Throne of the Fallen

And now he couldn’t linger.

“My little dove needs to be reminded what happens when she flies the proverbial coop. Her mother played a dangerous game, stealing her away. All because I was… how did she put it? Losing myself to depravity. As if Prim Róis ever felt an ounce of anything else herself.”

Envy’s heartbeat tripled, his mind racing. When he spoke, his tone was bored.

“You never sent her away.”

“Of course I didn’t. She’s far too valuable. Why else do you think that bitch queen kidnapped her?” Lennox stood, eyes and hair rippling darker. “Time to celebrate your princess!” he called out to his court. “Who wants to play with her in the cage?”

The Unseelie behind them erupted. In their excitement they were tearing one another apart, limbs and wings and talons flying. They wanted to hurt their princess. Watch her burn.

Later, he’d blame the influence of the wicked court, fueling his magic. He’d claim the chalice had restored him. He’d say that his hatred for Lennox made him snap. He’d lie.

When the first Fae climbed up to claw into that cage, ripping Camilla’s dress with its talons, Envy became the demon he was.

He thought of Camilla being trapped in that cage for eternity, thought of the Fae mocking her, hurting her. And the magic he’d resisted wielding to free his wings, the power he didn’t have to spare… shattered against the full might of his sin releasing.

He felt the ward around his circle break. Felt the minds of his demons slipping from his grasp. He knew he had only a few minutes, which he needed to make count.

Then he needed to be gone.

Dark, glittering emerald wings shot out from between his shoulder blades, his feathers razor-sharp, slicing through the Fae gathered near him like daggers.

Blood splattered across the silver floor.

It wasn’t nearly enough. It wasn’t Lennox’s blood.

His wings pulsed with unspoken power, the spells from the Aether Scrolls tattooed across each feather, inert for decades, searing to life. They called to him, begged him to use them. They offered a cruel spell for a crueler king. But they offered him something else first.

He plucked one of his feathers and flung it swiftly at the cage, its magically razored edge blasting the door open, freeing Camilla.

Lennox let loose a howl of rage.

Envy turned to the king, a vicious smile curving his mouth. He held his House dagger in one hand now, aiming it straight at the Unseelie King’s heart.

“Get in the cage, Lennox.”

Envy knew the king wouldn’t submit easily.

He sneered. “You first, demon.”

Lennox unleashed his moonbeam magic, blanketing them all in a complete whiteout that temporarily stole all sense of sight and sound. Like a blizzard crafted of moonlight.

Envy realized this wasn’t the end. A new game had just begun.

And this one would end in death.

SIXTY-FIVE

THE BIRDCAGE PRISON blasted open, the impact of the spelled feather nearly knocking Camilla off her feet.

Silver-white light fell upon her, like celestial snow, before she’d regained her footing. Her father’s moon magic.

Camilla blinked against the blinding light, knowing he’d call forth his shadow magic next. The moon was light and dark, and so was Lennox’s power. Now a sea of unending black rolled through the chamber.

It was the darkness of killers, of nefarious deeds.

But after a second, it blasted back to brightest moonlight. Lennox alternated between the two contrasts, a rapid strobe from light to dark and back that made it difficult to see anyone approaching until they were right on top of you. He was Chaos, and all now felt it.

Lennox’s power was meant to disorient his victims, and it worked beautifully.

Though most were fleeing, tripping over themselves and others as they shoved and darted toward the exits at each corner.

Envy had been standing entirely too close to Lennox when he’d let his cloak of night drop. Camilla saw that he was still reeling.

Camilla had recovered faster, nimbly climbing out of the cage and stealing across the throne room. A large male Fae barreled into her, knocking her into a table where a human had been tied.

Please, the woman mouthed. Help.

Camilla cursed, unable to turn away.

She worked the ropes tied at the human’s wrists, her fingers slipping in the blood. She was trembling, trying to hurry while still glancing back to where Lennox and Envy were slowly circling each other below the throne.

Even without his senses fully intact, Envy was a predator who would not easily be taken down.

Camilla moved to the woman’s ankles and stopped short.

The moonlight and shadows flickered violently, but she saw enough to know that the woman wouldn’t be walking out of this room. Her legs had been carved to the bone, her feet missing.

Bile rose up swiftly, but she swallowed it, trying to keep the fear and horror from her face.

She turned back to the woman, ready to lift her and carry her to safety, but the woman’s eyes were glazed, lifeless, fixed on a point hopefully far better than here.