House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(50)

I stepped over the body in front of me, heading toward my father. Ready to fight him if I needed to. Ready to defend myself and my wife from this monster.

I was tired of controlling myself. I was sick of it all. My power rumbled through my body. My wings shadows across the floor, a reminder of how strong I really was.

How powerful I really was.

The Prince of Shadows.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” My father said in a rushed voice. He held his hands out in front of him, as if that would stop me.

As if anything could stop me.

“And why is that?”

His eyes moved from me to something behind me.

I turned to see what he was looking at and my stomach dropped.

Two guards dragged Jade into the room and threw her to her knees in front of me.





CHAPTER 26





Jade





“Don’t hurt her,” Malachi said instantly. “If you even think about touching her, I’ll kill all of you,” he said.

The power in his voice boomed across the room, but the guards didn’t budge.

I should have been ready. How stupid was I to think sneaking around the castle was safe for me?

Adeline had tried to fight them, but it was no use. The guards had trained every single day for combat.

A female fae was no match.

She could do nothing but watch as they dragged me away.

“Malachi, I’m okay,” I said to him. But I knew he would do anything to protect me.

I also knew this was a test. The King was testing Malachi to see exactly how far he would go.

All for me.

“You claim she’s so important to you, Malachi. If you disobey me, she’ll get hurt. And you’ll never find your mother. Do you understand?”

Malachi’s hands were fists at his side. The fact that his father pushed him this far was astonishing to me. Did he not think Malachi could kill him?

Would Malachi kill him? Was he capable of killing his own father?

My eyes darted to the body on the floor just a few feet away. Fresh blood pooled around it, slowly leaking onto the stone floor.

“I understand,” he said through gritted teeth, but the darkness in his eyes said something else. They promised retribution. They promised death.

“Good,” his father said. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “But just in case…”

Blinding pain splintered across my back. I gasped for air, but my lungs were frozen. I fell forward, catching myself with my hands before another lash of pain whipped through me.

“Enough!” Malachi yelled. He moved to attack the guards behind me, but his father stepped between them.

Pain was pulsing through me. I could hardly keep my eyes open, but I heard the King say, “Take her and go. I can’t even look at you right now.”

And then Malachi was next to me, lifting me, darkness swarming all around us. Malachi was whispering something, and then we were moving, but I couldn’t stay awake any longer. Pain was splintering through me with every ragged breath that hit my lungs. And I was tired. So, incredibly tired.

Malachi’s wings spreading around us was the last thing I saw.





CHAPTER 27





Malachi





The only thing that was stopping me from ripping my own father’s head off was Jade.

I had to get her to safety. I had to get her out of here.

And then I would come back and kill every single one of them.

“Stay with me,” I repeated. “Don’t fall asleep, stay awake Jade. Come on,” I said as I ran down the hallway.

Serefin was waiting outside my room, his wings immediately flexed at the sight of Jade in my arms.

“What happened?” he asked. I rushed past him and into my bedroom. He followed close behind me.

“We’re getting out of here,” I said, lying Jade down on the bed. Her eyes flickered open, but they shut again without coming into focus.

She didn’t resist as I rolled her to her stomach and ripped the torn shirt away from her sliced skin.

“Saints,” Serefin mumbled. We both froze, just for a moment, as the reality of what just happened sunk in.

My father’s guards had whipped Jade.

And they were still living.

My power flared, and the floor rumbled under my feet.

“Go find Adeline,” I demanded to Ser. “Bring her here and tell her it’s an emergency. Don’t say anything else.”

Serefin left without another word.

I surveyed Jade’s back. The two lashes were bleeding, but they weren’t too deep. It would still take days to begin healing without any help, especially for a human.

I couldn’t believe I let this happen. Jade wasn’t supposed to get hurt.

She was alive, but at what cost?

Were we supposed to continue living in fear, doing whatever my father commanded?

No. I was done with it. I was done with this life. We were getting out of here.

I picked up Jade’s hair and moved it away from her tear-stained face. “Just hang on a little longer,” I whispered. “We’re getting out of here. Tonight.”

Serefin opened the door and Adeline pushed past him, “What in the Saints happened?” she yelled. “Is Jade–”