Page 69 of The Ruthless Fae King
“War with the Nightfall queen has already begun. She attempted to kidnap my little sister and now has a thousand men at the Winter Court border coming this way.” Gasps and shrieks ripped through the space, but I pressed on. “Winter Court is the only thing keeping her from takingallof Thorngate. We need you to join Fall and Spring Court, and fight with us!”
The room erupted into shouts of dissent and fear.
King Valdren stepped up front and his voice filled the entire space. “Three days!” he boomed, and everyone fell quiet. “By my estimation and experience, three days is all you have before Queen Zaphira and her enhanced army make it here and kill you with your own powers.”
Gasps, shock, and crying. It broke my heart to see such a naïve people come to terms with reality. But come to terms they must, or they would die.
I peered at Mateo. He was seen as an extension of Marcelle. They needed to hear from him.
He looked scared, his boyish face highlighting what little experience he had on these matters, but he nodded to me. “I will not force you to fight!” Mateo said to them and I winced.
I would have.
“I will go to the battlefield and represent Summer Court, and if you choose to stay back like a coward, and your children die at the hand of the Nightfall queen’s men when they raid our beautiful home within three days’ time, then I willnotoffer condolences,” he bellowed.
Chills raced up my arms and the crowd erupted into shouts of agreement.
Mateo then looked to me. “I would like to formally reunite with Thorngate and cancel the separation my brother started.”
Relief spread throughout my limbs.
“The elders agree! The fae will fight as one!” an older male fae in the crowd shouted.
I tipped my chin in agreement. “We will get that paperwork started just as soon as I can, but until then, meet me in Winter Court with your strongest warriors.”
Mateo saluted me. “Prepare for war!” he shouted the command, and the people were thrown into action.
King Valdren pulled Mateo aside to the back of the stage where it was more private, and I followed them. Seeing the giant dragon king next to the small boy was almost comical.
“Have you ever led a battle?” the dragon king asked him.
The boy looked like he might be sick. “No, sir.”
Valdren nodded. “Let your senior-most guard give suggestions and take the lead. The best thing you can do is be decisive. Indecision usually costs lives.”
Mateo nodded but looked terrified.
“Once you get to Winter Court, King Thorne will command your men. You shouldn’t encounter any issues before that,” I told him.
Again he looked nervous, but inclined his head in understanding.
There. I’d done it. I’d gotten all of the fae back together under one cause. I turned to the dragon king then. “It’s time to get revenge for my sister,” I growled. I wanted to slap the Nightfall queen’s men with a windstorm so powerful that they flew across the realm.
Drae dipped his chin in understanding, then we wished Mateo luck before grabbing Piper and heading out.
Thoughts of how closely my little sister came to being hurt, or her power being stripped away from her by one of the Nightfall queen’s machines, made me seethe with anger. I felt a darkness inside of my power then, one I’d never experienced before. It was like if I didn’t keep it in check, it would consume the entire realm. This must be what Lucien battled with every time his father struck him or he got angry.
Maker have mercy on any soul who tried to take my little sister and get away with it. The Nightfall queen would pay.
SEVENTEEN
Drae flew us past the Winter palace and up and over Ice Mountain, where Vincent was currently drinking his life away. Finally, he lowered us into an open field, and the second he did I knew something was wrong. People were shouting orders and running around screaming. I looked out onto the battlefield, hoping to see the ice and snow wall that Lucien had built to fend off the Nightfall queen and her men, but all I saw was blood and death.
Peering over to a group of tents where women were tending to a fire and boiling water, I motioned to it. “Go over there and stay safe,” I told Piper.
She reached out and gave me a hug and then leapt out of the basket. I followed her. I wanted to pet the scales of the dragon king’s neck like I would a dog and thank him for his help, but I knew that was probably inappropriate. There was no time for thank yous, because a man ran past me screaming at the top of his lungs. He was missing an arm and bleeding out as he bolted for the healers’ tent. How were we losing? Why wasn’t it very cold? Or snowing?
A stone sank in my gut. Was Lucien hurt?
