Page 40 of Fae Unleashed
When I felt a weightlessness take over, I knew that Tal has stepped on the scene. My feet lifted from the ground as Tal strode up to stand beside Rhoan. The fae warrior shot Tal a look and asked him why he wasn’t flanking Faust—while Faust and I rotated through the air.
Faust snarled and shoved me down towards the ground. I slammed into the earth only to shoot back up and float back into Faust’s grasp.
“Did you just dribble me like a basketball?” I exclaimed.
Faust grinned. “Maybe if you weren’t shaped like one, then the thought wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”
Now that I knew I couldn’t pierce Faust’s armor, I revised my plan of attack and shot four roots toward him—one for each limb. I caught two, but he threw himself out of the way of the other two. With a hand wrapped around a potion, ready to throw it, I faltered as Faust kept moving. He made it impossible to get a shot on him.
I drifted away from Faust and windmilled my arms to return to the fight. “Tal! This isn’t helping!”
He lifted a hand, and I dropped to the earth. Rhoan caught me before my behind could make impact. I said a quick thanks but cut it short when I saw Faust break my grapple. Rhoan spun and great black wings burst from his back to block Faust’s attack.
The strike vibrated through Rhoan and shook me. That must have hurt, but Rhoan acted like it was nothing. I grabbed ahold of his arm and poured healing arcana into him. His breath hitched, and his eyes flashed with that dark rainbow of color.
“Not now,” he hissed.
It wasn’t like I wastryingto pull his beast out of him. The creature answered to me. It wanted to protect me. However, I understood Rhoan’s reluctance to use the beast in a fight with its creator.
Could we trust the creature that Faust created? I knew that it would do almost anything for me, but where did its creator factor into that? I had no way of knowing, and I wasn’t about to test the limits here and now.
Tal drew his blade and leveled it at Faust. The pookah man threw himself backwards. Tal’s blade swung wide over Faust’s bent torso. I saw the opening, thrust my hand upwards, and wrapped a root around Faust’s waist so I could yank him flat to the earth. Right at that moment, Tal cut the gravity field, and Faust slammed down.
Rhoan slammed a paw onto Faust’s chest before the man could access the in-between and escape. We had Faust pinned. There was nowhere to go.
The realization of what would happen next hit me. We were about to take a man’s life. I’d done it in self defense before, but never like this. I’d never looked the person in the eye while standing over them. My stomach churned with anxiety.
Everything about this felt wrong. However, this was what would be expected of me in the future. If I put on that crown and became queen, then I would have to issue orders just like this.
I gave Rhoan a pleading look. Stomach on fire, I blinked back tears. It was Faust. I shouldn’t have been this upset over taking a life.
Rhoan took my glance as a silent order. He put his weight on Faust’s chest to keep him pinned and lifted his other paw. Sharp claws slid out of their retractable homes.
Hand to my heart, I lurched forward with a shout on my lips. It was lost when a portal cracked open. Beryl stepped out, looked down at Faust, and sighed dramatically. She bent and grabbed the man by his collar. Rhoan’s claws ripped through the front of Faust’s shirt when Beryl plucked Faust out from where we had him pinned.
“The fuck?” I asked, as if that was the appropriate way to address Beryl.
She flung Faust through the portal before turning to look me up and down. A grin spread across her lips. She approached me and cupped my cheek. My entire being recoiled at her touch, even the Unseelie part of me denounced her.
Yet, Beryl laid claim to it in her next breath. “I see you’re well on your way to becoming one of my own.”
When her smug gaze slid over to Rhoan, I knew what she was trying to say. I’d discovered the one way to break this curse, and there was no way I could do it now.
Beryl leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I know the two of you kissedafterI graced you with my little gift.”
The truth struck me and forced the air from my lungs. When my eyes widened in fear, Rhoan snarled and stepped closer.
“The man never loved you. He didn’t love you then, and he won’t love you now. You should move on. If you let your feelings for that man consume you, then you’ll become my little Unseelie puppet on a throne. You don’t want that, do you?”
Fists clenched at my sides, I reacted without thinking and punched Beryl in the face. My knuckles throbbed from the impact. Beryl gaped and touched her cheek. I stared at my hand and nervously awaited what would happen next.
The way Beryl looked me up and down, it was like she didn’t expect me to be able to raise a hand against her. She must have thought the blight would keep me under control. It had no hold over me.
I’d told people over and over again that it wasn’t going to turn me into someone else. I was still myself, only my power had changed. And I wasn’t afraid to use it against Beryl if that was what it took.
I lowered my hand and raised my chin before looking Beryl in the eye. I would use whatever I had to in order to defeat her, then I would take my Unseelie arcana and disappear to live my own life.
Beryl lowered her head like a predator with prey in sights. My heart thumped once, but otherwise remained steady. I spread my arms wide and welcomed her forward in acome at me brogesture.
