A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

She flinched and then pointed at a body crashing through the distant window of the castle, turning end over end as it flew toward the ground.

“Is that the sign you were waiting for?” she asked.

I stepped back in a hurry, shedding my clothes, something I still wasn’t quite used to doing in front of others. Something downright embarrassing in front of her.

“Yes, that is the sign. I must go help them.”

I stepped up onto a platform at the very edge of the bow. Right before I shifted, though, my irritation got the better of me.

I said, “I hope you enjoy the show from your lofty perch of safety.”

And then fire consumed me.

Calia

I barely caught the flash of color, followed by the swirl of fire eating through it, as I jogged toward Dessia’s position at the railing. The driving rain beat at my face, making it hard to see. I didn’t have the right magical ability to dispel the cold from soaking into my skin and making me shiver.

“What happened?” I demanded, watching the beauty that was Hannon flutter through the sky before streaking fire toward the castle.

“Hannon got the sign,” Dessia said softly, her gaze still rooted to the castle.

The dragons on the shore rose immediately, following him with vigor. The wolves peeled away, racing forward.

The faerie warriors looked back at the ship.

“Damn it!” I turned back to look up at the captain’s deck, where the king stood surveying the barren, dead landscape. “He does not have the resolve for this. He’s been threatened by the demon king one too many times. It has taken root. He’s afraid he’ll lose everything.”

I laughed without humor. “Does he not realize that to do nothing will mean that he does lose everything?”

“He cannot overcome his fear. He’s useless in this.” I turned back to the warriors who were waiting for orders. “Go!” I shouted, waving them away. I pointed at the others heading to the castle. “Fight for your kingdom! Fight for the golden dragon! Fight for the dragon healer!”

That was all they needed. Those who’d brought horses mounted and tore off across the grounds. The others started running. I somehow doubted they’d be late to the battle. This was the end game of the demon king. It would all be decided here.

This victory would not come without a cost.

I glanced back again and then jogged along the railing, looking for a small rowboat I could operate. The one that was supposed to take the king would be impossible for me and Dessia to get across the water.

“Here! Here’s one!” I untied one of the ropes holding it to the side of the anchored ship. Dessia didn’t run back to help me. “Dessia?”

She stayed by the railing, still as a statue, looking at the castle.

“Fuck,” I murmured, leaving one rope still tied and jogging back to her. “Hey,” I said gently, running my fingers through her long white-blond hair. “I thought you said you wanted to be on hand in case the battle turned against us?”

“Why do you think, after all this time, our father still insists we hide our relation to him?” Dessia asked in a flat tone.

I stared at the side of her face for a long moment. She hadn’t brought this up for a while. I wondered why she was doing so now, and how I could put the subject to rest and get us to the castle. Everything hung on this battle. Everything.

“You know the answer to that, Dessia.” I continued to comb my fingers through her hair, trying to keep the urgency from my movements. She’d always found that comforting. “He’s the king. He needs his heirs to have a clear line of ascension to the throne. We had to be sent away so as not to muddy the waters, so to speak.”

“Two of us born to the same woman. He couldn’t stop after the first unwanted child? He had to go for two?”

“He must’ve liked her very much.”

“She was a servant. He used her for her beauty. And when she grew with child, he hid her. Then he tossed the child away to perfect strangers to protect his image and the future of his legitimate children. He liked her?” She huffed. “Not enough to let her keep her children. Not enough to keep her in the castle after he grew tired of her.”

I sighed, glancing back to make sure we weren’t overheard. “We were raised by loving people. That’s more than most people can say. And it is a good thing we are related to Starvos. He treats me as a favorite—”

“That is because of your magic, not your affiliation with him. If it were the latter, he’d give a shit about me as well.”

“Whatever the reason, you get the comfort and privilege of the castle because of your ties to both him and me. You get to stay hidden because he wants your affiliation to him hidden. It is the perfect setup for you.”