rumors of incredible power are spreading. But that doesn’t mean she can defend a whole realm against an army. Our army. She’s only one person, no matter how strong her magic.”
They’d just received a new group of recruits that week. They were still replacing valuable soldiers lost from the last time they’d attacked the Underworld. It had been before Maddox was born, but sorcerers often retold the story of the bloody massacre. And every one of them vowed to get revenge – only this time they wouldn’t strike until they were fully prepared.
Maddox had little to do with that war. His war occurred inside the prison walls. Interrogations. Breaking his prisoners until they mumbled through every detail of their lives. His victims were mainly shifters from the rebellion. But there were other factions of the supernatural world at odds with the sorcerers. The Unseelie fae, for one, didn’t agree with the sorcerer’s mission to keep purity among the races. So once in a while, a witch or a fae appeared in one of the rooms to be interrogated for their part in the rebellion.
Werewolves served a purpose , though. They were expert hunters. Maddox knew his father hired them as mercenaries. Though the hypocrisy clashed with what he’d been taught – that vampires and werewolves were the spawn of Satan that the gods wanted destroyed – it wasn’t his job to think. It was his job to do what he was told. But lately, all he could do was think.
Shifters and sorcerers made up the new batch of soldiers. Years ago they’d insisted on a draft within the shifter colonies. The sorcerers had sheltered them for too long on their land without demanding payment in return. When they’d refused to provide young men for the army, his father formed a recruitment squad and took them by force. That’s when the rebellion had begun.
For such a small group, they were pretty damn effective. Or maybe they weren’t as small as Felicity had said that first day. She’d already proven herself a liar, and a good one. Maddox was one of the best at detecting lies. No need for fancy technological equipment. But she’d slipped past him anyway.
She’d always been a good liar – used to cheat at cards too.
He backpedaled. Now how in the hell did he know that? She must’ve said it when she’d been in his room last night. Yes, she’d talked a lot about their childhood.
Normally, he’d have punished a prisoner for even trying to lie to him. What he should’ve done – what his father no doubt expected him to do – was beat her to teach her a lesson. Pain did amazing things to a person. He’d used it himself to get people to talk.
A vision of a young man, tied down, screaming as a lash fell and bit deep into his skin over and over again flashed in his mind.
His ears rang and sweat started on his forehead. What the fuck?
He gave his head a shake. Where the hell had that come from? Must’ve been a session he’d watched a long time ago. As far as torture tactics went, he found the whip distasteful. He preferred mind games and starvation. And when it came time for pain, burns from a sorcerer’s Bolt was enough to get most men babbling anything he wanted to know.
“Has anyone spoken with this new queen?” he asked. “Or attempted to send a message? Maybe she’s different than the Dark Lord. Maybe she’s not interested in Caerwyn and will keep the Underworld as what it’s mean to be – a prison for criminals.”
War came at a cost – this one especially because it’d dragged on for so many centuries. Lives lost. Money. Land that could be of use wasted and burned. Sometimes famine. Shouldn’t it be avoided if possible? It didn’t seem like anyone on the Council had an interest in diplomacy.
His father shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if she wants Caerwyn or not. This is a preventative measure. How long will this girl last as queen? We’re not only protecting our land, but our way of life. The way the world should be. It’s time to
They’d just received a new group of recruits that week. They were still replacing valuable soldiers lost from the last time they’d attacked the Underworld. It had been before Maddox was born, but sorcerers often retold the story of the bloody massacre. And every one of them vowed to get revenge – only this time they wouldn’t strike until they were fully prepared.
Maddox had little to do with that war. His war occurred inside the prison walls. Interrogations. Breaking his prisoners until they mumbled through every detail of their lives. His victims were mainly shifters from the rebellion. But there were other factions of the supernatural world at odds with the sorcerers. The Unseelie fae, for one, didn’t agree with the sorcerer’s mission to keep purity among the races. So once in a while, a witch or a fae appeared in one of the rooms to be interrogated for their part in the rebellion.
Werewolves served a purpose , though. They were expert hunters. Maddox knew his father hired them as mercenaries. Though the hypocrisy clashed with what he’d been taught – that vampires and werewolves were the spawn of Satan that the gods wanted destroyed – it wasn’t his job to think. It was his job to do what he was told. But lately, all he could do was think.
Shifters and sorcerers made up the new batch of soldiers. Years ago they’d insisted on a draft within the shifter colonies. The sorcerers had sheltered them for too long on their land without demanding payment in return. When they’d refused to provide young men for the army, his father formed a recruitment squad and took them by force. That’s when the rebellion had begun.
For such a small group, they were pretty damn effective. Or maybe they weren’t as small as Felicity had said that first day. She’d already proven herself a liar, and a good one. Maddox was one of the best at detecting lies. No need for fancy technological equipment. But she’d slipped past him anyway.
She’d always been a good liar – used to cheat at cards too.
He backpedaled. Now how in the hell did he know that? She must’ve said it when she’d been in his room last night. Yes, she’d talked a lot about their childhood.
Normally, he’d have punished a prisoner for even trying to lie to him. What he should’ve done – what his father no doubt expected him to do – was beat her to teach her a lesson. Pain did amazing things to a person. He’d used it himself to get people to talk.
A vision of a young man, tied down, screaming as a lash fell and bit deep into his skin over and over again flashed in his mind.
His ears rang and sweat started on his forehead. What the fuck?
He gave his head a shake. Where the hell had that come from? Must’ve been a session he’d watched a long time ago. As far as torture tactics went, he found the whip distasteful. He preferred mind games and starvation. And when it came time for pain, burns from a sorcerer’s Bolt was enough to get most men babbling anything he wanted to know.
“Has anyone spoken with this new queen?” he asked. “Or attempted to send a message? Maybe she’s different than the Dark Lord. Maybe she’s not interested in Caerwyn and will keep the Underworld as what it’s mean to be – a prison for criminals.”
War came at a cost – this one especially because it’d dragged on for so many centuries. Lives lost. Money. Land that could be of use wasted and burned. Sometimes famine. Shouldn’t it be avoided if possible? It didn’t seem like anyone on the Council had an interest in diplomacy.
His father shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if she wants Caerwyn or not. This is a preventative measure. How long will this girl last as queen? We’re not only protecting our land, but our way of life. The way the world should be. It’s time to
Similar Books
