Page 35 of The Ruthless Fae King
His mouth popped open in shock. He struggled against my invisible hold but I detained him firmly in place.
“And from now on, if you want to be in your son’s, or my presence, you will be sober.”
“You don’t tell me what to do!” Lucien’s father snarled, frost crawling along the walls around me. I pushed more wind at him so that the very skin on his face was shaking and flapping against my power.
Then I leaned forward, pressing a finger to his chest, pushing enough wind into him that it made him struggle to breathe. It was a dark side of my power, something we did a thousand times a day and didn’t really think about. Breathing. And I had control of it all. I could take the air from his lungs without leaving a trace. “Your son is king. You abdicated,remember? And soonIwill be your queen. That puts my station above yours. I’m sorry for the loss of your wife but it’s no excuse for this behavior. She would no doubt be ashamed of you. I will not bring children into a home with a grandfather like you.”
He looked stricken, like I’d finally broken through the icy shell that encased his dead heart. Then his face turned into a menacing snarl. “You’re just as bad as Lucien!” he roared, and I felt the frost claw at my ankles. “A dirty little whore who—”
I’d had enough. With one thought Ipulledthe air from his lungs and his eyes bulged in fear.
I grinned in his face, ignoring the freezing of my feet. He was drunk and didn’t have enough power to defeat me. “Oh, Lucien honey,” I mocked, in a devastated voice, “I don’t know what happened. Your father just stopped breathing. I think the wine weakened his heart.”
Vincent’s eyes bugged even wider, his face turning purple.
“Maybe I should just end you right now,” I mused. I didn’t know what had come over me. It was like all of the repressed anger I’d been carrying my entire life was unleashing in this moment. I had to be perfect and proper Madelynn, the eldest, the most powerful, I had to do as I was told. I didn’t want to do as I was told anymore. I wanted to kill this bastard and save the man I was pretty sure I was falling in love with from having to ever be hurt by him again.
“I’m sorry.” He mouthed the words, unable to speak. His frost and coldness fell away all at once and I realized that I had gone too far. Killing Lucien’s father wasn’t the answer. Maybe this piece of trash could still be saved.
I dropped my power and Vincent fell forward onto his hands and knees, gasping for air. He beat on his chest and I watched, waiting for his response. It would determine his fate.
When he finally caught his breath, he got up and sat back in the chair. He then reached for the wine bottle next to his glass.
I caught his arm with my hand and he looked into my eyes. Lucien had said something to me at dinner that I now knew he’d never have the courage to tell his father. So I was going to do it for him. “You cannot live here like this. The elves have a healing technique that helps with this. You can spend a few weeks there and they get you sober. Take away the urge.”
Fear flashed in his gaze and I realized he was scared of going without it, of not having wine and mead at his fingertips to drown his pain and anger—or whatever reason he drank.
I shrugged. “Or you can move to a cottage in the mountains. I will send provisions, enough wine and mead to drink yourself to death.”
His mouth popped open in shock. I knew that no one had ever spoken to him so boldly. Maybe that was the problem. This pathetic excuse for a man had gone unchecked for too long.
“Your choice,Vincent.” I used his first name to hopefully cut him deeper.
“You’re… you’re…” He seemed at a loss for words. I dared him to call me awhoreor any other foul name again.
He sighed, falling back into his chair and rubbing his chest. “Fine, I’ll try the elf place, and if it doesn’t work, or I don’t like it, I’ll take the cottage in the mountains. Have the wine ready for me,” he grumbled, and crossed his arms like a sour-faced child.
I nodded, relieved he didn’t try to pick a fight again.
The lack of drink for the past ten minutes seemed to have slightly sobered him. He stared off into the distance. I wasn’t sure how to leave this conversation but I wasn’t going to apologize.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice hollow as a tear slid down his cheek. “My wife would be ashamed of me.”
I nodded in agreement. “Then shape up, so Lucien and I don’t have to be.”
His mouth set into a grim line at that, but he nodded once, more tears flowing.
The tears I wasn’t prepared for. Did he feel regret for how he treated Lucien or was this part of the drunkenness? Or did he only miss his wife? I was waffling between wanting to smack him and hug him. So I decided it was time I go.
“I’ll arrange your stay at the elvin sober infirmary,” I told him and let myself out of the room.
When I opened the door, a yelp left my throat as I came face to face with Lucien. He stared wide-eyed into the room at his father and then at me.
Oh fae.
Did he hear everything? Or just the last part. He looked… scared, and angry, and… something else. This wasn’t like with Marcelle when I’d stuck up for him. This was with his own father and I knew I’d hugely overstepped.
I closed the door behind me and found myself standing in the dimly lit hallway alone with Lucien Thorne. His eyes glowed a dark gray as a chill swept through the corridor, causing a shiver to run up my spine.
