He did not pause beside Ankou or at the throne—which vanished after he passed it.
“What the hell does that even mean?” Chela muttered.
Silently, the Winter Queen shook her head. Killing Bananach was necessary, but there were consequences she didn’t understand. The alternative, however, seemed to be that the raven-faery would kill them all.
Chapter 25
Gabriel alone pursued Bananach. His pack fell away, unable to keep up with him. On some level he knew that he should fall back, wait for them to catch up. Once, he would’ve gone to his king for orders; once, he would’ve lost himself in comforts that were the domain of the Dark Court or taken solace with his family. Now, his king was unwell; his last king was dead. The Dark Court was a mess, and two of his children were locked away in Faerie—and a third was dead.
All because of Bananach.
The Hunt served vengeance. It was who they were. They would pursue, and they would mete out justice. He was the Hunt.
She has earned my justice.
Something outside logic compelled him.
I can’t kill her. Irial, Niall, and Devlin had explained that. Bananach killed my king. Killed my daughter. Killed Evan. If they didn’t stop her, she would keep killing. Till none of us are left alive.
She was just out of reach, ahead of him, but not so far that he lost sight of her completely.
It’s a trap.
Gabriel knew better than to stand against her when she was this strong. He had held his own, but only barely, when they’d fought. In his children’s home only a few days ago, he’d felt Bananach’s talons dig into his skin.
And watched her kill Irial.
The black feathers were in front of him, a blur as she turned another corner. Her mutinous faeries were gone. He dismounted and followed on foot. It was just the two of them now. As he entered the litter-strewn parking lot, he knew that he was making a mistake.
No help on either side.
Gabriel slid off his steed.
“Your child did not shriek overmuch when I gutted her,” Bananach said. “For a mortal, it was strange.”
The words were worse than a fist to Gabriel.
“Tish wasn’t mortal,” he forced out.
“No matter.” Bananach circled him, and as she did so, Gabriel tu
rned so he could keep her in his line of sight.
“I would rather not kill you,” she added. “You fight well.”
“I want to kill you,” Gabriel assured her.
As Bananach laughed, her avian features repulsed him. Laughter from the raven’s beak seemed worse than when it was through her lips. She narrowed her gaze. “I want to kill you, too, but you could serve my purposes alive.”
“I serve the Dark King,” Gabriel growled.
“And if I were queen?”
“You won’t be.” He swung, relished the feel of his fist connecting with her face.
She retaliated. Her answering punch fractured ribs, caused him to muffle a gasp as the broken bones pierced something inside him.
“Where are your minions?” he asked.