Chapter 7

UNA

"Thank you, Hava."

She set the stack of histories of Northgall on the table next to the hearth. I'd asked for reading material to help pass the time.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked, noting my somber mood.

It had been at least a fortnight since I'd been taken to the throne room and then locked into this room.

"I'd love to know what my fate is to be. Is this my life now?" I asked with a touch of bitterness. "Sitting in a luxurious apartment, bathing and eating and sleeping?"

Hava glanced at the two chambermaids who were changing the linens on my bed. "I cannot say what is to happen."

I walked to the boarded window, crossed my arms, and peered through the sliver to see what little of the gray sky I could. "You might at least un-board the windows. I can't fly away."

They'd figured out I couldn't fly since I'd not once tried to use them to escape. When Hava asked me outright last week, I confessed the truth. There didn't seem any point in lying about it.

"They don't want you to…harm yourself, my lady."

I turned, ready to tell her that I wasn't about to take my life. I could endure quite a bit of pain and still survive, as my torture in the very dungeons beneath me as a young girl attested.

But suddenly, the echo of someone approaching in the corridor drew louder and closer. Someone moving swiftly and with purpose. We both watched the door.

There was a murmur from the guards, and the door unlocked. Then he entered, the prince himself.

My chest constricted, and my knees quivered as I blew out a shallow breath, hardly daring to move. He was not the wraith fae male I remembered who carried me out of the dungeon beneath this palace. Not at all.

Striding to the center of the room was the tall, armor-clad figure of King Gollaya, his black-fur cape billowing behind him, his gaze solely on me. He was taller than most of his kind, his chest broad, and he appeared far more intimidating than any I'd encountered. That included the loathsome ones who'd abducted me.

I wasn't sure if it was the black steel armor plates jutting at his shoulders or the curved short-sword at his waist or the intensity of his stare, but he was wreathed in power and potency that pushed oppressively against me.

His four horns still bore no rings of gold. Not crowned king yet, it seemed.

He bore more demon runes etched in his forehead than back then. He'd only had two small symbols above each brow when I'd first met him. Now, there was a line of black demon sign curling up his brow and disappearing into his hairline.

I knew these markings were burned into their skin by their god Vix upon rites of passage. I wondered what had pleased his god to put so many signs upon him.

His sleek black hair hung loosely well past his shoulders and down his back, no braids or ornamentation of any kind. His skin was darker than when I met him the first time, a deep, luminous shade like the shadows on the moon.

And his eyes. Goddess save me. Glacier-blue with a serpentine pupil ringed in gold. They'd fascinated me when I'd first seen them, when I looked on him as my savior. But now, he was the new tyrant of Northgall. My new master. I clenched my teeth as he marched closer.

He was breathtakingly and unaccountably beautiful.

He stopped in front of me, his gaze roaming my face, neck, body and wings—lingering especially on my wings—with undisguised interest. I remained perfectly still, refusing to squirm under his perusal.

"Leave us," he snapped, his deep voice emotionless.

Goll's attention never left me, his expression remained cold and hard, but his fiery gaze was not. Breathing became rather difficult. I couldn't look away either, my chest rising and falling more quickly.

Hava and the chambermaids immediately hurried from the room, the door closing with a sharp click.

Then we were alone.

Breathing out a slow exhale, I tilted my face up to meet his gaze.

I was not afraid of him when he'd carried me out of that dungeon, but the male standing before me wasn't him. This was the heir to Northgall who'd decapitated his father and burned his guard to ashes with a whispered word and potent magick. He was the new ruler of Northgall and appeared every inch the conquering Demon King.

"You have changed," I said, breaking the palpable silence.

"So have you." His silver-blue gaze strolled slowly down my body then back up, lingering yet again on my wings. The tiniest quirk of his mouth tipped up on one side. "Black."

"What?"

He stood a few feet away, his hands clasped behind him like a gentleman. It was disturbing, considering the last time I saw him he carried his father's head in his hands. "I had heard that the Princess of Issos's wings had grown back, but I didn't know they were black. Until I saw you again."

Plenty of courtiers had whispered about the dark marks behind my back, even though Baelynn did his best to shut them up. Still, it wasn't a secret.

"You are the first light fae to have black wings, are you not?" He quirked a brow, his tone telling me he knew the truth already.

"According to the histories, yes."

I'd know. I'd searched every book in our possession and then sent emissaries to seek out knowledge from the scholars of Mevia and Morodon.

Those blue dragon eyes continued to trail over my face with piercing scrutiny.

"Is that why you wanted a moment alone?" I asked haughtily. "To discuss the unique color of my wings?"

His gaze snapped to mine. No hint of a smile. "I want to present my terms of surrender directly to you since you are the one who will fulfill them."

"Surrender?" I frowned. "Of Issos?"

"Of Issos," he stated calmly. "And all of Lumeria."

I huffed out a shocked breath. "Is this why I'm still prisoner here? To be your pawn in a trade to my brother for peace?"

"There will be no trade, Una."

I frowned at him using my shortened name so intimately. I swallowed hard, his burning gaze tracking the movement down my throat before returning back to meet mine.

"What are you terms of surrender?" I asked, my voice low and trembling, betraying me. "To be your concubine?"

That was what his father intended though Xakiel had plans to kill my family as well.

He took a confident step closer, his hands still clasped behind his back. His scent enveloped me—snow and wind and the musk of a wild animal. His dragon.

Though he towered over me, I held my chin high, refusing to break from his intimidating stare.

"You will not be my concubine." He tilted his head, watching me intently. "You will be the mother of my heir."

I blinked several times, my pulse quickening. "What?" I whispered.

"You are the highest born light fae female of all the kingdoms. The magick of your bloodline is the strongest and most potent. Combined with my bloodline, our child, my heir, will be the most powerful wraith fae ever born. And our alliance will unite our kingdoms. Under my rule."

I focused on breathing and not fainting at the shock of what he was declaring to me, demanding of me.

"There is only one problem, my lord. I have no magick." None that was of use anyway. More like a curse than a gift. "It was all stripped away five years ago in N?kt Mir."

His smile was feral as he dipped his head lower. "No lies between us, Princess."

"It's true," I snapped. Though not entirely.

He smirked. "I'm aware you can no longer fly."

I flinched. Though it was a cold hard fact, no one dared ever say it aloud. The wraith king spilled my hard reality like it was nothing at all, water pouring out of a pitcher.

"That doesn't matter," he continued casually. "Whatever you believe you have lost does not change your bloodline. It remains the same. Do you accept the terms?"

I blinked in astonishment, anger vibrating through me. "The terms to give you an heir in exchange for my entire kingdom?" I asked, incredulous.

"I will rule Lumeria as I will Northgall, with fairness and care for its people. As long as you adhere to your end of the bargain."

I stared in utter shock. He wasn't jesting. He wanted my compliance and apparently my womb in exchange for the safety and prosperity of my people.

"What becomes of me after I give you an heir?" I stammered in complete disbelief. "And what if it is female?"

"The firstborn healthy child you give to me will be my heir. Male or female."

I couldn't help the scoff that escaped past my lips. "A female wraith queen? I thought your kind had no queens." For the histories of dark fae had all verified there never had been one.

His smirk widened. "We do not co-rule with any other, that is true. But if my firstborn is a daughter, then I will teach her to rule as a proper wraith fae monarch."

"Firstborn? Are you expecting more than one child from me?"

One shoulder lifted in a casual shrug, which was not disarming in the least. "You may enjoy my company in your bed and decide to give me more."

I gasped and stepped back, clenching my fists at my sides so I wouldn't haul back and punch him in the face.

He laughed. Actually laughed. And the sound was irritatingly pleasant. I hated him.

Exhaling a hard breath, I stated clearly, "I will not want one moment more in your bed than what is legally required. It's bad enough you're forcing me into this."

"I'm not forcing anything at all." His amused demeanor vanished. "You are welcome to refuse."

"And if I refuse, you will continue your war, burn the whole city of Issos to the ground, I presume?"

He lifted that same shoulder in a casual shrug again.

Holding onto my control by a bare thread, I then asked, "What becomes of me once I've served my purpose and given you an heir?"

His voice had morphed into the colder timbre I'd heard him use with his father the second before he beheaded him.

"I'll keep you here in this luxurious apartment in the palace of N?kt Mir, which befits your station. Or there is another castle to the north of Silvantis. Windolek Castle is small but comfortable. Farther away." His eyes softened for only a second, then they were hard again. "You may live there, far from me, if that is your wish. Or you may return to Issos if you prefer."

"And leave my child behind?"

"My heir will not be leaving Northgall, but you are welcome to do as you please after you've done your duty."

Flaming ire shot up my spine. Done my duty. Spread my legs for the murdering wraith king and give him a piece of my body. My soul, too.

Flames of heat licked up my neck into my cheeks. Yet again, he noticed with that all-too-knowing gaze.

"You will not separate me from my own child," I finally managed to say. Near panting now, I was furious and terrified he'd send me away from a child I didn't even have yet.

He hardly seemed to be affected by this entire conversation at all, and that alone made me angrier.

"As you wish. You may stay in Northgall."

"If it will save my people of Lumeria"—I licked my lips, my mouth gone dry—"I will accept."

A transformation came over his face, slow and subtle, an expression of surprise. Perhaps he expected more tears and wailing and nonsense. I wasn't that kind of woman. I would never refuse an offer to save my people, not even at the expense of my own life. My own will.

But this could all be a trick. There was no path now set before me that didn't lead to ruin and pain and heartache. I had to find out if it was true that he had Issos under siege. There were high walls and gates around the city. It had never been breached before.

Since the moment of my captivity, I hadn't once thought of Gael. But, of course, now I did.

"I am betrothed," I added quietly.

He narrowed his gaze, his expression hard. "You are no longer betrothed."

Papa had arranged my betrothal to Gael, our noble families a good alliance for Lumeria. We were to be bound in the Moon Temple in Valla Lokyr when the war was over. I respected Gael but had no love for him. Still, the sting of betrayal at breaking our betrothal without a word to him cut deeply. But my kingdom mattered more.

"Don't bother crying over whatever light fae your father chose for you."

"I'm not crying," I snapped with defiance, though I was still trembling with emotion.

He unclasped his hands, veined and claw-tipped, now hanging loosely at his sides. He stepped closer, well into my personal space. I moved back, suddenly afraid of the look in his dragon eyes.

"Tell me, Tiarrialuna Elzabethanine Hartstone," he crooned softly, as if to calm a wild animal, but speaking my full name only made my heart speed faster.

He continued forward. "Have you kept your promise to your goddess and kept yourself virtuous?"

My spine hit the tapestry against the wall. I flattened my palms against it, holding myself steady.

He eased forward, though his movements were deliberate, not casual. "I'll know if you lie to me."

Only a few inches separated us.

"Why would that matter if I'm only to be a vessel for your heir?"

"It won't matter in that regard. But it will matter to me ."

I couldn't understand the sudden fury dancing across his face, the possessive madness in his eyes.

"I'm a maiden," I snapped, a heated blush filling my cheeks.

He examined me closely and then seemed to finally believe me. But he wasn't done.

"How many times did he touch you?" he asked silkily. "Your betrothed."

"What?" was all I could manage to breathe out in shock and panic.

One of his clawed hands threaded into my hair and cupped the back of my head, holding me captive. Then I felt his other hand on my thigh, his fingers inching up the fabric of my gown.

"Tell me how many times he touched you, Una." My name lingered on his lips like a velvet caress.

"He—he didn't."

"He did." The material of my dress and chemise were bunched between us, the pads of his fingers trailing from the outside of my bare thigh toward the inside. "How many times?"

The inner slit of his iris burned a brighter gold within the blue as I panted and clutched onto his armored forearm. "Please, Gollaya."

"Tell me." Leaning his head close to my ear, he whispered, "I believe that you're a maid, Una, but I will know how many times that blue-winged fuck touched your body." His fingers brushed closer to my bare sex.

I gasped and rose onto my toes, horrified at the sudden rush of heat in my lower belly and the realization that I was equally frightened and aroused.

"If he touched you here, I'll have to kill him," he whispered with velvety softness, all while he inched closer to my quim.

" No. He didn't touch me there."

He froze and eased his head back to meet my gaze. "Where?"

"He—" I cleared my throat, my focus still on the long, thick fingers now wrapped around my inner thigh with a possessive grip. "He kissed me once and…" I glanced away.

He released the back of my head and gripped my chin, guiding my gaze back to him. His other hand remained wrapped around my thigh. "And?"

I huffed out a breath, embarrassed to have to admit something I'd barely been able to confess to Min in the privacy of my bedchamber. It had been after a feast, and he'd cornered me in the corridor after he drank too much wine.

"And he touched my breast. But I told him that wasn't proper, and he stopped instantly."

Perhaps not instantly, but near enough. I firmed my jaw. Goll tilted his head, still measuring me for truthfulness, it seemed.

"Two times. That's all. I swear." I still couldn't figure out why this mattered or why he cared, but I needed to end this awful conversation.

Finally, his mouth eased into a bewitching smile. "Good."

With one last gentle squeeze of my thigh, he removed his hand from between my legs and dropped my chemise and gown back into place. He even brushed out a wrinkle that caught on my hip. I pushed his hand away, trying to regain some sense of control while my cheeks flushed with heat and embarrassment.

He seemed amused as he took a decided step back while I went about brushing out wrinkles that were no longer there, calming myself after what he'd just done. Or almost did. My heart still raced with what I was afraid to admit was want .

Then something dawned on me. "How did you know Gael had blue wings?"

He didn't answer me, of course, simply arched his brow. His arrogance and aggressive familiarity had slid under my skin and spiked my own anger.

"So I'm simply to hand myself over and do your will when I haven't heard one word of my brother? For all he knows, I'm dead, not that it matters to you. And how do I know you actually have Issos surrounded and can command such a thing of me?" I scoffed bitterly. "Perhaps you are lying to keep me compliant as your prisoner here. I could just as easily kill myself and prevent you from siring a child on me. My brother's army could still defeat you."

He stared at me in silence, his expression completely unreadable. Then he gave a stiff nod. "Come with me, Una." Then he turned and walked for the door. "If you don't follow now, I'll have to carry you."

He opened the door and kept walking. I huffed in frustration and followed him.