Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(31)

The same was so for the Seelie Queen, sadly, and that was why the two mortal realm courts had never attacked one another. Neither had the upper hand. But if what the Fates said was true, that could change.

Kaelem kept his composure as he stared at Nevina. Everything in him wanted to attack the bitch. But that would break court-to-court regulations. He would have thought stealing a fellow ruler’s sister would have broken some rules, but since Nevina tricked his sister into breaking Winter Court law; she was a prisoner fair and square.

Kaelem would break her out regardless of the consequences. But attacking Nevina in the open would only get his sister killed, so, Kaelem would play her games. For now.

“I am here as you asked.” Kaelem’s features remained still.

“I did not ask for you to bring a companion.” Nevina tapped her finger on the throne.

“And you didn’t ask me not to.” Kaelem held back a grin. He knew Scarlett’s presence would bother the Ice Queen, an extra burst of satisfaction to his plan.

“True.” Her dark eyes peered into his. “But I may have been in a more merciful mood had you come alone.”

“If only I’d have known.” Kaelem hated her with every bit of his being. He was glad he brought Scarlett if for nothing more than to anger Nevina. He hoped Scarlett’s power would provide useful in other manners, but for the sense of the Winter Queen’s envy alone, Scarlett had served her purpose.

“Come closer, King of Darkness.”

It was a common name of the Unseelie King, belonging to Kaelem’s father and his father before him, back as far as the Unseelie Court existed. He wanted to tell Nevina to shove it, one of Kaelem’s favorite mortal terms. But he’d come to play nice.

He stepped closer as Nevina lifted her hand toward him. When he gripped her fingers, images attacked.

A prisoner, thin with midnight blue hair cropped short, sat in the corner, behind bars of ice.

His sister, Aria. Kaelem tried to pull away but he couldn’t. His body temperature dropped under Nevina’s grasp.

“Now, now,” the Ice Queen said as she peered into the cell. “You should be grateful I haven’t killed you. Yet.”

Aria lifted her chin and glared at Nevina. “Fuck you.”

“Is that anyway to speak to a queen?”

“You’re not my queen.”

The bars spread as Nevina stepped into the cell. An ice dagger shot out of her hand, stabbing Aria in the shoulder.

Aria screamed.

Another one hit her in the leg, and one more into the flesh of her bare foot.

Nevina continued toward Aria, a smirk on her face. “You have no power here, princess. The sooner you learn that, the easier it will be for you.”

With teeth clenched, Aria spat at Nevina’s feet.

Rage exploded from the Ice Queen. She gripped Aria’s arm tightly and sent a jolt of ice through her.

Aria’s already pale skin turned blue as she was frozen in place.

“No,” Kaelem’s plea echoed through the throne room.

Nevina pulled her hand back. “I feel another visit to the prisoner is in order.”

“I am here at your request,” Kaelem said. “But don’t test me, Winter Queen. Your power is nothing compared to mine.”

“If anything should happen to me,” her eyes met his again, “my guards have explicit instructions to end poor Aria’s existence by means of being frozen and shattered. Quite a morbid end, wouldn’t you say?”

Kaelem regained control of himself. “And if anything should happen to her, I’ll have no reason not to shatter your mind.”

Before he did something he regretted, Kaelem left the room.

It was a game of power, and Kaelem swore he’d be the one to come out on top.



When he was younger, Kaelem had a knack for angering his father. His father’s hot buttons were easy to find and Kaelem pressed every one.

Where Kaelem fit the definition of problem child, his sister was everything their father wanted.

“You could at least try to appease father now and again,” Aria said as they practiced sword fighting in the training building made of glass.

Two chandeliers hung down to light the room from the darkness outside. Stained concrete made the floor beneath their feet.

“And what would be the fun in that?” Kaelem twisted his body and held his sword out. “You are perfect enough for the both of us.”

Aria lunged at Kaelem.

He blocked her attack and made one of his own.

They exchanged hits, neither trying too hard.

“You’ll be king someday, brother.”

Kaelem sighed, dropping his sword to his side. “Not until father dies.”

“You’re twenty. Father just wants to see you take some responsibility.”

He was two years older than Aria. If she had been the oldest sibling, she would have been the first heir to the throne. The Unseelie Court didn’t care about gender.

“Tarek will challenge me once he’s of age.” Kaelem tossed his sparring sword to the side.

His younger brother wanted to be king more than anything. He followed their father around, sucking up to him any chance he had.

“You can’t let him win,” Aria said.

Kaelem nodded. She was right. Tarek was cruel. Kaelem pretended he didn’t care about becoming king, but it was a lie. He liked the idea of ruling for the power it would bring.