โThis is bullshit.โ Ruhn paced the ornate rugs of his fatherโs study as the grandfather clock in the corner chimed two in the morning. โYouย knowย itโs total fucking bullshit.โ
Lounging in a crimson leather armchair by the darkened fireplace, the Autumn King said nothing. The experiments and nonsense he worked on day and night boiled and bubbled away, the sound a steady hum in the background.
โWhatโs the matter, cousin? Feeling possessive of your sister?โ Cormac smirked from where he leaned against the black marble mantel, white sweater stretched tight over his muscled chest. Not one golden hair on his head out of place.
Fucker.
Ruhn ignored Cormacโs taunt and said to his father, โWe live in a modern city. In modern times. There are lawyers by the dozen who have endless resources to challenge thisโand courts that might be amenable to setting a new precedent that protects the rights of Fae females.โ
โBryce will arrive willingly at the marriage altar,โ his father said. โAs will you.โ
Cormacโs mouth curled upward. โI hear youโre engaged to Hypaxia Enador. Congratulations.โ Ruhn scowled at him. Cormac went on, sizing up Ruhn, โOf course, the marriage is unorthodox, considering your brideโs family and bloodline.โ
Ruhn stiffened. โYouโve got some shit to spew about Hypaxia, then letโs hear it.โ
But Cormac said to the Autumn King, โHe doesnโt know?โ
His father, damn him, seemed bored as he said, โIt didnโt seem necessary. My order is law.โ
Ruhn glanced between them. โWhat is this?โ
His father, features tightening with distasteโas if disappointed that Ruhn hadnโt learned it himselfโsaid, โThe late Queen Hecuba had two daughters, from different sires. Hypaxiaโs sire, Hecubaโs coven learned afterward, was a powerful necromancer from the House of Flame and Shadow. Hypaxia seems to have inherited his gifts alongside her motherโs.โ
Ruhn blinked. Slowly. Hypaxia could raise and speak to the dead. All right. He could live with that. โCool.โ
Flames danced along his fatherโs hair, dancing over his shoulders. โHer older sister, however, was sired by a shape-shifting male. A stag.โ
โSo?โ
Cormac snorted. โHypaxiaโs half sister is better known as the Hind.โ Ruhn gaped at him. How had he not known this? โShe didnโt inherit any witch gifts,โ Cormac continued, โand was handed over to her fatherโs kin. The crown naturally went to Hypaxia. But it seems that since your bride has been crowned queen, the question of her necromancy has become โฆ an issue for the witches.โ
โItโs of no bearing on this conversation,โ his father said. โRuhn shall marry her, necromancy or not, odious sister or not.โ
โMy father found Hypaxiaโs background to be problematic,โ Cormac said.
โThen it is a good thing your father is not marrying her,โ the Autumn King countered.
Cormac shut his mouth, and Ruhn held in his grin of delight.
But his father went on, โRuhn shall marry Hypaxia, and Bryce Quinlan shall marry you, Prince Cormac. There will be no more debate.โ
โYou do remember that Bryce and Athalar are together?โ Ruhn said. โTry to get between them, and youโll get a refresher course on why he was called the Umbra Mortis.โ
โLast my spies reported, she still does not bear his scent. So I can only assume they have not consummated their relationship.โ
Just talking about this with his father was gross.
Cormac cut in, โOne day, sheโll be Queen of Avallen. Sheโd be a fool to throw it away on a bastard angel.โ
Ruhn spat, โYou need Bryce more than she needs either of you. Sheโs Starborn.โ
The Autumn Kingโs teeth flashed. โIf Bryce wished to remain free of our household, then she should not have been so brazen about showing off her power.โ
โIs that what this is about?โ Fire seared through Ruhnโs veins. โThat sheย showed you up? That she has more power than you? Whatโyou needed to put her back in her place?โ
โYouโre delusional,โ Cormacโs grin promised violence. โI am stooping to marry your sister. Many of my people will consider the union a disgrace.โ
โCareful,โ the Autumn King warned, true anger sparking in his whiskey-colored eyes. โRegardless of her human lineage, Bryce is an heir to the Starborn line. More so than my son.โ He threw a frown dripping with disdain at Ruhn. โWe have not seen starlight with such force for thousands of years. I do not take handing her over to Avallen lightly.โ
โWhat the fuck are you getting from it?โ Nausea clawed its way up Ruhnโs throat.
His father answered, โYour sister has one value to me: her breeding potential. Both of our royal houses will benefit from the union.โ
Cormac added, โAnd the continued commitment to the alliance between our peoples.โ
โAgainst what?โ Had everyone lost their minds?
โA weakening of magic in the royal bloodline,โ Cormac said. โAs recent generations have demonstrated.โ He waved with a flame-crusted hand toward Ruhn and his shadows.
โFuck you,โ Ruhn hissed. โIs this about the war in Pangera? The rebellion?โ Heโd heard rumors recently that Ophion had taken out four Omega submersibles in the north.ย Four. Some insane shit had to be going on over there. His father had even hinted at it in the late spring, when heโd announced Ruhnโs betrothal. That war was coming, and they needed to shore up allies.
โIt is about ensuring that the Fae retain our power and birthright,โ his father said. His icy voice had always belied the merciless flame in his
blood. โYour sister can imbue that into her offspring with Cormac.โ Cormac grunted his agreement, flames winking out.
Ruhn tried again. โFor fuckโs sake, leave Bryce out of this. Donโt we have other royals we can pair off to punch out some babies?โ
โI didnโt remember you whining so much, Ruhn,โ Cormac said.
โBefore or after you tried to kill me? Or when you buried a sword in Decโs gut?โ
Cormacโs eyes gleamed like hot coals. โJust wanted to feel you boys out.โ He pushed off the mantel and strode for the shut doors. โYou know,โ Cormac drawled over his shoulder, โthe Starborn used to intermarry. Brother wed sister, aunt married nephew, and so on. All to keep the bloodline pure. Since you seem so heavily invested in who shares Bryceโs bed, perhaps the old traditions could be revived for you two.โ
โGet the Hel out,โ Ruhn snarled. His shadows writhed at his fingertips, whips ready to snap for the Avallen Princeโs neck.
โYou might rebel all you like, Ruhn Danaan, but you are a Crown Prince, as I am. Our fates are the same. But I know which one of us will rise to meet it.โ
Then he was gone.
Our fates are the same.ย Cormac meant that they would both be kings, but Ruhn knew his fate was more complicated than that.
The royal bloodline shall end with you, Prince. The Oracleโs voice floated through his mind, twisting up his insides. He might very well not live long enough to see himself crowned. His blood chilled. Was it because Cormac would lead some sort of coup?
He shook it off, turning to his father. โWhy are you doing this?โ โThat you have to ask shows me youโre no true son of mine.โ
The words seared through him. Nothing could ever hurt worse than what had already been done to him by this male, the scars he bore on his arms from it, mostly covered by the sleeves of his tattoos. But the words โฆ yeah, they stung.
Ruhn refused to let the old bastard see it, though. Would never let him see it. โAnd I suppose you think Cormac will become that true son by marrying Bryce.โ
His fatherโs lips curled upward, eyes as lifeless as the Pit. โCormac has always been the son I should have had. Rather than the one I was burdened
with.โ