A Court of Desires and Darkness

Chapter 17

Shortly after sunrise we began our march. The King, furious with the infiltration yesterday, decided that we would pay a visit to Feyre's family estate and village. None of his commanders questioned his plan. I did, though. You are fighting a war. Why play this petty game of revenge? Those in the tent with us turned their eyes downward as the King's rage simmered the temperature within. He didn't answer, though. A show that he does not need to. 

Now, standing at the outskirts of the village, his rage boils. For not a single human is in sight. We are greeted only with a ghostly town, homes abandoned completely, only livestock remaining. I have a hard time holding in my breath of relief. 

"Destroy everything," he roars. "Come, wife." I glance to Jurian who's face is unreadable, before following the King. We walk through the silent streets, the sound of buildings crumbling echoing behind us. The road becomes more stone instead of dirt the further into the village we get. "I sent the human queens back to their Continent," he says cooly. I only lift a brow in response. "The crone, Briallyn, wants revenge. On Nesta, on the Cauldron, on you."

"Me? Why?" The youngest of the queens, the only one to go into the Cauldron that night to be Made. She came out as a fae, like she wanted, a life now eternal. But at a great cost to her youth. The Cauldron weathered her skin, wrinkling it as if she had already lived a hundred years. 

"You are part of the Cauldron, no? Your magic helped it turn her into what she is now." We step through a stone gate. "She blames you for it, in part. Wanted to kill you." He turns to look at me, a smirk on his face, "Don't say that I never did anything for you." 

I am about to say some sort of retort but my eyes catch a beautiful, enormous mansion. Stone covered by climbing vines and encircled by a lovely, well-tended garden full of colorful blooms. "The Archeron family home," I whisper.

The King nods, smiling devilishly. "Destroy it," he commands, taking a side step away. I look to him as my magic begins to buzz. All those years of answering to him, and even though I am in control, it still responds to his commands. 

There is no one inside, I tell myself, closing my eyes and calling that roiling magic underneath my skin to the surface. My shadows dance, darkening the space around us. Above, a black thundercloud forms miraculously from a blue sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the King step further back, unaware of this ability that I now possess. This ability that I believe came from the Seer. I wield it as if it were my own, fitting perfectly with my already lethal arsenal. Releasing the swirling darkness around me, tendrils shoot towards the house like wolves upon prey. A purple bolt of lightning strikes down from above, shattering the house as my shadows do the same from the side. It explodes like the cabin in the woods. Pieces of the stone crumble to the ground, some flying outwards. The King lifts an arm, a magical barrier blocking bricks from hitting us both. 

When I open my eyes, dust is settling around us, the once beautiful garden now squashed underneath tons of stone. My shadows return as the clouds above begin dispersing, the sun shining once again. I look to the King who appears to be very pleased with my performance, as a grin spreads across his face. 

"Very good," he says, his eyes still on the pile of rubble. Some stubborn parts of the home remain standing, giving it the feel of an old ruin. He waves a hand, speaking over his shoulder, "Kill their livestock." Soldiers pass by, some glancing towards me, their eyes wide. The tang of fear taints the air. I turn away as I watch them head to the back of the property, towards the animals, and walk away from the mess I made. 

As I take in the sight of a village flattened, I say a silent plea for forgiveness from the Archeron sisters.