were special. Now, let’s show everyone else what I see in you. There is a man who has been terrorizing our people. I need you to track him and make sure he can’t do any more harm to our lands.”
I was only just finishing my training, but I was smart enough to read between the lines. The king, the man who’d been like a father to me, was asking me to kill someone. I hesitated, knowing it was wrong. Whoever the fae was might need to be punished, but murder seemed a bit extreme.
King Zephyr grabbed my arm, squeezing until I winced. “You’re not going to disappoint me, are you, my sweet Lucinda?”
The king’s words slithered their way through my mind, as well as flashbacks to when I’d sent feathers through the unknown fae’s chest and blasted him with magic, all while tears trailed down my face as a young fae who knew better but didn’t feel she had a choice.
“Hello, Lucinda,” the fae drawled.
Finn glanced between the two of us. “Edgar. How do you two know each other? She didn’t know who the renegades were.”
I could hear the suspicion in his voice. He wasn’t sure if I’d been telling the truth, but I never lied. I might omit, but I’d never outright lied unless it was to keep my ass alive, like when I pretended to be Maribel.
There were no cares left within me, so I had no reason to lie. If someone didn’t like what I had to say, they could piss off.
“Well, you see, Finn. Me and Lucinda go way back.” Edgar nodded toward me. “Would you like to do the honors of telling our story?”
My head lifted higher, and I refused to let him think he had a leg up in the situation. “I killed him without even knowing who he was or what he may or may not have done.” My voice was flat, giving no inclination as to how I truly felt about my past choices.
“Well, you obviously didn’t kill him,” Finn muttered, his tone telling me he wished I had, and I smirked.
“Clearly.” I sighed.
Edgar chuckled. “I’m not an easy fae to kill, but you were definitely the first to come close. You’re actually the reason our group banded together again. We’d been docile for many years, but once I saw the weapon the king had created in you, I knew our people needed to do something about it.”
“Pity you were never successful,” I sneered.
“While that might be true, we were at least able to weaken the king, and that was just as great a victory to us as ending you might have been. I’d always wondered what happened to the king’s pet guard and when my men saw you arrive on this farm, I knew we had to act.”
I turned toward Finn, and he held his hands up, speaking before I could. “I had no idea they were watching so closely. It was only the occasional check-in that I was aware of before. This is just as much news to me as it is you.”
Edgar took a step closer and my wings twitched to attack. “You killed one of my best men. What happened to him?”
It was my turn to laugh. “That was your best man? The one dressed in all black that I took out within minutes?” Edgar didn’t need to know Finn saved him and then he exploded. The important part was the fae would have died in minutes.
Edgar’s midnight leather wings rippled as he rolled his shoulders. “Don’t be fooled. I said one of them. You see, I have dozens of warriors just like him. All who hold a fury within them they’ve been dying to release for years. The king wronged us all, and if you’re here to join his ranks once again, then be prepared to die.”
Finn stepped forward, always trying to be the hero. “She’s not here to rejoin the king. I would have never allowed her onto my property if that was the case. You know my hate runs deep.”
Edgar nodded. “That I do, but it’s never been strong enough to sway you to our side, and here I see you’ve sought out Lucinda. So, it makes me wonder… why did you ask for her help instead of ours?”
“Because you nearly killed me last time I did so,” Finn snarled.
“You have it all wrong, boy. You just weren’t strong enough to handle the spell and save your own sister.”
Even I knew Edgar had screwed up,