A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #2)(129)

Jedrek stood to the side, all the bravado and arrogance from the village dried up into a puddle of man. Even still, I stalked up to him and punched him square in the face. He staggered back and fell on his butt.

“You fucking idiot,” I spat. “You’ve really gotten yourself into the stink now.”

“Yes, he has.” Dolion sat in a chair with no table in front of him.

I grabbed another and sat opposite him. “You want to make a deal? Fine. Let’s make a deal. You need me to keep Nyfain in line. That’s evident. I care about this kingdom. I will mate that turd Jedrek if it makes you happy, in exchange for you lifting the demon magic from the land and ceasing your suppression of the shifters’ magic.”

“That’s two things. You’d just be giving me the one. Unless you plan to have his brood?”

“That’s the deal!” Jedrek said.

The demon attendant walked over and issued him a swift kick across the face. He slumped to the floor. If he thought we’d be happily mated in a house with a white picket fence, he was sorely mistaken. To get his dream, he’d have to live in a nightmare. Hindsight, as they said.

“I suppose you want me to go with you to the demon kingdom, right? Or do you plan to somehow control me remotely?” I quirked an eyebrow. “That’s two things.”

“You will go to the demon kingdom, yes. But I don’t need your consent to take you.”

“Nyfain won’t let you kidnap me.”

“He will if we leave tomorrow. Which is still within my three-day window. You’ll have to hold him off, or I will have to torture you for killing my demons.”

I could’ve argued that the deal was me trying to hold Nyfain off, but the point was moot. For Hadriel’s and my plan to work, I would have to go with him regardless. It was better if Dolion thought he was smarter than me—if he thought he had the upper hand, both for this deal and for the long run.

Feigning frustration and defeat, I made a show of rallying and played my next hand.

“Fine. Get rid of the demon magic poisoning this kingdom so our people can be healthy again. The patch Nyfain’s using doesn’t last. I don’t want my father to die.”

Dolion’s eyes sparkled. I leaned forward just a bit, playing up my earnestness. I needed him to think I wanted this concession more so he’d give me the other. We could cure the sickness. What we needed was shifters who could actually shift.

“You’ll marry Jedrek, and I will release the magic suppressing the shifters,” he said, playing into my hands. “Or else I will just kidnap you now and use you however I see fit.”

“We both know I am not the type of woman to hang out in a gilded cage and be loaned out to people. My personality doesn’t match my face. I’d burn any bridges you hoped to create if you loaned me out. You need this deal just as much as this kingdom does. And you will release the suppression magic the second the deal takes effect, which is the moment we leave. We won’t be waiting for my marriage to Jedrek for you to hold up your end of the bargain.”

“My goodness. You have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

His eyes twinkled. He was mocking me.

My stomach flipped. Goddess, please look down on me. Hopefully I wasn’t making a huge mistake.

“It is a wonder you are so willing to be whisked away from your kingdom and your love.”

“I’m willing to sacrifice myself for my family, actually. Having to go to your kingdom is just salt in the wound.”

Dolion snorted. “Jedrek informed me the extent you’ll go to in order to protect your family. It’s commendable. Maybe I shouldn’t kill them.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t kill you. There is no curse protecting you from me. I can kill you from across the room.”

I wasn’t sure that was true, but he didn’t have to know that.

He stared at me for a very long moment. I stared right back.

“Deal,” he finally said, and the air between us went taut with magic. His smile was sinister, and my blood ran cold. “Go say your goodbyes, but don’t bother packing. If you won’t accept my gilded cage, you’ll find a new home in the dungeons. All this finery will be a distant memory. Safety, comfort—things of the past. Now you belong to me.”



I found Nyfain in the tower in complete darkness, staring out the window with his hands in his pockets. I closed and locked the door behind me, my heart aching.

“It’s done, then?” he asked in a rough voice without turning around.

“The deal is made, yes. I’ll be leaving with him tomorrow.”

He let out a breath and bent, the strength going out of him. “What are the terms?”

“He’ll release the suppression magic whenever we leave. Then, at his discretion, I’ll marry Jedrek.”

He tensed, his arm muscles popping.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I added. “I read about the demons’ marriage customs. There’s no claiming. No marking. They do have magic to tie the couple together, but it can be broken. And if a demon isn’t on hand to break the magic, death can. It’s not forever, and consummation isn’t a requirement.”

“He won’t have you marry Jedrek,” Nyfain said, still not turning.

“But…the deal…”