Page 49 of Cold Hearted
There were some nods, and a fair share of shocked looks, but I took that as acceptance, and stepped through the open cell door and into the light. The sun’s rays soaked into my skin, amping up my already-bloated powers. I hadn’t used my magic in days, and with the addition of the sun’s rays my body began healing at an accelerated rate.It felt amazing. The swelling drained from my eyes almost instantly, and my muscles no longer ached.
Moira was being auctioned off on the platform now, pulling everyone’s attention. No one had noticed the cell door was open and I had emerged. I could see her shaking from here as multiple fae bid on her, and my powers crackled to the surface once again. Scanning the crowd, I looked for Alexandria, seeing her standing with an elderly male who was stroking her head like she was a pet. He had attached a rope to the collar around her neck like an animal.
That was the final straw.
Pulling my magic to the surface, I aimed at the auctioneer and ran at the platform with a battle cry, releasing a stream of concentrated sunlight right at his chest. It burned a hole straight through him before he even had a chance to look up. His body dropped to the wood planks with a thud.
Two guards nearest me rushed forward, pulling weapons, but I cut them down.
There was a delayed reaction in the crowd as they looked around to see where the attack had come from. Spotting me haloed in light and taking out one guard after another with my magic, they finally panicked. Screams rang out as they tried to run in different directions, but I wasn’t going to let a single one of them escape.
What these fae were doing was evil. They would all pay.
I eliminated four of the guards with ease, blasting them with so much of my magic they were only piles of burnt flesh. As the crowd scattered, I searched for Alexandria, seeing the fae who’d purchased her trying to haul her away. She was fighting with everything she had,but despite his age he was still stronger than her. Because of the distance, I saw rather than heard her scream my name.
With a burst of energy I shot fire from my palms, creating a blazing ring around everyone and halting their retreats, and then sprinted toward my friend. The elderly fae with his hand on her leash saw me coming and tried to throw Alexandria in my path to flee. I caught her biceps right before she slammed into me.
“Get to the cell and stay there until this is all over,” I said.
She nodded and took off. I cleared a path for her, parting the fire as she ran through it to get to the cell as well as taking out any fae who dared get in her way. Once she was back with the others, I hunted the man who’d purchased her, finding him easily.
I pulled my shield up, a combination of light and matter that created a protective dome around me. It would drain my magic quicker, but with this many assailants it was a must.
The remaining two dozen fae came at me with weapons and magic of their own as I stalked toward the man who had purchased Alexandria. A gust of wind slammed into my shield as one of the fae tried to blow me down, but I overcame him with an ease that was laughable. I was the crown princess of the Summer Court. Nothing any of these common fae could use against me was strong enough to stop me now. Only an Ethereum lord was my equal in this realm.
When I finally reached the older male, he fell to his knees and begged for his life. His body trembled in fear as he cried, but I didn’t feel a shred of compassion for him. He’d just willingly purchased another fae, tied a leash around her neck, and had intended to do who knows what to one of the kindest souls I’d ever met.
Oh no, this fae would find no mercy with me.
A sword flew from my right, hit my shield, and I flicked my wrist, lighting the fae who’d thrown it on fire.
I spun back to the fae who shook before me, and feeling an overwhelming urge to use my fists again, I punched him in the face before setting a hand on his chest and blasting a hole through it. After he pitched forward, the life drained from him, I turned to the mayhem around me.
The fae were trying to breach the fire wall I’d created, wrapping themselves in their cloaks and preparing to jump. I didn’t take more than a few minutes to clear the rest of the fae who hadn’t fled, including the guards who’d beaten me. I saved Rodrigo for last, plucking my sunstone dagger off of his dead body with pride.
Once my work was done, I surveyed the wreckage I’d caused. The ring of fire had left a black ring of scorched earth. I didn’t feel even a small twinge of regret. The only thing I felt was satisfaction. The buyers were just as guilty as the fae who’d imprisoned and abused us, and I was happy they no longer existed in this world or any other.
“Dawn?” someone said timidly, and I turned to see Alexandria and the rest of the women emerge from the cell. “Is it over?” she asked.
Some of the women stepped out and surveyed the carnage with fear in their eyes, looking from me and back to the bodies with missing heads and holes in their chests. I was grateful it was daylight out and the sun was replenishing me. I’d used a ton of magic, if not enough to deplete me.
I nodded and Alexandria came running, tears streaming down her face as she barreled into me and wrapped her arms around me. “You did it,” she said. “You freed us.”
I hugged her back, and when I looked up the women were openly weeping and embracing, the relief that they were finally free overwhelming most of them. Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned my head to see Nysa walking toward me just as Alexandria released me. Her eyes were downcast as she reached me.
“I owe you an apology and a life debt,” she said, refusing to look up at me as she spoke.
“I don’t require either of those,” I replied, meaning it from the bottom of my heart.
“You’re a better fae than I am, then,” she said, hanging her head lower.
“No. That’s not true. Nysa, look at me.”
Nysa slowly lifted her head. Tears gathered in her purple eyes, but the fae was too proud to let them spill over.
“What was done to you, to me, to all of us, was wrong. I’m no better than you or any other fae here. Righting a wrong never requires payment. I’m just so glad we’re finally free and that the evil fae responsible for this travesty have been punished.”
A hard look overcame Nysa’s face as she surveyed the carnage. “They got what they deserved,” she said with a growl.
