still had the last laugh. The one time Dai held a sword in Claudius’s presence, he was unable to kill him. With his goblin body bound by the curse he was forced to obey once again. The final order was worse than anything Claudius had done to him as a slave.
Dai shivered like ghosts were caressing his skin. He didn’t like remembering his past. There was too much of it, and too much he didn’t wish to think about. The breeze swirled around him, creating shadows at the corners of his vision. If he succumbed, he’d never find his way out of the dark.
***
The candle on the desk didn’t stop the shadows from closing in, but it kept them out of reach and was softer than the electric light. Maybe having some light while Dai slept would keep his nightmares at bay…maybe, but not likely. He doubted even Amanda sleeping upstairs would be enough to bring him pleasant dreams. He stared at the little flame and stifled a yawn.
In the Shadowlands he’d been tired, but not sleepy. Before that, as a slave, he’d slept with one eye open, jerking awake at the slightest sound. He must have slept peacefully as a child before the Romans had first arrived and the battles had started.
He had vague memories of being held by his mother—sharper memories of the tiny baby who survived after she died. His father and Roan were busy, and no one worried about him, the second son, so he made sure she was okay and well looked after. He just needed to feel as important as his older brother, so he became Mave’s protector and made sure she was treated like the princess she was. He was thinking of his sister as he fell asleep, but Claudius still claimed his dreams.
***
Not even the curse, and the ugly goblin body, had saved him from General Claudius’s attention. Like Roan, Dai was compelled to answer all summonses. He was called to the general’s private chambers, as the Decangli rebellion surrendered and died, to find eleven-year-old Mave held in one of Claudius’s hands, and a sword in the other. On the floor was the body of Drem, his cousin and Meryn’s younger brother, his face slack with death as his blood seeped into the rugs. While every other man had been fighting, trying to throw the Romans off Decangli land, Drem had been with the general.
Dai knew why. The traitor was killed by his own greed. But being right was a bitter reward, Drem had been a trusted friend.
“Your sister is quite pretty, don’t you think?” Claudius squeezed her arm until her skin was white beneath his fingers. “How fast do you think I can make her cry?”
Mave didn’t flinch. She didn’t even scream when she saw him. Did she recognize him? Did she know what had become of her brothers?
“Leave her alone. She’s a child.” The rasping goblin voice scratched his ears. Was it his?
Claudius caressed her cheek.
Rage burned like acid in Dai’s veins, but he couldn’t move. He wanted to rip Claudius’s heart from his chest and force it down his throat and see how he liked to choke. But the curse kept him immobile in the presence of his summoner. Was that what it was going to be like? Never free, always a slave to whomever called them to the Fixed Realm?
“You get to choose her fate. Think of it as my last gift to you.” Claudius stroked her hair. “It’s fitting. The last Queen of the Decangli making peace with Rome. Something your brother wasn’t smart enough to do.”
“Would you befriend a two-headed snake?”
Claudius smiled. That smile alone woke a thousand unpleasant memories. “Choose. Her life, or her death.”
There was no choice. He wouldn’t let Mave suffer the way he had. “Death.”
The Roman general tossed Dai the sword. “Then go ahead and kill her.”
His gray, gnarled hand caught the sword even though he wanted to let it fall at his feet. He watched his arm rise, unable to fight the order. Mave stared into his bulging yellow eyes; she didn’t blink or cower. Even if Claudius wasn’t holding her, she was
Dai shivered like ghosts were caressing his skin. He didn’t like remembering his past. There was too much of it, and too much he didn’t wish to think about. The breeze swirled around him, creating shadows at the corners of his vision. If he succumbed, he’d never find his way out of the dark.
***
The candle on the desk didn’t stop the shadows from closing in, but it kept them out of reach and was softer than the electric light. Maybe having some light while Dai slept would keep his nightmares at bay…maybe, but not likely. He doubted even Amanda sleeping upstairs would be enough to bring him pleasant dreams. He stared at the little flame and stifled a yawn.
In the Shadowlands he’d been tired, but not sleepy. Before that, as a slave, he’d slept with one eye open, jerking awake at the slightest sound. He must have slept peacefully as a child before the Romans had first arrived and the battles had started.
He had vague memories of being held by his mother—sharper memories of the tiny baby who survived after she died. His father and Roan were busy, and no one worried about him, the second son, so he made sure she was okay and well looked after. He just needed to feel as important as his older brother, so he became Mave’s protector and made sure she was treated like the princess she was. He was thinking of his sister as he fell asleep, but Claudius still claimed his dreams.
***
Not even the curse, and the ugly goblin body, had saved him from General Claudius’s attention. Like Roan, Dai was compelled to answer all summonses. He was called to the general’s private chambers, as the Decangli rebellion surrendered and died, to find eleven-year-old Mave held in one of Claudius’s hands, and a sword in the other. On the floor was the body of Drem, his cousin and Meryn’s younger brother, his face slack with death as his blood seeped into the rugs. While every other man had been fighting, trying to throw the Romans off Decangli land, Drem had been with the general.
Dai knew why. The traitor was killed by his own greed. But being right was a bitter reward, Drem had been a trusted friend.
“Your sister is quite pretty, don’t you think?” Claudius squeezed her arm until her skin was white beneath his fingers. “How fast do you think I can make her cry?”
Mave didn’t flinch. She didn’t even scream when she saw him. Did she recognize him? Did she know what had become of her brothers?
“Leave her alone. She’s a child.” The rasping goblin voice scratched his ears. Was it his?
Claudius caressed her cheek.
Rage burned like acid in Dai’s veins, but he couldn’t move. He wanted to rip Claudius’s heart from his chest and force it down his throat and see how he liked to choke. But the curse kept him immobile in the presence of his summoner. Was that what it was going to be like? Never free, always a slave to whomever called them to the Fixed Realm?
“You get to choose her fate. Think of it as my last gift to you.” Claudius stroked her hair. “It’s fitting. The last Queen of the Decangli making peace with Rome. Something your brother wasn’t smart enough to do.”
“Would you befriend a two-headed snake?”
Claudius smiled. That smile alone woke a thousand unpleasant memories. “Choose. Her life, or her death.”
There was no choice. He wouldn’t let Mave suffer the way he had. “Death.”
The Roman general tossed Dai the sword. “Then go ahead and kill her.”
His gray, gnarled hand caught the sword even though he wanted to let it fall at his feet. He watched his arm rise, unable to fight the order. Mave stared into his bulging yellow eyes; she didn’t blink or cower. Even if Claudius wasn’t holding her, she was
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