Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

Well, it did exist, it just wasn’t accessible.

“The Fallen Court is shattering, Trick, it’s been shattering for centuries, and you don’t care.”

I inhaled deeply. “The Congregation has been rooted into our civilization since long before the War of Ruin—”

“Gods above, Trick, Idon’t care,” Lora snapped, slamming her hand down on the table. “I don’t care about your stupid imaginary court of nightmares.”

I watched her dryly. “Every Court has been shattering for centuries, Lora. Every crown has fractured, and because of that, because of the cracks, sinister things have been slipping through and everyone chooses to be blind to it.”

She laughed. “Sinister? You’ve just been lookingfor an excuse, haven’t you? To make it all make sense. Your magic, that…thingthat lives inside of you, the creepy tendrils that act like your weird little minions. It willnevermake sense, Trick. You were born a monster, a creature that doesn’t make fucking sense. A creature that will never make sense to anyone.

“You are a thing,” she went on coldly, “and no amount of searching for darkness, no amount of monsters you kill will ever make up for the fact that you shouldn’t exist. I don’t care if you keep searching for this imaginary Congregation to make an excuse for murdering the people you murder. I don’t care if you find someconspiracywritten in the soil where Caduto shattered, and I certainly don’t care about whatever it is the witches are planning because the truth is, if they are going after you, they’ll go afteryou. You’re not a part of this Court anymore so my people are safe. Now, if you will,” she gestured to the door.

My magic snarled and snapped under my skin, my hands gripping into fists at my side.“Let me out. I’ll fucking rip her to shreds.”

I worked my jaw, shoving the rage away. “Good luck with your rebelling, Lora.” And I Jumped.

I hovered above Oridian, my own anger snarling and snapping this time. From here I could see from shore to shore. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t filled with innocents like Lora believed, and I was sotiredof waiting for everyone to see the truth.

The witches wanted power, the Fallen wanted a fight, and I wanted the true fucks of the world to stop hiding. It was time for everyone to come out and play.

“Let them feel me. Let me out.”

All this world wanted was war. Every soul, no matter howgoodthey thought they were, all they wanted waswar. They lived and loved and bathed in hatred.

Fine. No one could ever claim that I was an unfair god.

My magic crackled and snarled under my skin, glee filling me.

I closed my eyes, letting the dark grip tighten and flex, my shift falling through me, pulling, snapping, breaking, until I was nothing but the magic that pulsed within me. Until I was a monster. Athing. Something other.

I opened my eyes, vision brighter, senses stronger. I could smell the dead of the Unseelie Court from here, buried yards below the earth in their mass grave. I could smell Belgart sleeping in his cave. I could smell the prisoners in The Prison rolling in their own waste, wailing for their gods to save them.

I lifted my arms, magic swimming from my fingertips, flooding through the world.

I felt the strain as my magic poured freely from my body. As the world shifted, land grew, waters divided. The cold power froze over my bones, wrapped around my heart. I had done this once before, changed the geography of the world.

Of the Fallen Court.

It hadn’t wiped me of my magic, building those mountains, creating those rivers, but it had tired me out. Made me ravenous with a hunger I couldn’t satiate.

I had to be careful, but I wanted to make it easier for them to fight.Give them indestructible bridges between the landmasses on which to converge. Each continent connected to the last.

Caduto was bigger now, connected by bridges and mountain passes from one territory to the next. Whole once more. Easier access for every species. Either they would finally get along or they would fight to the very end. Either way, this world was going to change. It had no choice now.

My arms fell, heart slamming, sweat trickling down my leathery spine as exhaustion flooded over me. Three hours.

It had taken three hours to do what I had done, the shadows had darkened the skies, rain pouring around me, screams of confusion and fear flooding the world. My wings struggled to hold me up as I looked around me, new mountains and bridges as far as the eye could see.

My magic was overjoyed.

I wouldn’t be able to use it again for a while. Especially not in Therian, but it was well worth it. Let them destroy themselves while I plotted and planned. Let them cower, fight,bleed.As for me? I needed my Angel to help me satiate this ravenous hunger. Days, weeks perhaps. She would cum until she had nothing left to give, and I’d fill her so fucking full of me that she would drown in—

Kyra screamed.

15

My Bible, Chapter 29, Verse 27,