Chapter Thirty

 

 

Dylan

It was the day of the election, and I shoved through the crowd to get to the front regardless of the snarky complaints I received on my way there. I didn’t really care what the other Teleen thought of me, I just needed to see the debate in full throttle for myself.

“How do you plan on helping the fertility of our people? There’s no cure. We’ll die off soon.”

The voice came from a large, burly man who stood with his arms crossed, digging his eyes into Sylphi. The other candidate glanced her way to see if she’d take the bait, eyes shining with mischief. The guy was her opponent’s supporter, and I hated how it came down to spats like this before elections. It was a valid question, though, and I laid my eyes on Sylphi to see her standing tall and confident behind her podium.

“I plan to gather more oracles and bring them here to check the health of our people and add any kind of supplements and magical interventions that could help us. Any witches with fertility spells will be welcomed. I also plan to make sure our food and water is tested thoroughly. There could be hidden elements within them that suppress our fertility. If found, I will make every effort to remove them. We shall become a strong, vibrant tribe once more.”

The crowd muttered its agreement, with many of them cheering her on. Her opponent, Leona, stared at Sylphi with glassy eyes as though she’d not slept for days. She appeared confident enough, but the way she hesitated told me she’d been deprived and was probably a bundle of nerves beneath her hardened exterior.

“And you, Leona? What do you think of this matter?”

Sylphi’s opponent answered, but her applause was stifled as some muttered that she wasn’t the one to ask such things of. The woman had never had a child due to choice, not because she wasn’t married. How could she have anything relevant to say if she wasn’t personally willing to do everything to help our tribe’s survival?

I beamed as I watched the debate continue on. Sylphi would win. She had it in the bag without even trying. Not only did she glance at me often, her face flushed from excitement, but she didn’t let our night together and subsequent morning when I’d bolted affect her speech and debates. I had to admit it, she’d make a fine queen, but she wasn’t the queen for me.

“Thank you, everyone! Tonight, we will reveal the vote. Please proceed to the voting stations to cast your ballots.”

The crowd moved in force toward the polls. It was all too human-like, and I sighed as I walked toward one of the shorter lines to cast my own vote. Sylphi had retired to her room to wait until the votes were counted. From the looks she’d thrown my way prior to leaving, I knew she wanted me there with her.

And I’d go. Why not? I had taken her this far, the least I could do was to sit with her as she waited for the decision to reach her. I already felt the guilt of taking off on her creeping up my insides.

As I dropped my ballot into one of the boxes, I turned to leave and nearly ran right into Argos, one of Queen Gretel’s advisors, and from the looks of him, he wasn’t thrilled to see me.

“Are you going to marry her?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

He glanced at the crowd of people milling about and moved us over to the side where there were fewer people. “Sylphi,” he said in a low voice. “Are you going to divorce Shade and marry Sylphi?”

I eyed the guy, wondering what he was getting at. If I wasn’t mistaken, I felt a touch of a threat coming through in his voice. “No. Why do you ask?”

His face darkened as his steel grey eyes—the signature color of my people—flashed in the torchlight.

“I want her, and you’re in my way.”

Nice that he was so straightforward.

“Whoa. I’m sure you need to take this up with Sylphi.” I tried to side-step him, but he followed my movements, blocking my way.

“I did. And yet you’re still in the way.”

I stared at Argos, a normally calm and serious guy. The hatred emanating from him was off-putting. I wondered if Sylphi even knew he existed.

“She turned you down, huh? Not my problem. Seriously, now you’re in my way, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to get out of here.”

“You can’t have all the women here, Dylan. It doesn’t work that way. You go back to your wife and let Sylphi choose someone else, or I’m going to help that along. Either way, you should leave Teleen if you know what’s good for you. You’re not welcomed here.”

Stunned, I watched as he turned away and walked out of the hall. So that’s how it was going to be, huh? I made sure to sweep the room with my eyes and study the other Teleen men who were not paired off with mates. Some were eyeing me with similar disdain, but none dared approach me. Why had Argos done so, then?

Resuming my trek to Sylphi’s room, I kept an extra-vigilant eye on my surroundings. If there were other suitors vying for her, I was going to get unwarranted challenges if I wasn’t careful. It was something I wanted to avoid at all costs, and I knew then that if I was to choose between her and Shade, I would have to do it soon or suffer some grave consequences.

Still, nothing like a good Teleen fight to take my mind off things. When Argos rounded the corner and blocked my path once more, this time flanked by two of his flunkies, I was almost glad for it.

“Well, hello, darlings,” I chanted. “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to dance today.”

“I warned you. You’re heading to see her now, aren’t you?”

“What’s it to you?” I asked and flicked a threatening glare at Argos’s lackeys. “You’re mighty presumptuous if you think beating me up is going to change her mind. Sylphi does what she wants, and I highly doubt she wants anything to do with an old man like you, Argos.”

He smirked. Not a good sign. “You think you’re the only one she’s playing with? You’re the fool I always knew you were. She toys with you like a child with a doll. You’re nothing to her, you know? If you think you have the advantage over her, you’re sorely mistaken.”

So she had her hands in more than one cookie jar. Great. Using me had just been part of her plan to win the crown. I suddenly felt dirty. That woman was toxic, and I could see it was contagious.

“You know what, man? You can have her. I’m done here. There’s somewhere I need to be, and it’s not with Sylphi. Have at it. Sloppy seconds is always so awesome, isn’t it?”

“You don’t think I really believe you’ll just walk away from Sylphi without a fight?” Argos blocked my way again and held out an arm, shoving me back. “I’m not done with you. You need to respect authority around here. You never did when you were Gretel’s favorite soldier. Well, now she’s almost dead, and you have no friends here.”

“Don’t need them.” I pulled at my link with Shade. Her powers amplified mine, and Argos was the one who was mistaken if he thought fighting a king of a realm of Faerie was smart. I wasn’t the Teleen king, but I was one, nonetheless.

I felt the tug of my kingdom calling to me, begging for me to return, but diverting its magic my way if needed. There was no greater power than that of a realm that served and obeyed its rulers. I felt my glamor slip, and my eyes flashed white as my lips curled in a threatening sneer.

“You want to play with a king of Faerie, go right ahead. You won’t get past me if you tried. You or your friends, Argos.”

The sight obviously shocked the trio, for they stepped back, confused. Had they forgotten I was royalty now? The fools.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I thought that with Queen Shade gone, you were through. We’ll be on our way.”

They walked away, and I watched them until they disappeared around the bend. I snuffed my fire, weaving a layer of glamor around it and allowing the hall to dim to the low torchlight once more.

I had felt Shade’s power fuse into mine once more, willingly strengthening me when I needed it. There had been no mental message or word from her, just silent support. This was all I needed.

I turned and headed in the direction of Sylphi’s room. It was time to tell her goodbye.