Page 54

Chapter Fifty-four

Cyrus

My hands were beginning to cramp, but it was integral that my task was done soon. My dreams grew bloodier by the night, and I knew they were a warning.

A battle loomed on the horizon.

And I had to be ready. As the only one capable of wielding such advanced magic as blood magic, I was also responsible for preparing it all myself. No one else could be trusted with such secrets.

I stirred the pot once more, flexing my fingers around the long handle of the spoon.

“Cruach, iarraim ort.

íobairim an bheatha seo duit,

a gcuid fola a ghlacadh chun beatha.

Glan é agus déan arís é,

agus lig dó a bheith ar an draíocht ina bunúsach.”

I stilled my stirring as the blood before me began to churn and shimmer, the telltale magic forming before my eyes. It amazed me every time, seeing such simple material as human blood become a force of magic that no one else could touch.

For whatever was coming next, I would be prepared better than my enemies could ever imagine. Starting with having lots of blood magic to access. The dreams made it clear that blood magic would be my lifeline, and I had no cause to doubt them. Not when the dreams had all aligned perfectly with what I knew to be true.

My crown was awaiting me. Dusk Kingdom’s crown may be mine, but it was paltry compared to what was meant to grace my head. Being king of the realm was hardly enough either, not when there was something truly grand waiting.

After all, someone had to rule once the gods were out of the way. My dreams showed me many things. Ones I had thought impossible. But if it all worked out as planned, and I would ensure it did, then the gods would soon be locked away. They’d be powerless, and it would take millennia for them to gather enough strength to try to fight. By then, I would be firmly established and able to crush them as they deserved.

The fates were with me, and thus, I knew my charge was a righteous one. The gods had overstepped in taking away our magic, and they would pay dearly for all they had wrought. Though, if I was honest, there were other reasons my anger at them continued to burn so hotly.

It wasn’t enough to take away my magic and leave me powerless; they then had to turn around and give my human unimaginable power and a throne besides! It was embarrassing, honestly.

Asteria was mine.

She had no business sitting on any throne, playing at being queen.

But even worse than that—they’d made Asteria Calix’s mate .

If she should have been anyone’s mate, it should have been mine! Our souls understood each other; I knew that beyond any doubt. But Calix was able to tempt her away from me, all because the gods had forged a bond between them.

Given more time, I could have broken Asteria of that willful spirit, and built her back up into a proper Fae lady. One who may have been fit to sit at my side as queen. Instead, I was left with the nagging, duplicitous Zerlina.

I nearly rolled my eyes at the thought. Her hovering was becoming cloying. Her desperation to prove she wasn’t betraying me only made me more certain she was. She was terrible at this game. Maybe the court in Dawn Kingdom was full of half-wits, leading her to believe herself better at it than she was.

That would actually explain Tariq quite well.

The man kept pushing for the marriage to happen quickly. He wanted his daughter assured as queen of Dawn no matter what happened. I wasn’t stupid, however. If I gave in and married her before whatever battle was on the horizon arrived, then when it did, he could easily turn on me.

As long as his daughter was queen, with a son in her belly, the throne would be secured.

Over my dead body.

Like Tartarus was I going to let Tariq and Zerlina sweep in and benefit from all the blood, sweat, and magic I put into making this kingdom my own. I wouldn’t put a crown on her head until everything was secure.

Unfortunately for dear King Tariq, that meant he wouldn’t live to see his daughter become queen. More fortunately for him, it also meant he wouldn’t live to see me strike down his son and heir. Though, he’d surely find out soon enough, once his son joined him in the Otherworld.

At least until the time came for me to assume my new position. Once I controlled the Otherworld, I would ensure its purpose was more suited to my own. Who knew how many useful creatures lurked within those realms, ones that could be put to better use protecting me in this one. They were wasted on the dead.

Bottling up the blood magic, I stashed the vials away in every pocket I had and refilled the vial connected to the chain around my neck. One couldn’t be too careful, and I needed access to magic at all times. The extra bottles ensured that whenever battle did come, I would be more than ready to meet my enemies on the field.

I opened the old wooden door that led into the forgotten workroom I’d made my own, and exited into the dusty hall. Closing the door, I quickly locked it up. This section of the palace was unused by anyone else these days, but it wouldn’t do for anyone to stumble upon it by accident, either.

Making my way down the twisting halls, I came to the back entrance to the dungeons. A turn to the right would see me ascending the stairs up to the palace proper, while going through the door in front of me would put me right into the dungeons themselves. I deliberated for a moment before opening the door with an aggravated sigh.

Weakness was something I could ill afford, and yet…

Making my way into the dungeons, my guards jumped in surprise, their armor clanking with the movement. They looked with creased eyebrows from the main entrance to where I had suddenly appeared, a look of fear in their eyes.

I honestly wanted to laugh. They clearly thought I’d done some great feat of magic to appear before them like a specter, when all I did was use a Tartarus damned door.

“Carry on, men,” I instructed them, “I’m just here to visit one of my prisoners.”

“My King.” They bowed as I passed, and I rolled my eyes at the scent of fear that wafted off one of them. A guard here needed thicker skin than being scared of his own king.

I wrinkled my nose at the smell coming from the dank hall before me. I watched my step carefully, not knowing what might be littering the dirt-covered ground. The lighting was incredibly dim, with only one flame at the end lighting the dark grey rock. All the dungeon cages had been formed with it, the cavernous space making for a wonderful place to keep prisoners.

No one was escaping through the magically enforced bars, and they wouldn’t be escaping through the thick rock deep beneath the palace either.

I came to a stop at the end of the row, where the light was brightest. It illuminated the grimy form sitting slumped against the back wall. His brown hair was longer and shaggier than I’d ever seen it, and his golden eyes were missing the luster that so captivated the court.

His wife was locked in a much nicer room up above in the palace. The usual standard protocol for noble prisoners. But Vissy was a special case. His betrayal cut deeper than the rest, and thus, his punishment had to be much harsher.

Having him under such strict guard in the dungeons also meant that no one could get to him through any of the secret tunnels throughout the palace. There was only one way in here, and one way out. Meaning I knew every single individual who might try to see him.

Not that anyone had. Which was certainly curious. Maybe my siblings wrote him off once he was imprisoned, and no longer able to assist in their plots.

The rebels had only gotten louder, however. They’d become more brazen, attacking my camps under cover of darkness and trying to free my blood bags. Some had been caught and subsequently chained up themselves, but most of them remained elusive.

There had to be someone helping them. Perhaps Kian or Vikal. Vikal had mysteriously disappeared, and while Kian claimed ignorance, I believed him less and less. It was no great leap of logic to see that he only left after I threatened his little slut. How he got out, however, was the real mystery.

I’d already killed the guards who’d been assigned to watch him. Whether they were disloyal or incompetent didn’t matter. Either way, they could not be trusted. Their bodies now hung from the palace gates as a warning.

Gruesome, maybe, but effective.

The rest of my guards had certainly straightened out and stiffened up when they saw what bad results garnered them.

Kian, however, remained. He didn’t disappear with Vikal, which was the only doubt I had about the whole situation. Would he not have fled to avoid treason charges?

Or was it merely that he had greater plans in place?

These thoughts all brought me to Vissy, or the beaten-down version of the friend I knew. Those golden eyes cracked open, and upon seeing me, he scoffed and rolled his eyes before closing them once more. He crossed his arms over his chest and hung his head, his long hair covering most of his face. He acted as if he was going to sleep instead of bothering to acknowledge me properly.

It was infuriating. The absolute disrespect he showed only proved that I had been too lenient with him. Perhaps it was time to take things further, and find out the truth of the matter.

“You know, Vissy, I once wanted you by my side as I took up my rightful place,” I told him, regret leaking into my voice despite myself.

He ignored me, and I clenched my fists together before lightning could strike out from my fingertips.

“But I see now the folly in such thinking,” I sighed sadly. “Attachments do nothing but hold one back. If I’m to rise, I need to purge myself of such things. Ensure I have no weaknesses, you understand.”

Vissy looked up warily, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine. The dim flame cast long shadows across his cell, leaving a strip of light to illuminate his eyes as he leaned forward, making his golden orbs look like they were glowing.

Making the rage and disgust within them more than clear even within the dark womb of the palace.

I stiffened as he pushed himself up from his sprawl. He sauntered over to the door slowly and leaned his elbows where the bars intersected, his hands clutching tightly to the dark metal. He tilted his head, leaning the side of it against one of the bars, as his eyes bored into me.

Stripping me bare straight down to my soul.

I felt frozen in that moment, unable to do anything more than look back at him and let him see all that I was. All that I had become. A different beast than the one he’d grown up with, I knew.

Destiny had too much in store for me to remain unchanged. When I accomplished everything I sought, it would prove my detractors wrong about me. It would show Father, even in the Otherworld, why I was always the best choice of heir. The one good decision the gods had made.

My mother was the only one on my side now. She served her role well, charming the court and especially the king of Dawn, right out of their secrets and into everlasting loyalty.

I had once thought Vissy would always be there, believing in me when most of my family would rather see me dead and gone. The loss of that certainty caused an ache in my chest, and it felt as if lightning bolts of pain radiated out from it.

“What are you going to do now, huh, Cyrus?” Vissy laughed bitterly, a sound I had never once heard from his mouth. “You say you can’t have attachments, but what about Asteria? Hmm?”

I blinked, breaking from his intense stare, and sighed slightly in relief. Shaking my head, I snorted at his question. “Asteria will be at my feet where she belongs.”

“Oh, a woman like Asteria does much better on her back,” Vissy smirked, a nasty snarl hiding beneath it. “But then—you wouldn’t know that, would you?” He laughed, looking as if he’d won something with this bizarre turn of conversation.

“I will,” I told him seriously.

Vissy just laughed more, shaking his head. “Not truly. You’ll never get to enjoy the experience of a willing Asteria.”

He leaned his head closer to me, the stink of unwashed male making me wrinkle my nose and lean my head backward. “And let me tell you, brother, it is exquisite .”

His smirk as he pulled his head back was a familiar one, one I recognized as the smirk he would often don when speaking of his many conquests, bragging about the men and women who’d throw themselves at him for the mere chance at a night in his bed.

Fury rose hot and uncontrollable within me. I lashed out, my hand grabbing him by the throat and pulling him into the bars, his head bouncing off the metal with the force of it.

“You didn’t,” I growled, my canines lengthening as the truth of their betrayal solidified within me.

He just laughed once more, golden eyes twinkling with perverse joy. He’d actually done it. She had done it. Vissy didn’t own her after all, not like I did. The one sticking point between us, preventing her from opening her legs like the slut she clearly was.

“When?” I demanded, shaking him by the throat. “When did you start betraying me, you piece of shit?” I loosened my grip, allowing him to answer through my grip.

“The night of your betrothal ball, of course,” Vissy answered easily. “You spent so much time teasing her, Cyrus. Winding her up and up with no relief to come. The poor girl needed an outlet.” He licked his lips lasciviously, making me snarl in response. “And I was oh-so-willing after that taste you gave me. Desperate for more, even.”

I screamed in anger, tightening my grip around his throat and watching as he lost that awful smile until his hands came up to try to pry mine off, and his face began to go red and then purple. Through my anger, though, I realized this wasn’t the way.

I let him go abruptly, watching him hit the ground with a thud. He coughed harshly, curling up on his side and reaching up to rub his throat with a much hoarser laugh.

“Going to kill me now, Cyrus?” He moved onto his knees, watching me with suddenly dead eyes. And then I realized that it was exactly what he wanted. Time in this dungeon had drained him of the will to live.

Well, that certainly wouldn’t do.

“Not yet,” I answered honestly, and he sagged a bit, whether in disappointment or relief, I couldn’t be sure. Even when driven to the brink, men ready to die often find they aren’t as ready as they thought when it comes.

“Guards!” I called, and they came running around the corner. A guard with short blonde hair and blue eyes who looked familiar arrived with a dark-haired and pink-eyed man who didn’t. It took me a moment to recognize the blonde. He was one of the guards on duty the day Zerlina prevented Asteria from taking shelter during the attack on the city.

After I realized that was the day she had met Calix, I had punished the guards who’d been there with dungeon duty, a severe step down from guarding the royals. I eyed him speculatively, but ultimately decided to move forward.

“Lord Visita here is to be delivered to Kesshuu at the North Camp,” I instructed them. “I want him put on the rack and left to wait for my arrival, understand?”

They both nodded immediately, and I turned to look back at Vissy, who sat glaring at me.

“I’ll find out the extent of your betrayal, brother ,” I spat at him. “Even if it kills you.”

I didn’t allow him a word in response, stalking off and leaving behind the love I once held for the man in the cell. Thinking of the many times we’d laid in bed together, experiencing a closeness I had never experienced with another, my heart felt torn to shreds.

And knowing Asteria had turned to him? Even before Calix stole her away? It took those shredded pieces of my heart and burnt them to ash.

* * *

I stormed through the palace, with slaves, guards, and courtiers alike scurrying out of my way quickly. It was enough to cause at least a glint of satisfaction within me. My father never inspired such fear or showed such dominance over his court.

But the feeling didn’t last long. The specter of my father was surely laughing now. The two people who meant the most to me, fucking each other behind my back. I could practically hear his ‘ I told you so’ in a ghostly whisper.

Trust and love were overrated. Power was all I needed. It could never hurt me, after all, and that’s all those I loved had ever done. Power was simple and straightforward, with a clear path to achieve it. Love was messier than power by far. It was better to bury any tender feelings and let the drive for greatness fuel me instead.

The guards outside my mother’s door spotted me, bowing their heads and knocking to announce my presence before opening the door for me. I immediately entered, watching them close the door behind me before I spun to face my mother.

She sat back on her chaise, the red velvet crushed over time from how often she leaned on the arm sipping her similarly colored wine. She certainly enjoyed the theme, as her hair and currently raised brow matched suspiciously well to her favorite resting spot.

Her deep black eyes fixed on me as I began pacing back and forth, but she thankfully remained silent and let me think. The only sound was the sloshing of her wine in the glass as she drank.

“How goes things with Tariq?” I asked suddenly, turning on the spot to face her. I had no desire to get into what was bothering me. I knew her opinion on Asteria quite well, and I’d already had enough of listening to her ranting about the “uppity slave girl” who had “bewitched” me.

“Very well.” She smirked, looking decidedly pleased with herself. “He’s agreed to hold off on the marriage until the realm is more stable.”

“How’d you manage that?” I inquired, my eyebrows flying upwards. He’d been annoyingly persistent about it since he’d arrived.

The look on her face made me wish I hadn’t asked. I might throw up if she confirmed my suspicions.

“I merely reminded him that a royal wedding needed to be an elaborate and regal affair, not a rush job before a battle.” She rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly. “Which is true, regardless of the fact we have other plans. Royal weddings need to be attended by all the royals across the land. It would be unseemly otherwise.” She sniffed haughtily.

I rolled my own eyes this time. “Except none of the other kings will live long enough to attend.”

She brushed off my reminder with a wave of her hand. “It still holds true. If you’re the only king, then all royals will be in attendance.”

A smirk rose on my lips, and I nodded my head in agreement, giving her that one.

“Speaking of, will there be a wedding at all?” Mother asked seriously, leaning forward. Her long sleeves draped to the ground from where they split at her elbows.

“I will need a queen if I’m to have heirs.” I reminded her dryly. “One can’t begin a new dynasty without such, unfortunately.”

“I’m well aware, son.” She responded, unimpressed. “Considering I taught you that. I mean, will Zerlina be the one? After all, you’re sure she is in league with your foolish sister in some nefarious plot.” She shook her head in dismay, sighing slightly. “I don’t know where I went so wrong with your siblings.”

I sighed, rubbing a hand through my hair before slumping onto the sofa across from her. “I don’t know. If I can prove her actions, I’ll have a case for execution. But I can’t imagine any other princess being so indifferent about their family's deaths.”

“Hmm.” She hummed, tipping her glass at me. “A good point. You could always marry her and kill her once she delivers an heir.”

My eyebrows rose, but it was a solid idea. I needed to marry no less than another royal, and the pool was limited to Zerlina, her sisters, Sybella and Danique, Sunneva and Isleen from Sunrise, and Dysis from Sunset. I couldn’t very well reward a princess who sided with my enemy either, meaning Dawn’s royal family was the only option.

Of course, there was one other royal available. A princess, heir to her kingdom no less. But the very thought of her had lightning running through my fingers in cracks and pops. I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering my emotions.

Asteria would return to her rightful place, and I would have the chance to punish her then for all of her transgressions. She wasn’t raised to be royalty, but to be a slave. She had no true education or instruction on how to behave properly. Was it even fair to hold her actions thus far against her?

Well, I couldn’t see myself letting them go, but I would ensure she was retrained properly, until she was the perfect pet. Maybe one day, should she show enough deference and apology, I would consider raising her station.

Maybe then, after enough time had passed, and all those who remembered her treachery were dead, she would even make a worthy queen beside me on the throne.

Asteria’s blood would be even better than Zerlina’s when it came to birthing an heir. The blood of the soon-to-be former gods ran in her veins. Would it not be right to mix the new god king’s blood with the former king of the gods to bring about an heir?

The beginnings of a way to further this plan sparked in my mind. I stood suddenly, ignoring my mother’s confused look. I stormed out, heading to the guest quarters where Aelius rested.

The man may be disposable, but the information he possessed as the king of Day certainly wasn’t. In fact… it would provide exactly what was needed to bring my war to the gods themselves.