21. Lira

21

LIRA

I didn't hesitate, choosing to stab him in the shoulder. The blade was so sharp I didn't even realize it had gone in until his face twisted in agony.

He hissed between clenched teeth, and my stomach didn't revolt. The act of brutality didn't even cause me to flinch. This bastard deserved every ounce of pain he got.

"I'm not falling for your brave facade." Eldrin's chest heaved. "You aren't strong enough to do anything to me."

Dark laughter caught in my throat, sounding like someone else. A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I fought the urge to spit. I didn't want him to know how much he'd gotten to me.

Refusing to react to his words and grant him any sort of power, I lifted my chin so I could stare down my nose at him. "You're going to tell me everything I want to know."

He laughed. "I'm not." He smirked. "Though I applaud Tavish for considering a different tactic than I expected."

Of course he'd believe Tavish had sent me here. Since I was Seelie, I couldn't think of anything original on my own. I dug the blade in deeper until I felt something stop the point from continuing —I'd hit bone. "Tavish doesn't even know I'm here." I yanked the sword out, making sure that it came out roughly so the skin wouldn't be able to heal easily.

He groaned, his face flushing as his blood poured down his arm and hit the floor.

"I'm only going to say this one more time. You're going to tell me everything you know, or your future is going to be the one you fear." I had to latch on to the one thing he cared about most. The Unseelie people and the need he had for them to obey his commands.

"I don't fear death. Not that you would be able to deliver that fate to me." He straightened his shoulders, trying to appear unaffected, but he winced.

"Death isn't what I have in store for you." I smiled sweetly, though adrenaline made my heart race in anticipation. "I've given it a lot of thought, and you do have one weakness. A weakness I will use because, frankly, I don't give a blast about you."

Sprite, is something the matter? Tavish linked.

Eldrin bared his teeth, though his white eyes widened. "I don't have a weakness. That's why I'll win, either by death and you becoming Pyralis's wife or by guaranteeing my own life and doing as I please. Either way, it's enough for me to have peace."

I'm fine. I hated that I hadn't kept my emotions in check. I should've known Tavish would notice the spike.

Turning my attention back to Eldrin, I said, "I have no intention of killing you." I placed the flat part of the blade on my shoulder, allowing the blood to run down the end and splatter on me. "Nor of giving you immunity. I merely plan to remove a wing… or both your wings. It depends on how difficult you want to be."

"You wouldn't." He laughed, though his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"That's where you're wrong." Hope kindled in my chest, but I pushed the sensation away. I didn't need to get too excited until I knew this would work. If it didn't, my gut was completely wrong. Eiric would tell me to think things through instead of reacting, but I was already here, and it was too late. "Harming you will be retribution for what you've done to Tavish and to me. I've noticed you hold your sword in your right hand, so I'm thinking the left wing should be first. That way, if I only get to slice off one before you sing, it'll be the one that will most hinder your fighting."

His expression shifted into one of indifference, but his neck corded.

Where are you? Tavish asked. I just left to check on you in our bedchambers, and Finnian said you aren't there.

Blighted abyss. Finnian had a big mouth. If I didn't tell Tavish where I was, he'd fly off the deep end. Worse, I wasn't sure if I meant that literally or figuratively. It could be both. I'm with Eldrin.

Knowing I was making Eldrin nervous, I took another moment, ignoring my racing pulse, and tapped my free hand's index finger against my chin. "I wonder how the Unseelie would feel about you then? Do you think they would want to follow someone who had their wing removed by a Seelie?"

Eye twitching, Eldrin laughed. "So what if you kill me?"

I threw my head back and laughed, not even needing to pretend near insanity. The pure hatred I felt for this man caused my hand to itch to kill him. But that was a tolerable fate to him, which meant I couldn't. "That's the thing, Eldrin . I plan on removing your wings and then letting you go. Yes, I might be forced to marry Pyralis." Those words caused a deep ache to pierce my heart. "But you'll have to live among your people unable to fly. I'm thinking that sort of fate for you would be the same as mine if I can't remain with Tavish." Which was sad. I'd give up one wing or both if it meant I could remain at Tavish's side. The only reason I wasn't willing to break the vow my parents had forced upon me was because of the consequences—the Seelie would lose their magic. That would make the fae magic unstable, which would hurt Tavish.

He shook his head hard. "You wouldn't—"

Time was precious, and I didn't want to be near him more than required. With no other choice, I pivoted the sword, placed it at the top of his wing, and pressed down, increasing the pressure inch by inch. I wanted the removal of his wing to be slow and agonizing.

Jerking, he tried to retreat, but all that did was allow the blade to slide a little bit deeper.

Blood flowed like water, the dark color barely noticeable against his black wings. I was about halfway through the base muscle that connected his left wing to his back.

"Stop!" Eldrin's bottom lip quivered. "I'll tell you something. Just stop."

Against my better judgment, I lifted the sword, admiring how the wing hung haphazardly from the top of his back. "Yes?"

His face was strained as his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "If I tell you this, I risk my own safety. What guarantees—"

Not amused, I lifted the sword and moved so that it was back in place. "You get no assurances of anything other than not losing your wing. I won't stop—"

"All right," he shouted. "I'll tell you how you can get out of the deal with the dragon prince."

My heart lurched, but I tried to keep my emotions steady. However, I heard the sound of the basement doors slamming open and the sound of wings flying inside.

No doubt Tavish and the others.

Static electricity hit my back, indicating that Tavish now stood behind me.

Eldrin's head tilted back as a tear tracked down his face.

"What's going on here?" Dad asked in a voice an octave higher than normal.

I didn't have to turn around to know that his mouth was hanging open. I'd never had a malicious bone in my body. He'd never witnessed me being forced to fight.

"We're about to learn how I can get out of the vow with Pyralis." I tilted my head, keeping the sword ready to slice Eldrin's wing once again.

You're blasting sexy like this, Tavish linked, his arousal floating through the bond and into me.

We can handle that when I'm done here. Besides, we'll need to celebrate if he actually tells us something. I tried pushing away the heat flooding me. I couldn't deal with a distraction when we were so close to answers.

Eldrin closed his eyes, and I moved to finish what I'd started.

"Time's up." I slid the sword back into the section.

He inhaled deeply and said quickly, "The dragons set everything up."

I froze. That didn't make sense. "What do you mean?"

Eldrin lifted a shaky hand. "Remove the sword, and I'll tell you."

"I won't stop next time." I lifted a brow. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." He winced as his eyes narrowed.

If I'd thought he hated me before, I'd been so wrong. One side of the face of the man standing before me now curved with ultimate disgust.

Still, I removed the sword, eagerly awaiting answers.

"Out with it," Father commanded behind me, making me want to roll my eyes.

"The dragons want Lira to be Pyralis's wife, so they found a way to make it happen." Eldrin glanced at the dirty floor puddled with his blood. "If it weren't for them, my uncle never would've gone mad and tried to blanket the realm in darkness."

Anger flashed through the bond from Tavish.

I still struggled to make sense of what he'd said. "This all happened because of me ?"

"I'm sure there are a ton of dragons who would be suitable as Pyralis's mate." Mother scoffed. "He has to have his story mixed up."

My hand tightened on the sword hilt, and Eldrin lifted both hands, unable to hold his right hand as high as the left, thanks to where I'd cut his shoulder. "Yes, the prince has a ton of options, but why marry another dragon when he can breed with a fae that controls water?"

"But why does that—" Finnian started, but Caelan cut him off.

"Because any children they have together could be immune to the effects of water. It would be a breed of dragons, royal at that, who would have no weaknesses."

Bile inched up my throat, and I removed the blade from Eldrin's back. The thought of having children with Pyralis had been horrible enough, but understanding the reasoning— "They want to control the realm, which could be possible if—" I stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"They've been behind all of this. Manipulating us into a vow to cause the very fate we joined forces with them to prevent? Ardanos isn't meant to be led by one species. That would cause an imbalance of power," Father growled so deeply the ground quaked as his earth magic bled out.

"Wait." Mom cleared her throat. "How did they manage to get the Unseelie king to cloak the realm in darkness and kill himself?"

Eldrin shook his head. "I've told you that the dragons tricked you, which voids the agreement. In our realm, no agreement withstands if there is knowledge of manipulation. The rest—"

"You will tell us now ," Tavish commanded, stepping beside me with his sword in his hand and swinging his blade so it slid right where I'd already begun severing the muscle. He went an inch deeper, blood rushing even faster.

"They gave me a sword to give him." Eldrin's voice cracked. He leaned back toward his wing as if that would reattach it. "A sword made of dragon materials, and I glamoured it with Unseelie magic so he couldn't feel the dragon's power coming off it." His gaze landed on Tavish's sword.

"The sword Tavish has now?" I needed to hear him say the words.

He paused and exhaled. "Yes. Since it holds dragon magic, it amplifies their magic when we're at our strongest on Unseelie land."

Tavish took a step back. "Is that why Father began acting strange?"

"The dragon king said it would make him unstable and he wouldn't be fit to lead." Sweat beaded Eldrin's brow. "I didn't know it would drive him to kill the queen and himself."

Even though I was certain Father had stopped shaking the ground, it still seemed to move under my feet. "Was that the compensation you received? You made the king unable to lead his people so you could take over?"

"Yes! I should've been king, but my father passed before the power transfer, which made King Dunach the next to inherit the crown." He smacked his chest, his irises darkening. "If Father had just remained alive for ten more years, the crown would've been mine. Now it's Tavish's when I should be the one in power and taking care of our people."

"You thornling. Father brought you into our castle and treated you like one of his sons. He protected you, clothed you, and trained you. Everything you wanted or desired, he provided," Tavish snarled, cutting through the rest of Eldrin's left wing.

The dark wing dropped, and Eldrin screamed. Blood spurted from the muscle, hitting the wall behind him and coating the floor. Through his cries, he shouted, "I should've been the one to care for him. It wasn't supposed to be that way!"

Tavish's rage blazed through him, and he lifted the sword to cut off the other wing. However, I caught his arm. There was still one question I needed answered, and slicing off the other wing would prevent him from telling us anything else.

He turned his stormy irises on me, and I linked, Give me one second.

Not waiting for the answer, I looked at Eldrin once again. The agony on his face didn't stir my empathy. If he died, I wouldn't shed a tear. "If the sword caused King Dunach to kill himself, why did you give it to Tavish? That makes no sense. If Tavish dies, the magic will go with him."

"I watched him closely to ensure he didn't show the same signs as his father." Eldrin's body shook. "Tavish never showed signs of losing his mind the same way. In fact, the sword seemed to help him become the type of leader we needed. That is until you came along."

And that was the last bit of information I needed. Instead of allowing Tavish to take the life of his kin, something that I knew for certain would haunt him eventually, I lunged forward and stabbed Eldrin in the heart.

His eyes widened. "But you said—"

"I never vowed immunity. And I want you to die knowing that I won't be Pyralis's and that Tavish and I will rule together with me as queen by his side." I stared him in the eye, wanting to be the last thing he ever saw. A ruthlessness I never knew I had surged inside me.

You are so sexy, Tavish connected, looping his arm around me. We both watched Eldrin take his last breath.

The moment seemed to stretch, but the life drained from Eldrin's eyes. When his heart stopped, I didn't even bother to remove the sword. Instead, I released my hold, allowing Eldrin to fall forward, the hilt splashing into his blood on the floor. He then dropped to one side, his tunic soaked in it.

When Tavish and I turned to exit, I found Finnian, Caelan, Lorne, and both sets of my parents staring.

Tavish took my hand and led me out the door.

"It appears our little Seelie princess has become more entertaining." Finnian beamed. "Something I didn't think was possible."

Even though Eldrin's death didn't bother me, I hadn't relished it. "I merely did what was necessary. He couldn't be trusted, and I refused to allow him to breathe when he had every intention of harming Tavish and myself."

"You did the right thing, Lira." Father smiled proudly. "Considering how human you've been acting, I just didn't expect that."

"My upbringing on Earth will always have an impact on me, but I am fae." Even as I spoke the words, I realized how much I'd changed in the last month. Still, I wouldn't have done anything differently in the gauntlet because the prisoners had been doing what was expected of them. Eldrin had wanted to hurt the person I loved most. "No one attacks my mate. Everyone should be aware of that."

"Sprout, we all came to that realization when you escaped with two of our prisoners." Father pressed his lips together, but the anger that would've been in his tone was missing. "And hearing that the dragons were behind the realm being cloaked in darkness proves that I should've listened to you from the start."

With those words alone, all the reservations I had about my biological parents disappeared. They also had to protect our people, but they truly did care for me. Those two things would be in conflict at times, but that was something I understood now, being fated mates with Tavish. "We're here now with each other, which means we need to determine a way out of this mess together."

"What do you propose?" Finnian scowled. "Pyralis has Eiric. He's not going to allow her to leave just because we know the truth. If they're that desperate for Lira to be his wife, then he'll still insist on the exchange."

He was right. That would still be their plan, but at least I wasn't obligated now that we knew the secret.

"Well, Lira doesn't have to hand herself over." Tavish placed his arm around my waist. "The Seelie won't lose their magic now."

"But Eiric will lose her life." Mom's voice cracked.

I was more concerned about Tavish's words. I couldn't tolerate Eiric's death, so I had to change their mind. And I knew of something that might help with that.

I spun around, ready to do what had to be done.