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“I accepted the bond. Earlier. When I was inside you. When my soul was wrapped around yours.”
🥺🫠
⚜️🙂↕️🪢❤️🔥🦋
He frowned, snaking his arm around my waist, and pulled me back down to lie on his chest. Once I was settled, he slowly stroked his fingers through my hair and spoke again. “I'll be grateful for every second that I can say that I belong to you, Saeris Fane. Eighty years or eighteen hours. It doesn't matter to me. It'll still be the highest honor of my life.
🥺🫠
⚜️❤️🔥🦋
But don't—are you about to have a heart attack? Your pulse is flying.” The bastard laughed, and I nearly burst into tears. “Don’t freak out. Here. Look.”
🥺🫠🫦
⚜️☺️😏❤️🔥🦋
“I'm in love with you, Saeris Fane,” he whispered quietly into my hair. “And I'm already half-mad, anyway. What's a little complicated thrown into the mix?” “I—” “Please, for the love of the gods, don't say anything. Just let me have my fantasy. Just for tonight.”
“Please, for the love of the gods, don't say anything. Just let me have my fantasy. Just for tonight.”
🥺🫠☺️
⚜️🪢❤️🔥🦋
“When we were here last time, you said that the people of Ballard had something you needed. But you never got it,” I whispered. Fisher gently kissed my forehead, and all around us, the flickering candle flames started to blink out. “Yes, I did,” he said. I barely heard his next words as I drifted away. “I came for a little hope.”
🥺🫠😫
⚜️❤️🔥🦋
This may seem dramatic now, but it'll make sense in time, Saeris. Go through the gate. It'll take you back to Cahlish. Wait there with the others. I'll send Layne back as soon as I can. Tell Iseabail to sedate her the second she comes through the gate. She'll be close to transitioning. There won't be much time. She'll want to go back through the gate before I close it, so you'll have to be ready for that. You have to stop her. This will all be for nothing if she jumps back through. Tell Lorreth to live his life. Tell him not to worry about me. I have endless patience and no interest in having
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🥺😫💔😔
⚜️💌🦋
I well and truly broke when I saw what rested on the mantlepiece above the fire. Nimerelle.
😔💔😫
⚜️🗡️>>🦋
Carrion squawked, fumbling the book in his hands. He came dangerously close to falling off his chair as I stormed through the shadow gate and into Fisher's bedroom. “Gods a-fucking-live!” He gasped, clutching his chest. “A little warning?” “Where is everyone?” I demanded. “I don't know. In the library? Everyone's going cross-eyed, trying to find a way to make sure they break this enthrallment thing. What are you doing with Fisher's sword?” I tossed Nimerelle onto the bed, along with the old shirt I'd found to wrap the grip so I could pick it up. “Never mind the sword. Why aren't you with
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🦋🐲
Ren got to his feet, letting out a long exhale. “I could kiss you, Carrion Swift.” Carrion seemed taken aback by this. And then somewhat interested. After thinking for a second, he said, “I wouldn't be opposed. But maybe later. First, Saeris has work to do, and I plan on giving her a hand.” “What work?” It was a miracle that I managed to ask the question. I was so full of adrenaline now that the library was spinning. I was definitely going to throw up. Carrion grinned, all teeth and mischief. “I'm coming with you through that portal. I'm gonna help you save your asshole boyfriend. But first, I
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🐲🎠🦋
“Have you heard about the fire at the circus?” I paused for dramatic effect. “It was in tents. Get it? In tents.” Carrion winced. “That was terrible.” “Shut up. It asked for a joke. It didn't specify that it had to be a good one. I was a metalworker and a thief in Zilvaren, not a comedian.” “I was a smuggler and I've still got way better jokes than that.” “You tell it a joke then!” I held out the crucible containing the quicksilver, and Carrion huffed, peering at the roiling liquid metal. “All right. Fine. A husband turns to his wife one day and says, ‘y’know, I bet you can’t think of
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🦋🐲🪙
Carrion told a slew of additional jokes that grew bawdier as he went. “Gods and martyrs, will you please stop,” I begged. “I'm just trying to lighten the mood. You look like someone pissed in your water ration.” “More jokes. Give us more jokes…” I glowered at the sword, unable to comprehend its bad taste. If ever there was a weapon so perfectly suited to its owner, it was this one. Carrion delighted in telling it the filthiest jokes imaginable. And when I was finished, and Carrion pressed his fingertip against its point, giving it the tiniest taste of his blood, the blade responded
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🪙🐲🦋
Carrion held the sword, turning it this way and that. After much consideration, he said, “It looks like a Simon.” “Simon?” “Yeah. Simon. Don't blame me. That's what it looks—” He stopped talking and listened. “See. It likes the name. It wants to be Simon.” “Fair enough.” The sword was done talking with me, apparently, so I asked, “Has it decided if it wants to gift you with magic in spite of your frail human blood?” Carrion smirked. “It says that's for me to know and you to find out.” “Hope that means yes,” I grumbled.
🐲🪙🦋
🪛- Simon
Lorreth fidgeted in his seat. “I don't trust her. The witch,” he clarified before I could ask who he was referring to. “Dragon lovers. They're the reason we're in this mess in the first place. If it weren't for them, there wouldn't even be any vampires.”
🐿️>>📜🩸🪄
“My people have been persecuted my whole life thanks to those vicious rumors. We proved centuries ago that we had nothing to do with the curse that afflicted your kind. The Balquhidder Clan was one of the five families charged by your dead King Daianthus with finding a cure for the Fae curse. We were instrumental in breaking it.
🏺>🐿️>>📜🩸🪄
Anyone would think you'd be grateful, Warrior.” She squinted at him. “What was your name again?” “You know damned well what my name is,” Lorreth rumbled. “We’ve met before, Witch.” “Oh?” Iseabail shot Lorreth a feline smirk. “Really? I must have forgotten.”
🫦
🏺🐿️
“Annorath mor!
Translation: ‘Release us!’
You shouldn't be here, Little Osha, he said in my mind. His words rang with defeat. His shoulders sagged, his eyes closing when Lorreth and Carrion emerged from the gate beside me, Harron close on our heels. I wanted to save you from this. I didn't want you to suffer with me.
😫💔🥺
⚜️🧠😔💔🥺❤️🔥🦋
So that must make you Lorreth. Lorreth, who shattered the towers at Barillieth and murdered thousands of my children.”
🧛🏻♂️>🐿️>>📜🐿️
His anger stalled when his gaze landed on Carrion. “You, I don't know.” Carrion dipped into a low bow, but the gesture was not one of deference. It was designed to mock. “Carrion Sw—” Malcolm nodded to Harron, and the guard brought the hilt of his dagger crashing down onto the back of Carrion's head. The blow cut Carrion off and sent him crashing to his knees.
🧛🏻♂️🐟🐲
“Indeed,” Madra agreed. “And after all, I did only close the gate because you sent that beast through to assassinate me.
🧧>>📜🧛🏻♂️🗽🦞
Belikon had known? All these years, he’d known that Madra was the one who had closed the gates, and he’d blamed Fisher’s father. He had sent Finway to Zilvaren, to his death, and then had blamed him for the closing of the portals between the realms. He had named him traitor and cast shame on the House of Cahlish because of it.
📜🧛🏻♂️🗽🧧🦞🦚⚜️
Our people have been at war with Malcolm for—for—” “War?” Belikon sneered. “We haven't been at war, you fool. I've simply been feeding my brother's army.”
🗽🤝🏻🧛🏻♂️
“Shut your mouth, human,” Belikon snapped. “Kingfisher has a story to share. Tell them how you thought you could trick me, Dog.” Wearily, Fisher spoke at last. “The horde had gathered at the gates of Gillethrye. Tens of thousands of vampires. Our armies in the south had been drawn into a battle with a much smaller force, but it had been a distraction. We found out that the better part of Malcolm's feeders had marched on Gillethrye too late. I couldn't move enough warriors through my shadow gate, so I brought Ren and some of the other wolves to try and save as many as we could.” “The
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⚜️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🗿🗽🧛🏻♂️
It was the bastard who murdered my mother.” Belikon ran his tongue over his teeth. “You think you can shame me by airing my sins? Think again. Your bitch of a mother was supposed to be the greatest oracle of our time, but she was useless.” He cackled. “I admit it. As soon as she was done pushing out the brat I forced upon her, I slit the bitch's throat. I was sick of her fucking lies.”
🗽>🦋🐲🐿️>>📜🗽🦚
“Malcolm arrived at the head of his host, and that's when I learned that he and Belikon weren't adversaries at all. They were allies and had been working together since before the blood curse. I didn't know that Madra was also in league with them until today. I wanted to bargain for the few citizens of Gillethrye who were still alive, and Belikon proposed a deal. He found a coin. One used only in Gillethrye. The smallest denomination of currency the Fae had here. He said if the coin hit the ground and landed leaf-side up, Malcolm would call off his horde and leave the city without hurting
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⚜️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🗿🗽🧛🏻♂️
“I torched the city, then,” Fisher said. He didn't sugarcoat it. Didn't dress it up. “I barricaded it and trapped everyone inside. Malcolm's horde had either bitten or killed everyone. They were transitioning right before our eyes. Gillethrye was home to nearly two hundred thousand High Fae and Lesser Fae. If they were allowed to join Malcolm's horde, they would have swallowed the entire realm. So I gave the order. I did what had to be done.”
⚜️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🗿🗽🧛🏻♂️
“I love bending the rules in my favor. I don't love it so much when they're bent against me. So, I decided to torment poor little Kingfisher some more.
🧛🏻♂️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🧛🏻♂️
“Well, I created the most diabolically lethal labyrinth I could conjure in my mind, dear sister,” Malcolm said, as if this should have been obvious. “I hid Belikon's coin at its center, and then I created this colosseum around it and filled the stands with the perpetually burning bodies of all the creatures our poor little bleeding heart here had wanted to save. All he had to do to end their suffering was find the coin and make it fall to the ground. Obviously, it would be too late to save the Fae from death, but at least it would end their suffering. And then,” he added with a dramatic
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🧛🏻♂️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🧛🏻♂️
Fisher growled, low and menacing. He turned hate-filled eyes on the queen of Zilvaren. “Remove yourself from me, or you won’t like what happens next.”
🫠🫦🤤
⚜️🤬😤😠👹👿💪🏼✨>>🧧
“I play back,” Fisher spat. “It might not be today, but oh, I am coming to find you, Madra. Fear the shadows, bitch. I'm made of them. One night soon, I'll climb out of one and slit your fucking throat.
🫠🫦🤤
⚜️🤬😤😠👹👿💪🏼✨>>🧧
“You spayed my mate when she was a fucking child,” he seethed. “For that alone, I’ll make your undying existence an unending agony. An eternity of suffering the likes of which even your evil mind cannot comprehend. You’ll know no peace at my hands. I will destroy your empire and erase your name from the annals of time. When I am done with your legacy, Madra the Undying will never have existed. And you’ll live on at my behest, suffering for all of eternity. And no one will know. And no one will care.”
🫠🫦🤤
⚜️🤬😤😠👹👿💪🏼✨💀👑🏰❤️🔥🦋>>🧧
“He entered my labyrinth and entertained us all for such a very long time.” Malcolm clapped Fisher on the back. “I sent some of my other friends to play with him sometimes. From time to time, I would visit him myself. We always had such scintillating conversations. And then, one day, he made it to the center of the labyrinth. I have to say, I was shocked. I thought it would take him a lot longer than it did. What was it, Fisher? Fifty years?” “Fifty-five.” His eyes were back on me now, locked fast, as if I were an anchor in a storm, the only thing capable of grounding him. “That's right.
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🧛🏻♂️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🧛🏻♂️
Malcolm chuckled. “Then, one day, Taladaius was checking in on our Kingfisher, and he said that the ground shook so violently that the stone cracked beneath his feet, and a hole appeared. And lo and behold: a secret.” “Let me guess,” Madra said. “There was a quicksilver pool below your lovely labyrinth. And it had been awakened.” “Exactly! Very astute.” Belikon narrowed rheumy eyes at me accusingly. “The very same vibrations rocked my palace.” Malcolm tutted. “Such mayhem. Such chaos! Our Kingfisher took one look at the quicksilver pool, and Taladaius said he dropped down into the hole and
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🧛🏻♂️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🧛🏻♂️
I was surprised, Fisher. I gave you the opportunity to leave my labyrinth so many times, but you never accepted. And then you just upped and left out of the blue? With all of these poor creatures waiting on you to end their suffering? It seemed highly out of character. Tell me,” Malcolm said, spinning on the balls of his feet. “I've been dying to know. After a hundred and ten years in that labyrinth, what made you finally leave?”
🧛🏻♂️>🦋🐿️🐲>>📜⚜️🧛🏻♂️>>⚜️❤️🔥🦋
“You bored him to fucking tears and he couldn't take it anymore,” Carrion sniped. Up until now, he'd held his tongue, but it was a miracle that he'd lasted this long. Carrion wasn't the type to let an opportunity to offend someone pass him by, regardless of how dire the situation was. Malcolm stalked forward and closed his hand around Carrion's throat. The Vampire king bared his fangs as he leaned in close to Carrion's neck. “I don't like you, human. Something about you smells...off.” “That's probably the weird...moss...these water sprites rubbed...all over me...” Carrion croaked. “It had a
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🐲>>🧛🏻♂️
“I went into that quicksilver because I felt my father's sword calling to me. And I knew I'd need it for this.” He became smoke. He was hurt and tired, but I'd never witnessed him move this fast. He came for me. One hand closed on my hip. The other reached to the other hip—for the sword there, sitting in its scabbard. He drew Solace, the blade becoming a flare of brilliant light in the ash-choked air, and then Fisher was spinning. He moved like liquid. Like lightning. Like vengeance. Ducking low, he spun, reversing the weapon so the tip of the blade pointed down. Dropping to one knee, he
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🫠🫦🤤
⚜️🤬😤😠👹👿💪🏼✨💀👑🏰⛏️🗽🪦
Fisher ripped his father's sword free, spun again, and drove the tip straight into Belikon's throat. He gritted his teeth as he leaned his weight on the weapon, and the gleaming blade pushed all the way out the back of Belikon's neck. “I don't need magic to mess you up, you fuck,” he growled. “This is for me. But mostly, it’s for my parents.”
🫠🫦🤤
⚜️🤬😤😠👹👿💪🏼✨💀👑🏰⛏️🗽🪦
“Madra gifted me with eternity—” “So that you could serve her. So that you could be her fucking slave. Most prisoners' sentences end. They’re released, or they”—I dodged a cutting upward sweep of his dagger—“walk through that black door you spoke of. But you just keep on suffering, don’t you.” “Death has forgotten me, bitch. My name is nowhere on his register.”
🐟>🦋>>📜🐟🧧
It let out a high-pitched whine, its head whipping toward Carrion, and Fisher spat out a curse. “Don't move, Swift.” “What the hell are you talking about!” Carrion called back. “I'm one hundred percent going to move.” “Stay the fuck where you are,” Fisher growled. “It can't see or hear you. It tracks movement.” “But—” “You move, you die,” Fisher barked. “Okaaaayyyy.” Lorreth pressed his back to the wall, clutching Avisiéth to his chest. “I fucking hate spiders,” he said.
⚜️🐲🐿️
“That's not a spider. That's Morthil. It's a demon. And it’ll stun you with its stinger and eat you alive if it catches you. Slowly. Over a period of days—”
🕷️
“Please stop talking and tell me how I'm not getting eaten,” Carrion whimpered.
🐲⚜️>>🕷️
The spider demon snapped its head in my direction, leaning forward. It took a step, its long, spindly legs working in concert, and Carrion moaned. Its front right leg was raised, hovering in the air, right over him. If it brought it down, it would land right on his head. “No rush or anything, Fane, but if you could sniff out that quicksilver pretty quickly, I'd sure appreciate it,” he said, his voice three octaves higher than usual.
🐲>⚜️🦋🐿️>>🕷️
We are the Triumvirate, Dog. Three crowns sharing one source. To kill one of us, you must kill us all,
🗽>⚜️>>🧛🏻♂️🗽🧧=⚧️
“My name is Carrion Swift. But there was a time when I was known as Carrion Daianthus. First born son to Rurik and Amelia Daianthus.”
🐲
Pointing at the runes on my index and middle fingers, he named them one at a time. “Earth. Air. Fire. Water. Salt. Brimstone. Quicksilver. The full gamut. More power than any Alchemist I've ever encountered. You are capable of restoring me to my power and a lot more besides.”
🧛🏻♂️>🦋>>🦋🔏💪🏼✨
I scented you on him the second he showed up here, demanding I let his sister go. I scented your body on him.” He forced out the words as if they left a foul taste in his mouth. “But the scent of your blood was much stronger. I couldn't believe it. That he'd fed from you,” he sneered. “He wore that silver plate at his throat every day he was trapped here in this labyrinth. A gift from his mother, I believe. Pure silver imbued with some particularly nasty magic. I couldn’t have torn it off him if I’d tried. Edina always was such a thorn in my side. I promised to let Fisher go if only he gave me
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🧛🏻♂️>🦋>>📜🧛🏻♂️❤️🔥⚜️
“Zareth. God of Chaos.” Zareth grunted. “And you are Saeris. Sister to Hayden. Daughter to no one.” He nodded to the inkwork on my hands. “Also, mate to my champion.”
🌪️>🦋>>⚜️
“An Alchemist, at last, to reset the balance and clear the way for what is to come.” Turning, he went to the edge of the quicksilver pool that surrounded the great tree, and I followed, drawn along by the pull of him. He stepped to the very edge of the quicksilver and looked at me. “Here, we stand at the edge of the universe. The roots you see, growing down into the earth, into the quicksilver, are the anchors of fate.” He tipped his head back, his eyes traveling upward into the boughs of the tree. “The silver leaves above mark all the realms of our domain. My family are the stewards of all
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🌪️>🦋>>🎄
“There is a rot spreading throughout my domain, Saeris,” he said. “Realms that are infected with that rot have to be summarily destroyed to protect the rest of the tree and prevent that rot from spreading. Do you understand?” Those leaves had been realms. Whole worlds. Zareth had just…waved his hand and…wiped them out. I stared at them as they sank and disappeared below the surface of the quicksilver.
🌪️>🦋>>🎄
