LOGINTHALRION The moment the Fae Queen leaves my fortress I burst into laughter because rulers like her always believe they're clever.Always think they're the ones making the moves.The massive doors of my war hall slam shut behind her escort as the guards lead her out.Her carriage wheels scrape across the stone courtyard.Hooves fade into the distance.Then silence settles over the chamber.I lean both hands on the war table and stare down at the glowing map of the supernatural territories.Little markers pulse with magic.Kingdoms.Alliances.Enemies.Targets.And right in the centre of it all...A single silver marker.Evelessa.I tap it once with my finger.The magic glows brighter."You're becoming a problem," I murmur.Footsteps sound behind me.I don't need to turn around to know who it is."Lord."That voice belongs to Kaelric, my war commander.The man has led my armies through three conquests and two massacres.He is ruthless and just loyal enough to understand me."What did y
FAE QUEEN "Hello, King Thalrion "Hours EarlierThere are moments in a ruler's life when hesitation becomes weakness.Tonight is not a night for hesitation.The moon hangs low above the black mountains as my carriage approaches Thalrion's fortress. The sky itself seems darker here, like the stars are reluctant to shine over this place.Understandable.Thalrion is not a man the heavens favor but power rarely belongs to the favoured.The towering gates of his stronghold rise from the cliffside like the jaws of some ancient beast. Black stone. Jagged towers. Fires burning along the battlements.A warlord's kingdom.Not beautiful.Not elegant.But effective.The stags pulling my carriage are slow as we approach the massive iron gates. They snort uneasily, their glowing antlers flickering with discomfort.They sense the darkness here.So do I.But I have ruled long enough to understand something important.Fear is only useful if it controls you.I step out of the carriage before the guard
FAE QUEEN"Ugh crazy bitch! Who does she think she is?"The forest knows when I am angry.It always has.The moment my carriage crosses the borders of the Fay kingdom, the trees shift uneasily. Leaves whisper against one another like nervous courtiers gossiping behind silk fans.They can feel it.The fury raging beneath my calm.The stags pulling my carriage snort softly as we approach the palace gates, their glowing antlers flickering like dying stars.Even they know.Today did not go as planned and I do not tolerate humiliation.Especially not in another woman’s house.Especially not by her.Evelessa.I step down from the carriage slowly, the silver fabric of my gown brushing the stone steps as palace guards bow deeply.“Your Majesty.”I do not acknowledge them.My mind is elsewhere.Still replaying that moment on her porch.Her voice is cold enough to freeze oceans but soon enough I'd have everything she owns.“My son is not a bargaining chip.”The words echo in my head like a slap
CASSAIN "Come on Evelessa.."I should have known the universe wouldn’t let us have one quiet day.Just one.No monsters.No ancient enemies.No supernatural politics.But no.Instead, I’m standing in the kitchen watching Evelessa pace like a thunderstorm in human form.Which means something has happened.“Alright,” I say carefully, leaning against the counter. “Who do I need to kill?”She stops pacing.Glares at me.“No one.”I relax slightly.“Oh good.”Pause.“Yet.”I sigh.“Okay that’s less comforting.”Across the table, Sebastian watches silently, arms folded. His expression is neutral, but I know him well enough now to see the tension in his shoulders.Lucian is sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone like none of this concerns him.Cassain family meetings are always chaotic.But today feels… different.Because Evelessa looks irritated.And Evelessa irritated usually means someone made a very stupid decision.“Tell me what happened,” I say.She exhales sharply.“A fairy
EVELESSA There are many things I expected motherhood to involve.Late nights.Arguments.Teaching my son how to survive in a brutal supernatural world.What I did not expect…Was having to deal with a fairy girl trying to steal my son like he’s a collectible artifact.Yet here we are.Life continues to surprise me.The campus smells like rain and fresh grass when I step out of the car.Students move across the walkways in noisy groups, backpacks swinging, laughter echoing through the air.On the surface it looks peaceful.Normal.But my instincts never relax here anymore.Not after the creature attack.Not after everything happening around us.I close the car door and adjust the sunglasses resting on my face.Cassain insisted I let Alexander be alone today..easy for him to say.“You hovering again?” he teased.“I’m observing,” I corrected.He laughed.“You’re stalking.”Rude.But maybe a little accurate.Still.A mother has the right to check on her son.Even if that son can casually
THALRION "Yes..my lord you're so big...harder..yesssss" This bitch won't stop screaming yet I'm not even feeling her like that. One of the disadvantages of taking on this form is the annoying need for release and so I release. "Get out.." She scrambles around "Yes my lord..just call me whenever you need me again.." She giggles and leaves. Power is a strange thing. Most men think it means control. Armies. Kingdoms. Fear in the eyes of those beneath you. But real power is something far more fragile. It is balance. Control over chaos. And when that balance begins to slip… The entire world starts to tremble. Tonight, I feel that tremble. The war chamber is quiet. I sit at the head of the table Hands folded. Eyes closed. Listening. The reports have been arriving for hours. First the six soldiers Alexis slaughtered. Then Sebastian’s open defiance and now… Alexander. I open my eyes slowly. A messenger kneels in front of me, trembling. “Spea







