A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

The way he said tired gave it a double meaning. Tired from travel, and tired of Dolion’s leash.

“I think that is probably about enough for the night.” Porfino hustled back over, his mouth set in a grim line. He stopped next to me and bent down to take me by the upper arm. “This sounds like it is getting away from us.”

A flash of rage tore through the bond.

But I’d already reacted to Porfino’s reaching hands.

My will slammed into him. He flew back, landing on the edge of the coffee table. It crashed to the ground, and he rolled beyond it, bowling into two chairs and toppling them.

“If you attempt to muzzle me again, Porfino, or grab my mate,” Nyfain growled, and my small hairs stood on end, “I will do much worse than the shove my mate just gave you. Do you understand me? I’ll be discussing how much power you think you have this week. If we make it that long. No, no, where are you going, King Dolion? I was just singing your praises for unveiling the phoenix.”

Dolion stopped on the other side of the furniture as though he were a naughty child caught trying to escape his punishment. He turned slowly, the set of his shoulders telegraphing his terror of Nyfain’s dragon. A dragon that now lacked the curse’s magical leash. I couldn’t contain my glee.

“After Hannon died in Finley’s arms, and her brother, sister, and father, who’d already lost so much at the hands of the legendary demon king, grieved the loss of the family’s eldest son, we sat in mourning all night. At the coming of the new day, the phoenix was born. So you see, Dolion, it was thanks to…your demons, we’ll say, that Hannon discovered the truth. It was a gruesome death, but it worked out for everyone, don’t you think?”

What we all heard but he didn’t say was: “Except for you.”

“Hear this, dragon,” Dolion said. He was on the verge of losing control. “Whatever you are trying to do won’t work. The magical world has been running peacefully without dragons for sixteen years. We—”

“There were dragons,” Nyfain said with an edge to his voice. “They were just locked in my kingdom, killed one at a time, locked in your dungeons, also killed one at a time, or stashed away in the Flamma Kingdom, where they were mostly ignored. And what did we get from the lack of dragons? A disgusting, conniving group of demons known for their honeyed words and dark deeds. Goddess help me, why would I want to barge back in and strive for a little equilibrium?”

“Equilibrium?” Dolion sneered. “Is that what you think we had when your dear old dad was running amok through here, buying favors and intimidating people? Do you plan to follow in his footsteps, King Nyfain? Or is all this just so that you can win a few allies, attempting to make me nervous enough to give you your kingdom’s gold back?”

Nyfain stood slowly, and fire licked across his skin. He turned so his shoulders were squared with Dolion’s, and even though there was a couch in the way, he looked like he suddenly had Dolion by the lapels.

“Give my kingdom’s gold back? Give it, Dolion?” His smile set my heart to racing. “No, I don’t want you to give me a damn thing. I want to take it, by force. And I will. I will take all that is mine, including my vengeance, and I will take your head with it. I don’t know why everyone has allowed you this much control and freedom, but your tenure is at an end. Sleep tight, demon king. Your kingdom is about to burn.”

FORTY-SEVEN

Nyfain

My rage couldn’t be contained. It was alive, burning through me just as the flame had danced across my skin. Every muscle in my body rippled with tension as I watched Dolion leave the room. None of that had been part of the plan. I hadn’t played the role as I was supposed to, subtle and cunning, but had instead walked into the room waving a conversational mallet.

I did not give a fuck.

I could not bear what this mockery of a council had turned into.

“What does he have on you?” I asked, turning toward Caron and then Yuna. “Why are you turning a blind eye to him? I know you’ve heard what was going on in his dungeons. The dragons who came to my kingdom lately said you were approached by their elders. You must’ve heard rumors of people disappearing throughout the world. Then this…” I gestured at Porfino, shaking in the spot Finley had thrown him. “What the fuck is this? Since when don’t you talk business in closed-door meetings? Since when do you let a non-royal decide what you can and cannot say?”