The Land of Gods and Beasts

Chapter 4

Ekon

The news of the Harbinger sent the entirety of Deimos, the capital city of the Unseelie court, into a riot. Hell, it probably sent the entirety of the Nevernever into a tailspin. Fae and creatures of every faction now stood on street corners shouting about the end times and our impending doom. Villagers ran from door-to-door weeping to their neighbors about the fear for their children and the lousiness of the royal family for not making a move to save them. Drunks at every tavern riling up fellow patrons with talk of joining forces with the harbinger to bring down the dictatorship of the courts.

Reason one thousand and one why I had a headache.

I sighed, kicking open the doors to the counsel room with just a bit too much force. The doors clanged loudly on the white stone walls, causing everyone sitting at the long table to flinch.

I strutted to the head of the mahogany table that was situated in front of a large bay window. Overlooking cascading waterfalls, it was one of the most stunning rooms in Callisto Castle.

Unfortunately for me, I was not in the mood to enjoy the view.

I plopped heavily into the midnight blue cushioned seat, dreading the conversation ahead. I looked at the three fae sitting around the table, quiet fury coating all of their faces, and promptly looked to the ceiling instead. Groaning and rubbing my face, I started a mental countdown, knowing exactly what was coming.

I didn't even make it to 4 before one of them erupted.

"You're a bloody cocknosed idiot Ekon." The words were hissed with quite the load of venom, but I still couldn't keep my mouth from twitching. I turned to my beloved sister, her beautiful face twisted into a mixture of hurt and viscousness.

"Ellie dear, while that was quite the hurtful jab, I do believe we need to work on your insults." I was barely able to keep the laughter from my voice. My sister had quite the love for books from the mortal realm, and the influence they had on her vocabulary tended to be as hilarious as it was shocking. To everyone, except the person missing from this meeting. Another topic that needed to be discussed, and another thing to worsen my headache.

A cough drew my attention to the other side of the table to Alex who was smothering a laugh. I sighed and gestured to Silas and Alex, two of my Trusted, twin warriors who rivaled any other in the land, and my brothers not by blood but through lifetimes of triumphs and sorrows. "Go ahead you two, I know you're itching to rip my ass a new one along with Ellie's colorful," I grinned, "and oh so hurtful cussing."

Silas crossed his arms and leaned back as Alex rose a scarred eyebrow at me. Ellie scoffed, but before she could go at me again, Silas said, "this isn't funny, your majesty." He spit the word with venom. "What the fuck were you thinking? Or were there any thoughts at all going on in that large ass head of yours?"

No, there honestly wasn't. Pure panic had sent me from the castle when I woke from a vision that came in the form of a nightmare. Fear for my family and kingdom had lit a massive fire under my ass that had my instincts screaming to do something. Anything.

So, I did.

Not that I would admit that to Silas.

I mustered up a laugh and looked to Ellie. "Now that, dear sister, is how to insult someone properly."

She seethed, "this is not a joke, Ekon!" She stood and slammed her hands on the table leaning towards me. "You left." Her voice cracked on the word, "you left without telling anyone where you were going or when you'd be back. You left without any of your Trusted for protection! Are you stupid?"

I sighed; I was already teetering on the edge of losing my shit because of everything that was happening. And though I understood, I really did, my family being furious with me was helping nothing. I looked to Alex, always the calm in every storm. "Anything to add before I get to the topic, I called this meeting for?"

He looked up contemplatively, eyeing my tense face, before shaking his head. Ellie and Silas looked at him in pissed off bewilderment. While Alex is by no means quiet, he usually reserved his opinions until he knew all of the facts. Though that didn't stop him from shooting daggers at me with his eyes.

I nodded, "okay then." I stood, drawing my dagger and placing the blade in my palm. "Before I show you all something positively horrifying, where is our beloved Mal?"

Silas grimaced and looked away, "he took your absence as an excuse to go on an... excursion."

My eyebrows flew up.

Silas scoffed and shook his head, "that's one hell of a way to put it. He went to hunt your happy ass down Ekon. He was more enraged than I've ever seen him, and that's saying a lot."

Ellie rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "he burst into flames and lit my favorite book on fire when he found out you had left!" She plopped into her chair in woeful dramatics. "That's the last time I'm letting the idiot borrow a book from me."

While it was by no means unheard of for Mal to surprise me, I was shocked that he left everyone behind to come find me. That was completely out of character, he was a fierce protector of our people and family. Mal was my Second, and in my absence, I'd assumed he would run things. I knew he would. Or I never would've left. What the hell made him frantic enough to come after me?

My head pounded again. If he left, there was certainly a good reason. Another thing to add to the list of worrying shit.

Something to think about later. Right now, I have to set plans in motion to protect my court and my family. Or what I saw would end us all.

"Okay, we will discuss Mal's absence later. I did not just up and leave to throw you mother hens into a fit," I pulled the blade across my palm cutting a deep line and squeezing my fist over the table. I looked them each in the eye, pausing on Ellie. "I am sorry that I left with no explanation." She rolled her eyes. "I promise the reason will make you understand. What's coming is bigger than even the rumors suggest. I had no time to do anything other than act. And while I could've gone about it differently, I will never hesitate to act when my family and court are the ones at stake. And you all would've done the same."

They looked at each other, communicating in silent agreement, and then looked to me.

Alex grunted and stood, drawing his dagger. "All I'm saying brother, is that the reason better be damned good."

Silas and Ellie both made sounds of resentful agreement and stood drawing their daggers as well.

And as they drew their daggers across their palms, blood pooling and mixing in a shimmering pool of crimson with mine, I let out a deep breath.

"Believe me, after you see this, you're going to wish it weren't."

And as my family's blood pooled and swirled on the table, I already regretted showing them what they were about to see.