CHAPTER 84

The course of Rune's life changed in this open, airy building eight centuries ago. It would change once more this day. A token price to pay for his queen. Faye sat beside him before The Eyes and the High Council. Sparrow and Vashien were seated behind them alongside Sadi and Damian.

"The first order of business will be the petition for the formal acknowledgement of Faye Alexander. Shadow Prince, stand before us."

Rune stood, tension lacing each of his muscles. Murmuring whispers scattered over the crowd. Their voices overlapped into a constant unintelligible sound that filled the building. Every seat was accounted for, yet more people filed in, wanting to bear witness. They stood in the stairways, along the walkways. Pressed shoulder to shoulder, each hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman capable of taming the Shadow Prince.

He turned to Faye offering his hand. The Ra'Voshnik purred through his mind, admiring their queen. She wore dark pants with a satin backless shirt with flowing sleeves. Beautiful and fierce. Fate could not grant them a better queen.

Her hand slipped into his as they stepped into The Eyes. Faye held herself well, not letting her emotions show over her delicate features.

Rune stood next to her as pride and apprehension warred in him.

Alister sat in the front row to his right, and Rune noted Prinia's absence. His brother held a tactician's mind, learning from his missteps. Rune wouldn't be able to use Prinia as leverage a second time.

He knelt as they reached the center of The Eyes. Faye followed protocol perfectly, keeping her face neutral and placing her left hand on his right shoulder.

"What is that on your ring?" Lyssa's usual lyrical voice was overshadowed by her cold, condescending tone.

"My Lady's soul shard," Rune replied in kind as the Ra'Voshnik urged him to take Lyssa's head as payment for disrespecting his queen.

Lyssa clicked her tongue at him. "Truly Rune, your vanity astounds even me."

"Shadow Prince." Jha'ant adjusted his glasses, peering at the shard Faye displayed as the crowd quieted. He cleared his throat, turning his attention back to Rune. "Have you come to answer the petition?"

"I have come to inform the High Council of a mistake in circumstance." Rune stood, keeping his gaze on Jha'ant as the rustling and murmurs began anew. Louder.

"There is no mistake. You are court born. You rule a realm. You must answer. Refusal of response is to denounce her." Jha'ant's gaze fell to Faye and softened. The bird king raised a few notches in Rune's eyes. Perhaps he didn't want to see Faye labeled as a whore.

"I am unable to answer on behalf of this petition for the simple reason being, that I am Faye Alexander's whore." Rune expected the gasps, followed by the rustling and chatter of the audience. One voice yelled over them he did not.

"No!" Morgan screamed, silencing the crowd.

I should have announced her, Rune thought dryly.

Kill her so we can finish this and return home with our queen, the Ra'Voshnik growled, prowling his mind.

Calm yourself. This will be over soon.Rune turned to address Lyssa's daughter, who leaned forward as she grasped the railing of her family's box seating, high above the crowd.

Rune glowered at her, his voice menacing. "Do you challenge my choice?"

"No! Rune, she does not," Lyssa yelled. "Rune. Look at me, Shadow Prince." A growl vibrated in her words as she gritted out, "Child, sit."

Gabriel leaned forward, whispering to his sister. When he took her arm Morgan flung her brother off her with a burst of power. Gabriel struck the wall at the other end of their seat area and dropped.

Morgan stared at Rune for long moments. Tension building between them. Hatred burned in her eyes. She bared her teeth before looking away and taking her seat.

Rune's attention returned to the High Council. He would carry this label for her. Keep Faye safe. Protect her from Alister. His brother would renounce the blood debt when he learned Faye could heal Prin. Rune bowed his head, waiting for the words of protocol that would cripple his social standing.

In truth he cared little for his name, less of what others thought.

All he needed was her.

"Wait." Faye touched his arm. "Kneel."

Rune obeyed, sending her a thought.What are you doing?

She placed her hand on his shoulder and her voice filled his mind.You make all the wrong moves for all the right reasons.

Faye turned to Jha'ant. "I announce Rune Sacarlay, the Shadow Prince, Ruler of Hell, as my consort."

Panic skid down Rune's spine. Faye spoke words of protocol she couldn't know. Spoken here in The Eyes meant this was no court position. When a queen announced a consort within The Eyes, it was a tie between the two, what Faye would call a marriage. Her words claimed him as her own.

And allowed for Alister's vengeance.

Lyssa laughed. "You have no court. What you announce is utterly ridiculous. You are a meager peasant that needs to learn her place."

"Only they do," Morbid said as both Rune and the Ra'Voshnik growled, fixing their attention to Lyssa.

Prey, Voshki purred, eyeing Lyssa's throat. The Familiar King slid a document to Jareth, who read it and then handed it to Jha'ant.

Lyssa stood, snatching the document from the Artithian King.

What have you done?Rune spoke in Faye's mind.

Sadi helped me with it. We must face this. Alister won't stop because of a technicality. Trust me to finish this.

This was not their plan.This is a mistake.

I'm asking you to trust me. We must finish this.

"Do you accept, Shadow Prince?" Morbid's voice pulled him from his private conversation.

Rune squared his gaze on Morbid. He and the Familiar King would have a long discussion in the near future since he was certain Morbid's signature approved the formation of Faye's court.

He gazed up at his queen. The stubborn minx who didn't fear his nature or the shards he carried. The queen he ached for his entire life. She was nothing he expected but had become everything he needed. "I accept and bow to the will of my queen," Rune spoke the words of protocol and rose.

Faye's breaths grew shorter as her gaze locked with Rune's brother. A vengeful rage hard set in his pale blue eyes. Faye drew her power, letting it flow over her to form multiple shields. This wasn't a sparring match with Damian. This man meant to kill her.

Alister please, I want to help your wife,Faye spoke directly to Alister's mind.

He didn't respond, drawing his sword as he ran his palm over its gleaming edge. Alister stepped into The Eyes, marrying the pristine white marble with droplets of red. His dual blades hover ominously over each shoulder.

"I invoke my blood debt," Alister said. His voice was a hollow, gravel-filled grave.

"Denounce it. Now. Brother," Rune demanded, stepping between them.

Faye perceived Rune's magic swiftly rising to meet his will. She choked his strength, unleashing a wide arc of dark power, knocking Rune out of The Eyes.

A dome of churning black mist flashed over the circular platform. Faye's shield kept Sadi and Rune out but also caged her in alone with Alister.

"Alister! Touch her, and I will kill you!" Rune raged. The foundation shook with each devastating blow. Cracks fissured from him, forking across the ground before climbing up the walls of white and gold.

Faye ignored the overlapping screams and shouts as the audience fell into chaos and took a cautious step toward him. "I know you're angry. I'm stronger than Rune. Let me help Prinia."

She tensed as Alister raised his sword. The two floating behind him moved in either direction, menacingly surrounding her—A pack of wolves cornering their prey.

"I see you're made for each other," Alister said coldly before flicking his sword between Rune and herself with effortless grace. "Both of you have such a flair for the dramatic."

"Faye, drop the shield!" Rune roared, eyes gone black.

It sliced her heart to hear Rune desperate and fearful. She'd tried reasoning with Alister and planned for his dismissal. It was time to end the debt between Rune and his brother. Faye lifted her hand, making a fist. Her magic coiled, constricting around him. Alister's body went rigid, his back bowing taut. A small cut was all it would take. A nick and this would be over.

Faye shrieked the next instant, pulled off her feet by a fistful of hair. Alister stood behind her, his image across The Eyes dissolving.

Time slowed as a flash of silver dragged across her throat. She didn't fear his weapon, expecting it. It was the pain she hadn't anticipated. Couldn't focus through it to summon her dagger.

"I expected you to shield her," Alister said coldly.

Faye closed her eyes, letting the pain bite. She welled her power and closed her hand imagining the feel of the metal hilt on her palm, but her dagger didn't answer.

Alister's magic surged, and Faye's eyes snapped open. He summoned a large narrow box. Water sloshing over its wooden sides. Cold panic tore through her mind.