Kingdom of Carnage

Prologue

Twenty-two years ago:

The moon cast an eerie silver glow on thousands of lifeless soldiers, thick crimson liquid oozing from their bodies. Selene's stomach turned with anguish at the sight of her fallen army. They'd been slaughtered one by one because of the kingdom of carnage. What was left of them was what she vowed to protect, and she told herself she wouldn't let another life be taken.

The fire in her veins were like molten strings that threatened to snap on everything and anyone in her way—but she suppressed the urge. She couldn't let it control her, not now. 

Selene was heir to her own kingdom, and she swore to save it.

She trudged in the muddy dirt in her bare feet, past fae from her court that were strewn across the field. Dead. She couldn't bear to look at their faces, but seeing the blood and hearing the mournful cries of those left triggered the guilt. All that spilled blood, all that death, was on her hands. But she could not let it cripple her. She had to build the wall.

A set of strong, reassuring hands took hold of Selene's shaking fingers, and she released a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Elex stood beside her, his jaw set firmly as they shared the grim view before them. He was her second heir to the throne.

"There was no way to stop it, Selene," he murmured as he gently squeezed her hand.

Selene nodded, her throat too tight to form any words. For every loss suffered, they had managed to save others. But it didn't comfort her. There were too many gone. 

They both watched as healers scattered around the island's field struggled to save the ones bleeding out. Knowing which of the injured to attend to first was like playing Russian roulette. 

"They will strike again. Jurian knows I betrayed him." She spoke his name with a tremor, the memory of her husband's treachery still fresh.

"I know," Elex's hand cupped her cheek, his touch grounding her, "but they won't suspect our plan."

Selene closed her eyes, focusing on his touch. His warm hand tucked back her radiant red hair, which seemed to glow with its own inner light. Since Jurian had given the unthinkable order to exterminate thousands of fae and those who stood with them, she and Eex had worked tirelessly, gathering every fae they could. They slowly built a resistance against the carnage kingdom, and lost half of it in the process.

They weren't the only rebels; others from inside the kingdom were gathering, turning against the orders.

Selene had always hoped that one day her own would rise and fight beside them. She still hoped for it—even if she was no longer sure she would be alive for that day.

"Let's get everyone else," she told Elex. "We need to start the ritual."

The four of them—her, Keir, Desmond, and Elex—had been training for this moment since long before the war. They were the four strongest fae who could wield dark magic. It had been a desperate and risky plan, a last resort in the face of utter destruction. The ritual tapped into dark magic, a force that few even had a chance of surviving. In fact, such spells were the reason some fae were labelled as a threat by those who couldn't manipulate such power. Even those who thought they had mastered the power often found themselves consumed by it. 

They stood in silence as Keir and Desmond joined them, but it was a silence in which Selene found solace. All their clothes were torn with blood painted on them, and their skin reeked of the metallic blood of death. 

Around them, the rustling leaves to the thick canopy trees and the distant cries of their people punctuated the stillness. 

Selene glanced over at Desmond. He was covered in blood, his stoic face marred with bruises.  His cloak, dark in the night itself, hung in tatters as he reminded the other three, "If it becomes too overwhelming you can pull out of the ritual. There's no shame in that."