A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

I lay curled up between Nyfain’s legs on a settee pushed back from the window, leaning on his chest with a book in my hands. He held a book as well, his arms draped around me and his chin pressed to my temple. It was a quiet reprieve after a long day of politics, working on my elixirs, and a raucous dinner to which only the very high court members had been invited. Everyone had really let down their hair. If only Hadriel had been allowed to go—he would’ve delighted in the dirty jokes. Turned out these faeries weren’t so prim and proper behind closed doors, especially not when plied with wine.

I tilted my head back to Nyfain as the knocking sounded again, fast raps that would’ve sounded urgent if they weren’t so light.

“Not me,” he murmured.

Leala looked to the right, where Urien was probably standing, out of sight from our position. She nodded, adjusted her holster on her hip, and walked away, presumably to answer the door.

“Finley!” Sable came rushing into the room with tight eyes and an air of panic.

I sat up, dropping my book slowly. “What’s up? Are you okay?”

“No. I don’t know.” She twisted her fingers together, and a thrill of unease pushed through the bond. “Dash left one of his little figurines at the garden tent earlier today. He insisted he needed it for his bath. You know how he gets. We just knew he’d sneak out to look for it.”

I snapped the book closed and stood. “Where is he?”

“He’s with Dad. He didn’t go out. Hannon said he’d get it after dinner. So we ate our dinner with all the other unimportant people”—she gave me a look—“and listened to a little music, then went back to our room. Hannon went out to find the toy.”

“Okay…so what’s the problem? Is Hannon not back yet?”

“No! That’s just it.” Her expression crumpled. “We thought maybe he just couldn’t find it. And maybe he can’t. Dash seemed positive about the location, but you know him. He says it’s in one room and it’s really in another and—”

“Sable, how long has he been gone?” I grabbed a sweater off a chair back.

“Maybe he’s still looking! Hannon wouldn’t leave until he found it, you know? He—”

“Sable!” I barked. “How long?”

She glanced at the darkened windows. “A couple of hours.”

“A couple of hours? And you didn’t think to come before now?” I snatched my dagger off the nightstand.

Your dagger, really? my dragon thought, power starting to pump through my veins. You’re planning to take a knife to a teeth-and-claws fight?

I let out an exasperated sound before putting it back and starting to strip.

“What should I do, milady?” Leala asked.

“I’ll go.” Nyfain jogged into the other room. “I’ll go look. You stay here.”

“You think I am going to sit here while my brother is out there somewhere? You’re out of your fucking mind, Nyfain.” I pushed down my loose pajama pants and said to Leala, “Go tell Hadriel. Tell him to put everyone on alert. It might be nothing. But if it isn’t…”

She nodded and ran out of the door. She knew better than to use decorum in a possible emergency.

“The guards haven’t sounded any alarms,” Nyfain said, walking back in in his robe. “Starvos has them positioned all around the castle and in the grounds. If there was something out there, they would’ve blown the trumpet.”

I was about to mention that demons could’ve just slit Hannon’s throat in the darkness or whisked him away, but Sable was hanging on to our every word.

“True.” I pointed past her. “Sable, go back to Father. Lock your doors, just in case. Wait for us, okay? It’s probably fine. Hannon is probably still looking, like you said, or is chatting with a pretty faerie and the time got away from him.”

Her brow furrowed, but she didn’t give me the ew response she’d usually roll out for a comment like that. Instead, she swallowed and nodded.

“Okay,” she said. “Make sure he is okay, Finley. We lost Mom. We can’t lose him too.”

“I know. I will. I promise.”

She sprinted out of the room, and I looked at Nyfain, worry starting to curl through my gut.

“He’s fine,” Nyfain said, grabbing my robe and coming toward me. “I meant what I said about the guards. Starvos won’t let a breach of his territory happen again.”

I laughed. “Starvos isn’t used to dealing with the demon king. Or anyone attacking him, really. What is that for?”

Nyfain paused with the robe held out. “To get us through the castle.”

I shook my head and turned toward the window. I opened it, getting a blast of frigid air.

Ready? I asked my dragon as Nyfain said, “Finley, wait—”

Go, my dragon replied.

I stepped up into the window frame and then launched out, spreading my arms wide for reasons unknown. My dragon surged and took over, pumping her wings immediately after coming into her body. We soared up into the sky, slowing so that Nyfain could catch up. It only took him a moment. He wasn’t about to go through the castle when I was already in the air.