Crown of Glass: A Cinderella Retelling (Kingdoms of the Faery Path Book 1) by Alice Ivinya

Author:Alice Ivinya [Ivinya, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

The lights flickered back to life.

The world was utterly different.

We stood to one side of the platform, and we were not alone. Bray stood beside me, serrated knives in both hands and a serious expression on her face. There was a splash of blood on her dress, her skirt slit all the way to the hip.

To our other side was a nymph with a cocked crossbow and a finfolk with a long spear. There had been no visible weapons in here before the lights had darkened.

On the main area of the platform were two crumpled, bloodied bodies. The other two candidates. And the crone had vanished.

As much as I wanted to resist, my eyes were drawn to the fountain nymph candidate. Her white dress that had reminded me of bubbles, frothed across the platform. Her pale hair was spread in a halo around her head. She could have been a perfect painting of innocence if it wasn’t for the arrow in her chest and the corrupting red that seeped from it. My whole body went numb.

It reminded me of another broken body. Another event I had failed to control where destruction had raged around me. A fierce itch came over the scar on my wrist, but I refused to scratch it.

I dragged in rough breaths as I studied the chaos around us. The tunnels out of the room were blocked; the doors were barred and guarded by armed fae. Guests milled around each trying to escape. A few panicked nymphs fought the guards near one exit, and a pocket of more severe fighting was happening in the center.

Cathal’s thumb resumed stroking my hip. He lowered his head to my cheek. “Cover your ears.”

I did as he asked, though he didn’t copy the motion. For a moment, all I could hear was my pounding heart and ragged breaths. Then a piercing noise broke through. It was horrible, discordant, and pierced every part of my body. I doubled over as my ears ached and my head throbbed. Cathal’s grip on my waist didn’t lessen.

The sound died, and the fae before us staggered around as if drunk. There was no fighting now, no resistance. The guards at the perimeter of the room and our bodyguards were the only ones still standing calmly. They must have a charm or something in their ears to protect them from whatever that noise had been.

The coup was unfurling seamlessly. It was no wonder Cathal was so confident.

Cathal turned to the siren, who must have been the origin of that hideous sound, and gave her a small nod. He stepped forward, raising his free hand.

“Folk of Watermere, my apologies for interrupting your evening with unexpected events. I am afraid they were necessary for the good of Watermere.”

Slowly, the fae faces rose to look at Cathal and me. There was a mixture of emotions on their features. Nerves, excitement, caution, hatred. None looked horrified, however, or even truly surprised. It was the lack of the latter which truly chilled me.

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