Page 47 of The Fae Queen's Captive
“Don’t be a pansy. She’s got sunglasses on.” The bravado in the smaller guard’s tone hid the fear I tasted in the air. But now wasn’t the moment to savor it.
“I’m not dumb enough to risk it,” said the bigger one, looking pointedly at the ground.
A sensible conclusion. Cowardly. But sensible nonetheless.
The stupid, brave one dared a glance in my direction and whistled low. “She don’t look dangerous.”
Oh, sweetheart…if only I had time to toy with you.
I almost always glamoured my appearance to what it had been when I was human. They knew what I was and yet had seen only a beautiful woman for so long, they forgot what lurked beneath.
The bigger one smacked his counterpart. “That’s how she bewitches you!”
I kept walking, eager to finish the job and get my sister out of this hellhole.
They swore I bewitched anyone who looked at me. The weak-minded fucks simply saw an invitation where there was none, and it was somehow my fault when it backfired.
To be fair, Icouldcompel them to look into my eyes, but I wasn’t running around forcing random people to do it.
When I was younger, I believed them when they said I was bringing the danger upon myself, so I shrouded my face and covered my body, but it was never enough for them to leave us in peace.
I was forced to learn another way. They wouldn’t leave me alone when they thought I feared them.
So I made them fear me.
My hard-won reputation had worked for a while, but eventually a reputation grows until warriors want to test themselves against it.
Another set of guards silently opened the doors to the inner chamber, letting me into a cavernous dark room lined with stone columns. I didn’t remove my sunglasses; I could rely on other senses to make up for the darkness.
The older man on the throne marked my approach, and I pointedly avoided looking at what was displayed on the wall above his chair. Looking would make me want to puke, and I couldn’t afford that kind of distraction right now.
“It’s done?” Polydectes, king of this wretched kingdom, asked without glancing up from the parchment in his hand. He played it off as superior disinterest, but I knew better. He was too scared to look at me even if the sunglasses I wore were mirrored enough to make it safe.
Seems we’re both avoiding looking at the things that keep us up at night.
I pulled the heavy object from my satchel and held it out. He took it with his eyes still cast down, running his fingers over the shiny stone before he finally processed what he was holding.
His mouth tightened. “Was thisnecessary?”
For that reaction alone? Yes, yes, it was.
“You asked for proof. A trophy. I suppose you’d rather have a head or a heart?”
He pushed the stone off his lap in disgust.
It landed with a cracking sound, but my trophy was intact.
“You truly are a monster.”
I ground my teeth at the accusation, fighting the urge to look at the wall above him, to hurl the accusation back.
It wouldn’t do any good.
I shrugged, letting him think I was unbothered. They called me a monster but were only too happy to avail themselves of my services.
I was a monster so they didn’t have to be.
And I was done with all of it.
