Finn smiles. He doesn’t even try to evade Sebastian’s sentinel, even though he could. I’ve seen him evade attack after attack when he trains with Jalek. He could’ve had Riaan on his back without so much as touching his magic. Instead, he remains entirely still as Riaan presses the blade into his neck.
The only movement is from his cold, silver eyes as they lift to meet Sebastian’s. “I believe he’s waiting for your order,” Finn drawls.
“I’m hoping,” Sebastian says, “that it won’t come to that.”
Finn’s brows arch and he laughs. “Really?”
“Riaan, put away your blade.”
The male’s nostrils flare, and he tugs Finn’s head back for a moment—as if he might disobey his prince and slice Finn’s neck open anyway—but then he thrusts a knee into the shadow prince’s back, shoving him forward as he releases him.
Finn’s all grace on his feet and doesn’t even stumble. He simply strolls up the steps toward Sebastian. “It appears you’ve found yourself in a bit of a dilemma with the natives,” Finn says, glancing toward the bank of windows that line the side of the throne room.
All I can see from my perch in the corner is a sunny morning, but we all know that hordes of unhappy shadow fae wait beyond the gates. I could hear them protesting when we came through the portal.
“It’s a temporary dilemma,” Sebastian says. “Once I sit on this throne, they’ll accept me.”
Folding his arms, Finn rocks back on his heels. His smile is anything but cheerful. This is the smile of a male promising death to anyone who hurts those he loves. It’s the smile of an exiled prince who had his only chance at the throne stolen from him. “I’m delighted to hear you have a solution,”
Finn says. “Though I’m curious what it could be.”
“You think I’m going to tell you? ”
Finn shrugs. “I’m just thinking it through. You know the power won’t shift to you if you murder your princess, and now that you’ve made her immortal, you can’t count on her dying naturally anytime soon.” Finn cocks his head to the side. “Perhaps you’re hoping she’ll choose to join our elders at a remarkably young age and pass the power off to you that way. Perhaps you’re counting on her love for you being strong enough to overcome the fact that you lied to her and manipulated her to get that crown . . .” He studies his nails for a beat and hums softly, as if he’s thinking this possibility over. “Of course, that plan would rely on her forgiving you, and if I remember correctly, she’s sworn she won’t.”
Sebastian lunges forward and shoves Finn, palms flat against his chest. Again, Finn doesn’t even stumble. Sebastian and Riaan are boys, I realize. They’re children compared with Finn. Amateurs drawn into a game of chess with a master. “I have advisors, ” Sebastian growls, his teeth clenched.
“They’re working to find a solution that won’t harm Abriella.”
Finn laughs. “So when you say you have a plan, what you really mean is you’re hoping your advisors will come up with a plan. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, what would’ve happened if you’d told her the truth back when you were painting me as the villain?”
Sebastian roars, and darkness creeps up the walls and the floor quakes.
“Was that supposed to scare me?” Finn asks, his gaze flicking about the room as the shadows recede. “Don’t stress. I’ve been playing with my Unseelie power all my life, so it’s hard to impress me. I’m sure your Golden Military sentinels will be awestruck.”
Sebastian’s face twists in anger. “Shut your mouth or get out of my throne room.”
“Your throne room?” Finn asks. “How do you figure it’s yours?”
“It’s more mine than it will ever be yours.”
Finn rubs his jaw, as if considering this. “See, that’s where I think you’re wrong. So many believe that power is about the crown or the magic itself. But those people outside the palace gates? Many would argue that the power of a kingdom comes from them—belongs to them. That’s where Mordeus went wrong. He failed to understand that when you rule this kingdom, you serve everyone. The weak and the strong. The subservient and the rebellious.”
“I know that,” Sebastian growls. “I have no interest in ruling like Mordeus did. You forget that I did all this to remove him from power—to save this kingdom from him. ”