House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(58)

She held herself with confidence I recognized only in myself.

Who in the Saints was she?

Power pulsed through my body. Death wanted her.

At a single thought, she could drop to her knees in pain and I could end her life.

But the blade was touching Jade. It was too risky.

Jade was covered in dirt and blood. Saints, she looked awful. Her eyes were wild, and her chest heaved with every breath.

“What do you want with her?” I growled. Serefin and Adeline had their swords drawn behind me, waiting for my command and watching the woman’s every move.

At my command, they would kill for me.

But the woman simply smiled. “I want us all to be friends,” she said.

Jade’s eyes were blaring into me, but I didn’t meet them. I couldn’t. One look at her and I would burn the entire damned forest to the ground.

“And what makes you think we can be friends after you lay your hands on my wife?”

Without moving the blade, the woman took her free hand and placed it atop Jade’s head.

“Because,” she said. “She is my daughter now, too.”

My head spun. The familiar voice. The familiar smile.

I knew this woman.

“Malachi,” she continued. Her features softened as she continued to stare at me. “It’s been so long.”

Power rippled in the air around us. I reminded myself to take a deep breath before daring to say anything. “My mother has been held captive by the King. There’s no way you would be out here. It isn’t possible.”

She wasn’t my mother. She wasn’t.

The woman rolled her eyes. “Of course he’s been telling you that, boy. How else would he control that special power of yours? He used you as a weapon this entire time. He had no idea where I was, Malachi. He only made you believe he did.”

Words escaped me.

The woman–my mother–released her grip on Jade. Jade fell to the grounding, catching herself with her hands. Adeline was beside her in a flash, picking her up and returning to stand behind me.

I lowered my sword. “Why are you here? Why do you have Jade?”

“Your brothers,” Jade managed to say from behind me. Her voice broke as she continued, “They’re looking for me.”

As if on cue, Lucien dropped from the sky.

I didn’t wait this time. He would pay for what he did to her. I flashed across the forest, teeth baring at my brother’s throat.

But he was ready. He gripped my shoulders and flipped me, and the two of us plummeted to the ground.

I let my power release, sending pain through every ounce of Lucien’s being.

He shrieked and released his grip on me.

But I didn’t stop. I let my power flow into his body, breaking down every single inch of his being from the inside out. And I wasn’t going to halt it. I wasn’t going to reign in my power. My brothers had done enough. They had disrespected me time and time again, but my wife?

“Enough, Malachi,” my mother yelled.

I was on my hands and knees, but Lucien was on the ground in front of me. He had no chance at fighting my power.

Nobody did.

“ENOUGH!” My mother repeated. “It’s not what you think! He’s been working with me!”

“You better start explaining,” I growled, “Or you’re both dead.”

My mother took a deep breath but didn’t move any closer. “Look,” she started. “Your father has been killing your wives. We all know that. If you don’t know that by now, Malachi, you’re blind to his ways. I knew he wouldn’t let me contact you. I also knew he had spies all over the castle, dead set on following your every move. I also knew that you would be marrying Jade Farrow.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You don’t have to believe me, Malachi, but Jade is special. I have very powerful friends who have told me to protect her with my life. I couldn’t let your father kill her. Not when so much was at stake.”

I glanced at Jade, who looked just as confused as I was. What in the Saints was she talking about?

She continued before I could ask any questions. “Your brothers were the obvious path of information on you. They were allowed close enough to know everything about you and Jade, but your father had no interest in keeping spies on their tail. It’s not what you think, Malachi.”

Adonis stepped out of the forest. “He’s right, brother.”

“You are no brothers of mine,” I spat. “We were never family. You think I believe a word any of you say? It’s been decades. Decades. And I’m supposed to believe you actually want to help keep Jade alive?”

“We all have our reasons to distrust father,” Lucien said as he finally recouped from the ground.

“You knew my mother was alive and living in Rewyth?” I asked.

Adonis nodded. “We wanted to tell you. Honestly, we did. But it was too risky.” He shook his head. “We never had anything to do with your wives, Malachi. After Laura died, I wanted to tell you. But your mother swore us on a blood oath.”

A blood oath.

I took a breath and tried to calm the power pulsing through me. A blood oath could never be broken. If they were telling the truth, it would have been impossible for them to tell me.