Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I can handle any Deinny who comes my way,” the Fae king promises. “And any weakling version of myself. I wish to be done with this. I don’t like seeing his hands on my concubine. I want to kill him.”
“I told you we can’t kill him so easily.” A tinge of irritation seeps into Myrddin’s tone. “Like your fiancée, he is an ascended god. We must separate the god from the vessel and then we can feed from both. Their mortal souls are nothing compared to the gods inside.”
And now I know why there are no dead here.
The king of this Seelie sithein has turned into a soul eater. It’s something I’ve heard of but never believed in. A soul is sacrosanct. However, if anyone could figure out a way to do it, it is Myrddin.
It makes my stomach roll.
“Rhys, we have to get away. We have to get everyone out of here,” I whisper.
I don’t know what he’s doing with the souls, but we can’t risk it. If he’s found a way to truly destroy a soul, they won’t merely kill us. They will harness our souls to feed their magic. I’m not sure if he wants to destroy the soul or shackle it, tormenting it for power. Either way, I want to avoid it.
Did he do that to my family?
“Fine,” the king of the Seelies says, command in his voice. “Guards, take…myself, I guess. Take this thing with my face to the dungeons.”
“He will find me hard to separate, my goddess.” Bris has taken over the body, his eyes fully emerald. “It will take days. Daniel will find you. We will stay alive. We will survive.”
“Well, he’s not wrong about the days of torture part,” Evil Dev agrees as two guard wind their way out of space and time. One minute there’s a whooshing sound and the next there are two large Fae guards, reaching out to bind Bris’s hands behind his back. “But I will break him, and I will take his power as my own. It is time I am allowed in my own bloody temple again.”
Lee looks my way. Or rather our way. I think his words are truly meant for Rhys. “Yes, my father’s temple is alive. It stopped allowing him in when he started eating souls.”
“Is that how you got in, you little shit?” Evil Dev’s eyes roll. “I should have known. I would burn the place down but it won’t let me.”
So that’s where we run. To the temple.
“It keeps them all out,” Lee promises. “The temple is a living being. It knows how evil you are.”
“And I will use the power from this entity to take it over again. I will trick it with Ostara’s power and then destroy it with the energy I get from myself.” The king walks over to Bris. “And you should know that while my guards peel the god from your soul and serve him up to me on a silver platter, that I will be winning back the woman who should have been at my side.”
“I think I might enjoy being a queen,” Zoey says quietly. “My Devinshea wouldn’t take the crown no matter how much I argued. I thought we should. I thought he should be stronger. I knew he was stronger than Miria. Than Declan.”
Rhys gasps behind me, his fingers tightening on me, but I know exactly what the queen is doing.
And so does Myrddin. “She is lying, Your Majesty. Do not believe a word she says. She is already plotting.”
But it’s easy to see the king wants to believe. When Zoey moves to his side, his shoulders come down, he softens. He takes her hand. “I would love to hear about your life, Zandra. I would also love to show you the kind of life I can give you.”
“Her name is Zoey,” Bris says.
“Her name is whatever I say it is,” the king announces and then turns to Ostara. “Take her as well. I never intended to marry you, you worthless fleck of womanhood. I shall eat your weak goddess and then raze your dying plane to serve my friend. Myrddin will use all I give him to free us from this so-called balance.”
“I am sorry, my lord.” Zoey’s tone is soft, though I know the tears on her cheeks are real, I also know she’s shifted into a role.
All the books and plays, the stories the rebels told of the history of the royals, served more than to entertain us. While the royals and Kelsey were gone, many works about them were written. Plays and songs as well. To keep them with us. Those tales taught us. Zoey Donovan-Quinn was in this position before. She allowed herself to be taken into custody with the belief that her husband would come for her. She did it to save the people she loved, as she hopes she is doing now. She knows she can manipulate the king. She is buying us all time.