A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales Book 3)(105)

“I’m with you.” Vemar stepped forward. “I have a host ready to leave at a moment’s notice. We’re gonna fry that fucker alive. The wolves should be waiting in the town near the docks by now, and the faeries will be joining them soon. We were never meant to stay in the villages longer than this. We should have enough of a force to band with your kingdom. And if we don’t…fuck it, we all gotta die sometime. This fight will be worth it.” He winked and smiled at me. “I’m ready for a little vengeance.”

“Let me…talk to her.” Micah put his arms out as though to shepherd me. “Let me just talk to her for a moment, please. I’m sure we can reach an understanding.”

“I’m sorry, Micah”—goddess, please help me actually sound sorry—“but there’s no need to shepherd me outside. When I step out there next, it’ll be to finish preparing to leave.”

“But we need more time,” one of the circle called out in a voice shaky with age. “We don’t have all the plans in motion.”

Micah glanced at the circle as he stepped forward again, trying to block my way. “I realize that. Let me talk to her.”

My fear of a delay boiled over, turning quickly to anger. Power throbbed through me, and I released a surge of it, knocking Micah away without touching him. I stepped close to the circle. When I spoke, my voice was low and rough, power still throbbing around me. “I will leave tomorrow at dawn. That’s the most I can compromise. You will either join me or you will stay here. As far as the wolf king and queen go—by the time they make a decision, we’ll either be victorious or dead. No hard feelings if you choose to stand down.”

The room was silent as I left, all except for Vemar’s low chuckling.

I stormed out of the room, but Micah met me outside before I made it too far.

“Finley, please, wait.” I stopped, and he hurried around me. “Let me talk to them. I’m sure I can speed them up.”

“I just talked to them, Micah. We leave tomorrow. You’re coming or you’re not—it’s that simple.”

“People need a chance to pack and say goodbye to their families. You can at least allow them that. We’ll get to the docks faster, since we’re all flying.”

“But Hannon and the others can’t fly.”

He gave me a knowing smile. “It is going to test your mediocre butler’s nerves, and certainly the demons’ gumption, but we have a workaround. There’s something we use to carry the little ones.” He gripped my upper arms, his heat spreading across my flesh and his power flirting erotically with mine. His gaze skimmed Nyfain’s mark, a challenge and desire flashing in his eyes. “I promise I will gather a big enough force to make a real difference. Give me a little more time to put it all together.”

He was issuing me a command. He was trying to dominate me.

Only one man was allowed that privilege, however. Only one man had earned it.

I stepped back, and his hands fell away. I wasn’t good at following orders, and it was better that he learned that now rather than in the heat of battle when it really mattered.

“Tomorrow at dawn. Be there…or don’t. Time is up.”

With that, I turned and strode away, Tamara and Lucille just behind.

“You handled that perfectly,” Tamara said softly. “I expected you—everyone probably expected you to fall in line.”

“Fall in line with whom?”

“With Micah, for one. He is the most powerful dragon in this collection of villages. He’s their uncrowned leader and holds great sway with their elders. He’s been setting this up as his mission, and you just walked in and showed them all who is really the boss. You shoved him to the side with a will stronger than anyone has probably ever seen. The queen didn’t even have a will that strong, and she was regarded as the mightiest female in our kingdom.”

“Why didn’t I know any of this?” I asked.

“About him? Because you didn’t ask, and we didn’t think it was relevant,” Tamara said.

“Because you don’t care.” Lucille laughed. “You didn’t answer to the rulers in the demon kingdom, and it sounds like you gave the golden prince hell on a regular basis… Why would you care about the ruling setup of these villages?”

She had a point.

I jogged into the wood and shifted. Arrangements needed to be made, and then I wanted to take some time to try to communicate with Nyfain through the bond.

I needed him to know we were coming.

I needed him to do everything in his power to stall Dolion’s advance.





THIRTY





FINLEY





Our wings felt like lead weights as we pumped them through the crisp air. The sun was high in the sky; it was probably noon or a little past. The sea yawned before us, the glittering waves moving into the busy harbor.

Two dragons flew to either side of me, and another three dozen flew behind us. Apparently the turnout would’ve been higher if there had been more time, but this was more than I’d hoped for. Even without the wolves, this many fire breathers would make a serious dent in the enemy host.

We just had to get there in time.

It had only taken us half a day to fly at this breakneck speed. The dragons who had spent many long years in the dungeons were exhausted, I could tell. Their heads drooped and their tongues lolled out of their mouths. My dragon was tired too, for that matter. She’d been setting a pace that she couldn’t hope to continue for much longer. But just a little farther, and we’d make it to the boat.