The Clearing: Origins

Chapter 35

Minister Roe sat alone in the cathedral-like hall of the central realm. Everything was going as planned. In retrospect, he'd misjudged Odus, who rated worlds above the incompetent Verde. According to Odus, the interfering half-fae was married, causing Victor no end of grief. The One would swoop up the heartbroken teen, and he would become Emperor Roe by nightfall.

He picked up paper and quill, sketching his new royal crest.

"Hey, handsome!"

Roe looked up and saw Mistress Fawn standing in the doorway. His colorless eyes watched the colorfully clad woman traipse across the floor. She'd been an exciting diversion, even if she had no sense of fashion.

"My guards told me about the most interesting battle in the human realm." Mistress Fawn draped herself on the table before him, batting her lashes. "Heard you were there."

"You agreed to Cataran marrying the half-fae. I went along to ensure she didn't escape."

Her eyes met his, warm and seductive. "Was a fairy killed?"

"Who cares?"

Mistress Fawn snickered. "That reminds me, I got something to show you, sugar." She pulled a slender dirk from the depths of her bustier, holding it in the palm of her hand. 

He felt a strange power emanating from the object. "What does—"

Roe's eyes widened as Mistress Fawn's finger closed, and she slammed the weapon into his chest. He screamed in agony, ready to call upon his fire magic to eradicate the traitorous viper—but couldn't. With pain-filled eyes, he realized the dirk had scrambled his magic, immobilizing his power. He fell back in his chair, shocked to see Gigi sitting cross-legged before him. The child had a big cherub smile on her face and a garrote in her hands.

"Ha! Fooled ya!" she sang. "Guess what? I blame you and your deadening spell for Medi's death." Gigi's lip curled. "She couldn't call for help in time, thanks to you. Lucky Kenwylis found her when he did. Stayed with her till the end."

Stunned, Roe stared at the fae.

"Cat-piss fought a fair fight, so I can't fault him. Plus, he got his tail handed to him by Kristy." Gigi hopped off the table. The little girl pulled a stool behind the frightened minister and climbed up, wrapping the garrote around his neck. "Another thing... your boy Odus figured out who you really were even though Princess sorta suspected you. But I don't believe he's telling the whole truth, so I need the rest. The fae are amazing at sensing stuff like that."

Roe snarled at Odus' betrayal and watched as Princess entered the room from a side door with a determined look on her face.

"Oh, yeah, that crazed One Magi the Four were in cahoots with—she's sorta dead." Gigi tightened the wire a tad. "Shall we begin?"

The table orb glowed as Odus gazed into the shadowy dim of the empty chamber. Once upon a time, he'd dreamed of this moment—although differently—with the One giving him the keys to the realms as he alone prepared to rule them as Emperor Odus.

His remaining alone was the only part that had worked out.

Odus had decimated the Four by chasing away their supplicants while ruining their reputation and legacy. All his work had been for naught with the One's defeat and the elita stepping in as interim minister. Princess had gone looking for him like she knew he was part of the infamous Four—a group she'd sworn to destroy to the last woman or man. Roe must have told them everything before he died.