He won’t be pleased when he hears that they’ve announced they’re engagement. The young witch beside me flies in slow circles to ease her boredom. I snap my teeth at her and narrow my eyes. She freezes, paling at my furious gaze. The more she moves, the more likely it is that we’ll be spotted in these clouds.
“Why isn’t Maaz here?” The young witch asks after a moment of nervous silence.
My fingers twitch as I picture what Maaz must be doing at this moment. “She has duties in the ether, attending to Sadal,” I say coldly.
I think back to the night we summoned him. When Maaz confessed her failure, he was furious. I have not seen Sadal often, but I have never seen him look so murderous. His eyes flashed dark and his lips settled into a cruel smile. He isn’t the Dark One because he abhors punishment and anger. He welcomes them. Even now, he must be punishing her with his sick games.
I shudder. He likes to take disobedient Bloodbane into the ether when circumstances call for it. And there he will pretend to be kind, only to toss them into the void to meet with their truest self. It’s enough to drive any Bloodbane mad.
When she asked him for armies to accomplish the task, he laughed in her face. Then Sadal beat her until she and I – nearly identical – could hardly be compared. At first, it was amusing as all beatings are. Then I grew bored. But as it continued and her shrieks fell silent, my own stomach was twisted and sick.
I blink as I come back to my sense. My companion is speaking. “Why not attack now?” She whines. “They’re drunk and unguarded.”
“Two witches against hundreds of noble Fae and Altair’s guard?” I smirk. “Don’t be a fool. We’re formidable, but we’re not invincible. So, unless you’re looking to die tonight and broadcast to Altair’s entire kingdom that we haven’t finished with him, then be my guest.”
Her lips twist into a frown. “Bitch.” I hear her whisper under breath.
I chuckle. Maaz and I selected this young witch for grooming. We thought she had enough fire in her to lead the Bloodbane someday. Clearly, we were right. There aren’t many Bloodbane that would dare speak to me with such insolence.
I cock my head as I spy a messenger running up the palace drive. “Look.” I tilt my chin in his direction.
“So?” The witch sighs.
“A messenger on Summer’s Eve,” I say thoughtfully. “This is important.”
“What do you want to do? Snatch him from the ground?” She asks, her attention snapping towards the messenger with renewed interest.
I drift lower. “Perhaps.”
The messenger disappears into the palace and we hover near a tower, out of sight of the patrol. Maaz was never one for discretion, she has a flair for the dramatic. The Bloodbane have gotten used to following suit and I can tell that the witch beside me is itching to sweep directly into the castle. I hover in front of her, blocking her from doing just that. While Maaz works in the spotlight, I prefer to tug on the tangled webs in the shadows.
Soon enough, the messenger will leave, and we will interrogate him. Altair’s guard is sparse tonight, no doubt because of the celebration. We will flit down into the light and back up into the darkness before anyone of the insolent Fae have noticed us.
While we wait, I take note of the castle defenses. The walls aren’t even particularly high, and I see no defense weaponry whatsoever. I grin to myself, tugging my hood into place. Whatever army Sadal grants us will be more than enough to overrun this elegant palace. Light floods over the courtyard as the doors open. I spot the familiar shoulders of the messenger and swoop down without warning.
The young witch exclaims sharply but I silence her with a flick of my wrist. The Fae messenger turns just as I level out, his eyes widen, and his mouth goes slack as he takes in the wild-eyed Bloodbane swooping towards him. I have him in my arms, one hand wrapped around his mouth to silence him while I control my broom with the other. The rushing of the wind in my cloak and the surge of adrenaline from the hasty abduction are like a drug to me.
I return to the young witch and we take cover behind one of the gabled roofs of the palace. The messenger is quiet as I lift my hand away from his lips. He knows better than to scream when the Bloodbane have him in our grasp.
I smile pleasantly, tugging my hood back. His eyes rove over my supple breasts and full lips but he doesn’t move. He’s frozen like a mouse in a field.
“Tell us your message,” the young witch demands.
I roll my eyes at her. “No,” the messenger says stiffly.
I cradle the Fae man in one arm as I reach into my cloak for my dagger. The hilt is engraved with a phoenix and the blade is softly curved. I’ve had the dagger since I was a young girl, when my father gave it to me. It glistens in the starlight. I twist it in front of the Fae and sigh softly.
“It’s coated in Oakswald. You know what that is, don’t you?” He shudders in my arms. I grin. “One tiny slip of this blade against your skin, and you’ll have thousands of microscopic parasites eating away at your flesh. It’s not poison, it’s much worse. First, they eat the meat and bones around the cut. But they don’t work their way through you from there. Their favorite snack is right between your legs.”
“What do you want?” He says hoarsely, clenching his legs together.
I smile, eyeing the young witch
