Golden Box Book Publishing One Picture: Thousands of Words | Page 38

That was over a hundred years ago, now. In-between I’d slept in
my lamp, in a ‘long game’ of my own. Waiting for my spell to come
full circle to draw one of them to awaken me.
I’d hoped it might have been his oldest brother, but a Venzoian
Blight Walker had stolen his longevity and he’d died years ago. The
high-King himself had been touched by an attack of the heart just a
twinned moon earlier: robbing me of my real target, but at least I
could rejoice that the Race Wars had cost the Elvern dearly as well.
The rest of Liam’s brothers had all died as a result of the battles
fought, and though the High-King might have sired other children in
time, his health had not permitted it. I hope someone had poisoned
the bastard to make it look like the burden of old age – but now my
victory felt shallow. My vengeance had not meant to include me
falling in love!
“Etruia.” The former Elvern prince tugged at my attention. “My
love, please speak to me.”
I sighed. He deserved an explanation. He’d ‘freed’ me from the
lamp, thinking I would finally be his, only to spring the magic of the
Grim Trap and ‘switch’ places with me. My first wish had been for
him to always obey my commands. My second… well I had all the
wishes in the world and he would not like my second, but that was
for later.
“You did nothing,” I told him, my gaze weighing and candid, “But
I would tell you what your father did; what your brothers did; what
your army did!”
As though Liam feared what I was about to reveal, he shivered -
crimson long hair swaying in the evening breeze. I was cold too and
pulled my pale knitted tunic closer for warmth, but suddenly the old
hurt was back, blazing.