A Court of One by Lanne Garrett

Author:Lanne Garrett [Garrett, Lanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA Young Adult Fantasy Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2023-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Time was up. I had to act now or die in the valley with the rest. I stood on the edge of Unseelie territory and watched as the battle to save the mortals began. It was not with swords that the first soul fell. Magick coursed through the lands and picked off those too weak to protect themselves. One by one, I watched men on both sides fall to their bloody knees and die before their faces touched the earth.

I could feel Zephyr and found him standing at Solas’ side on the field. He was dressed to kill but stood perfectly still, waiting. Behind him, the Aos Si waited to be commanded. The Sluagh crawled on their bellies and glided in the clouds, waiting to be unleashed on those who fought against their king. The only court to not join Faolan had been the Autumn Court. King Parrish and his men were being slaughtered, on Solas’ side, as we waited for the magick to run out, but that could take days. Until then, troop after troop would fight for an inch of ground—small victories in the grand scheme of things.

The Court of Less was covered in fresh blood and the last breaths of young men and women. The dead fell over the soggy earth like garish red flowers. It was both beautiful and brash, life and death meeting in the middle. There was no greater force, fighting for life, with no greater rewards to a soldier of Elphame than dying in battle or living in victory. But only fools made romance out of death, made it into something handsome and worthy of grasping. From where I stood, there was no greatness to be found, only brutality and cruelty. Leave it to the Fae to toast their wine to suffering.

I had once been at peace with the thought of leaving this world—at peace with my death. But there was no such thing. I wouldn’t lie down and take it willingly, not after seeing men run toward it to protect the rest of us from facing that same fate.

Where Solas stood and watched, Faolan, with Oisin at his side, cut swaths through Parrish’s men. With powers that radiated through the lands, I felt the cold death dealt by Faolan. He eased himself through the opposition as if they were butter to his hot knife. And when some were smart enough to run from Faolan, Oisin struck them down before they could escape.

I wondered, for a moment, why Solas was drawing this out. It could have been over in hours, yet, he was allowing it to run its course. But I knew Solas would wear out the opposition, then strike when they were too tired, too weak to fight back. It was who Solas was. It was how he never lost. That wouldn’t come for days, but when it did come, the opposition stood little chance against all the Dark Courts would bring. He kept his best back and waited.

Nix moved to my side and whistled.

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