’s side. “Help him!” She was sobbing. “Like you did back at Ammontraíeth. Do the thing where you, you know, where you held him, you touched him, and you—you healed him. Please.Please!”

I gently took her hand from my arm—she was digging her fingersdesperatelyinto my bracer—and forced her to release her grip, pulling her into my chest. “I can’t, Osha. I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“But—you must have some healing magic left. Your small magic. Just a little bit.He’ssmall, you said so yourself. Just—justtry!”

I stroked her hair, holding her tight to me as I slowly shook my head. “I’m sorry.” My voice broke. “Iwouldtry, I promise I would. But it’s too late, Osha. He’s already gone.”

Onyx had taken one last stuttering breath while she’d been crying. He’d shivered and let out a trembling sigh, and then he’d gone.

Saeris shoved me in the chest, hard, pushing away from me. She shook her head as if denying the truth made it false. “No. No, he’s not gone. He’snot!” But then she saw him, saw how still he was and how peaceful he looked, and the truth closed around her like a vise. She dropped to her knees and sobbed. “I wasn’t holding him. I wasn’t . . . he went and I . . . wasn’t . . .”