He mimicked my posture, crossing his arms, and his lips kicked up in challenge. “Yes, because power has a way of corrupting the soul. I’m sure you, better than anyone, know how tempting it can be. And believe it or not, I never wanted to see anyone else lose the ones they cared about over something as meaningless as a power grab. My brothers and I had the means to make it so. Unlike Hands of Death, Chaos Fae, et cetera, we have a strong invulnerability to power corruption. The realm might’ve forgotten over the millennia, but our kind was always known to be protectors.”
I would’ve argued, but I saw how much he believed in the things he said. Everything he did was to protect others from going through what they had.
As the Nether Royals, they had the power to keep others in their place, and they assumed that role in full after everything happened to their clan. I might not agree with some of their methods, but I couldn’t argue that his intentions didn’t come from a place of malice.
Some might argue that what I did was misguided, so I didn’t have much of a leg to stand on. I’d done some pretty horrible things in the name of vengeance, and I’d aligned myself with people who’d done horrible things in their past. Who was I to judge? I’d wanted to burn down the Organization after finding out they’d killed my parents and made me their monstrous weapon.
Still, Aram and his brothers enslaved humans. They’d given an entire realm the impression they would kill whoever posed an issue. They weren’t leading; they were dominating. I couldn’t pretend to understand the complicated nature of leading an entire realm, but even I knew it wasn’t working. No one person should ever have that much power.
“That’s no way to lead,” I heard myself say before I could think better of it.
But I was more surprised by his response. “A few weeks ago, I would’ve argued with you. But now I find myself wondering if I’d been arrogant to think that what we did was any better than what Hera and the Originals did if my own mate sees me as an enemy—if I must fear what those who wish to be rid of us might do to you.”
The candid response silenced me for several seconds. We stared at each other in the quiet that dragged on like it’d never end.
So, I cleared my throat and broke eye contact. “Glad to hear it,” I said and internally berated myself.
His laughter echoed off the walls. “I quite like that shocked expression of yours. It’s impossibly adorable.”
“Ugh.” I covered my face in shame. I still hadn’t gotten a handle over my expressions. Some Hunter I’d turned out to be. “I was just expecting a fight. I’m not used to people agreeing with me.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I quite enjoy agreeing with you. It’s rather refreshing to be challenged in ways I can’t rebuke.” He pulled my hand from my face. “You blush so beautifully.”
Goddamn charmers everywhere I went!
“I did have a question.” His eyebrow rose, so I went on. “Why did you attack Cash that one time? Was he a threat because he was the Dark King?”
“Not the way you’re imagining,” Aram mused. “Not at first, anyway. And he wasn’t called the Dark King back then. He was only just getting his foothold in the realm. No doubt he failed to mention that at one time he was part of our court.”
Wait, what?! Cash had been in their court?
Chapter 32
Broken Bonds
Iwas going to rip that Hand of Death a new asshole for keeping that from me even if he had his reasons. I hadn’t gotten much of the history between them, but I knew there had to be because Cash knew so much about Aram when he was meant to be an elusive, out-of-control god.
I’d been made aware of Cash’s dark history and how he’d done things that would align more with a villain than a hero, but I never imagined he was part of Aram’s loyal Fae court. Now I had nothing but questions.
Flashes of Aram opposite of Cash, who looked very different than he did now were suddenly in my head. At least, I was pretty sure it was Cash. The Fae had a mask over his eyes, long hair blowing in the wind, and no runes that I could see, but the smirk was all my Fae Karen.
I glimpsed the sensation of rage and betrayal. He’d taken something from Aram, and the Nether Royal was there to get it back and teach the traitorous bastard a lesson.
“He took something?” I asked after the memory faded away to nothing.
Aram seemed amused. “I’m quite envious of how much access the bond gives you to my head, little mate. What I wouldn’t give to glimpse just a small thought or memory in that pretty head of yours.”
“Ah-huh. I won’t be distracted, asshole. Tell me what he did,” I demanded, and Aram’s smile only grew.
“He stole a very powerful set of stones from me. Together, they have the power to trap even a Nether Royal like myself. They were a gift from my mother, and had I gotten them back at some point from that bastard, I would’ve kept them to use on Hera.”
“You didn’t get them back?” I asked, suddenly wondering if that was what Cash planned to use on Aram if he still had them.
He clicked his tongue and bent his face close, which was a goddamn feat with the difference in our heights. “A mistake I never made again, little mate. And if he wasn’t bonded to you, I would’ve done what I failed to do all those years ago.”
I scowled at him, one hand on my hip, bringing out my own Karen in honor of my Fae Karen. “I’ll remind you that if I go back, you’re going to have to get over whatever issues you have with him. I’ll make sure he gives them back because those were your mother’s, but I’m not playing mediator between two big man-babies more than that.”
His fangs were out as he grinned at me, his smile full of secrets. “Will I be rewarded for the efforts made not to take his head from his shoulders? You know, perhaps a little carrot and stick to keep this god in line? I might even look forward to what cleverness you devise to keep me in my place.”
