The Terrible by Tessa Crowley

Author:Tessa Crowley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, fairy tale, fae, gay, magic/magic users, monster, spirit/wraith, royalty, soulmates, true love, violence, murder
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Threats

A GROUP HAD gathered just outside the doors of the rotunda, all pacing nervously and swapping theories in low voices.

“Hullo, Ness,” said Sinead as I approached. She looked just as harried as I felt; she didn’t even have her sash on. “Lovely evening for a crisis, isn’t it?”

“Do you know what’s happening?” I asked.

She shook her head, lips thin. “I was hoping you might.”

“I think I know,” said a voice from behind.

Sinead and I both turned, equally surprised to see—

“Lady MacGaradh,” Sinead said.

She stood stony-faced, arms crossed over her chest. She stared with unfocused eyes at the patterned glass on the doors leading into the rotunda.

I swallowed. The echoes of her grief still filled the air around her—and now along with cold, hard resolve in equal measure.

“I think I know,” she said again, quieter.

The last time we’d spoken, I’d advised her to talk to the Queen Regent about what had happened to her son. If she knew the truth of it now—

“Councillors, lords, ladies.”

All discussion evaporated in a split second, like a drop of water on a hot skillet. Every set of eyes in the hallway turned to the rotunda doors, where Queen Regent Vanora stood silhouetted by the fading light of sunset. Something dark and dangerous smoldered in her eyes, an emotion I couldn’t recognize. It made for a terrifying, almost feral counterpart to her immaculate green gown and golden circlet.

“Please,” she said, “enter and take your seats.”

She disappeared inside. Falteringly, the Small Council followed.

The rotunda looked unusual in the evening. The light from the stained-glass ceiling hit the walls and floor at unfamiliar angles, and only a few of the numerous candelabra had been lit, casting deep shadows around the edges of the room. Somehow, I didn’t think any of us would need to be taking notes tonight anyway.

As we came through the doors, we all saw, at the same time, seated at a chair in the very center of the well—

“Shit,” I muttered.

—Prince Cathair, back straight, expression blank, and facing us as the crowd spilled into the room. There was no reading his face, of course, and even as the Queen Regent paced behind him and rested her hands delicately on the back of his chair, he offered no reaction whatsoever.

“This is going to be bad,” mumbled Sinead to my right.

It took a few moments for us all to find our seats. Without the swarms of assistants and servants and functionaries, the rotunda felt bigger and emptier.

“Forgive me, esteemed councillors, for the suddenness of this meeting,” the Queen Regent said as she gripped the hawthorn crest of Cathair’s seatback tightly with both hands. “This matter could not wait.”

As the last of the councillors took their seats and the groaning of wood tapered off, we all sat, for a few tense moments, in a completely silent room.

“As I’m sure most of you know already,” the Queen Regent began, “while out in Lockery-on-Ryme, we lost a member of the noble Clan MacGaradh, a loyal soldier in my Crownsguard, and a beloved son.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.