AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was left kneeling in a pool of my parents’ blood. But Eldrion wasn’t done.
He had their broken bodies strung up on the city walls, and he took me as one of his slaves. A living trophy of his triumph.
I still remember the agony as they bound my wings, the feeling of my very essence being crushed and confined. The pain was excruciating, but it paled in comparison to the hatred that began to thicken around my heart.
Eldrion raised me as his pet, his jester, a source of amusement for his twisted court. Every day was a new humiliation, a fresh reminder of my powerlessness. But as I danced and tumbled for their entertainment, I nurtured the embers of rebellion in my soul.
I swore on my parents’ memory that I would make Eldrion pay for what he did, that I would see his empire crumble and his life bleed out at my feet.
I vowed I would take back everything he stole from me, from all of us.
It’s a vow I’ve carried with me every day since, through every indignity and abuse. It’s the fire that has kept me going.
Biding my time.
Waiting.
Eldrion thinks he broke me, and that he moulded me into an obedient plaything. But he has no idea he has been nurturing a viper and keeping it in his nest.
Soon, very soon, he’ll learn the true cost of his cruelty. And I’ll be there to watch the light fade from his eyes, just as he watched the light fade from my mother’s.
On that day, my vengeance will finally be complete. And the Shadowkind will rise from the ashes of Eldrion’s tyranny with me as their leader.
All I need now is Alana and her power. She’s the final piece in this game, my ultimate weapon.
Is there a part of me that feels sorry for her? Perhaps. But would she treat me any differently from Eldrion, given the chance?
No.
To every other fae in this land, Shadowkind are vermin.
Alana Leafborne is no different.
So, I’ll use her and break her, just as I was used and broken.
In the end, she’ll be nothing more than a stepping stone on my path to revenge and glory. A sad little footnote in the tale of my triumph.
For what are the feelings of one girl compared to the vengeance I’ve nursed for a lifetime? She’s a small sacrifice to make for the greater goal.
I spot her across the clearing, a vision in a shimmering purple dress that clings to her curves. Even with the mask concealing her face, I know it’s her, the empath Eldrion sent me to find.
I do not know why he wants her.
But I know why I need her.
She is my ticket to power and revenge.
I adjust my own red mask and saunter over, flashing her a charming smile. “Beautiful dress. Let me guess. Tonight, you will be changing into a peacock. Blues, purples, and golds. Strutting through the forest like a queen.”
She tilts her head, intrigued. “A peacock? Is that what you think of me? A preening, strutting, princess?”
Her voice is like honey, and I let my eyes roam appreciatively over her body.
“We have not even had a conversation, and already you are insulting me? Does that usually work for you?”
I chuckle, moving closer, letting my energy brush against hers. “I’d have to spend more time with you in order to answer that question.”
She smiles coyly, a blush colouring her cheeks. Perfect. I extend my hand. “May I ask your name?”
