Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 79: 77. Bigger Fish

Read chapter 79 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

…I am Lilith, the most ancient and powerful Queen of the Fae. There is no one on Gaia the mortals fear more, for I balance the scales with their lives. The Fae Wilds lie in eternal darkness, the sun’s light unable to pierce the endless canopy of ancient willow trees stretching in every direction around me. What little illumination exists comes from the dim glow of mana-rich flora blanketing the forest floor and winding their way up the massive roots and trunks, like living pillars rising toward the vaulted ceiling of leaves far above. The air is cool and calm, carrying a damp, earthy floral scent. From every corner of the vast wood comes a gentle chorus of birdsong, the hum of insects, the distant calls of beasts, and the soft rustle of leaves. It is the serenade of a forest teeming with life. All around me, the air tingles with the ambient charge of mana, dense and heavy, like a storm forever waiting to break. This is my cathedral, my temple, and the birthplace of all fae. My fingers drum a slow rhythm into the arm of my throne, one of a set of massive seats formed from the base of the largest of the ancient trees, their roots intertwined to shape them. The seat to my right, reserved for my king, has stood vacant for millennia. Ever since he chose the mortals over his own kin. Imagine a fae leaving this throne so unbalanced. I will never forgive what the mortals have taken from me. Every one of their pitiful lives is paid toward a debt they could never repay. A low rumble escapes my throat as I drag my claws across the wood. “Something troubling you, my queen?” comes the deep voice of Blackthorn as he rises from the forest floor before me, drifting upward like a shadow. He is already kneeling, head bowed in deference. Blackthorn is my most trusted subject, the second most powerful denizen of the wilds, entrusted with maintaining the barriers that defend it. Thanks to his dutiful labors, troublesome mortals who dare enter the wilds are befuddled and confounded, wandering in circles until they starve or become prey. “Just waiting for my meal to call for me,” I answer lazily. Blackthorn rises, peering up at me, a hint of concern in his voice. “Is there even a chance they’ll fulfill their side of the bargain?” “Not unless they can do the impossible,” I scoff, smiling at my own genius. “No. They will fail, and I will feast.” “It has been two arcs,” Blackthorn notes carefully. “Two long arcs since that sack of rancid lard dared summon me,” I reply, my claws idly carving shallow grooves into the arm of my throne. “Offering a mere thousand mortal lives in exchange for the life of my daughter.” A chuckle slips from my throat. “I almost respect the audacity.” Blackthorn remains silent, waiting. “That fool does not understand,” I continue, “a single fae life is worth more than all mortal lives combined. Even one who has turned her back on her kin.” My thoughts drift briefly, four centuries past, to the moment Willow defied me and involved herself in a war between gods. The rumble in my chest deepens. “Even a traitor,” I murmur. “But what if they did manage—” Blackthorn presses carefully. “He agreed to provide two thousand lives, freely given,” I shoot back, cutting him off. “There is no chance he has found that many willing to sacrifice themselves for his cause. The dimwit does not realize that unwilling slaves do not count.” I lean back, smiling faintly. “No. He will fail. And when he does, I will take twice what he promised. Four thousand lives, starting with his own, for breaching our contract.” “And what of Willow?” Blackthorn asks carefully. I sigh and lean back further in my throne, my fingers resuming their slow rhythm. I know Blackthorn would prefer Willow return to my good graces. “She will remain in exile,” I say at last. “For that to change, she would need to show contrition, and that is not something our kind is known for. Least of all her.” Power has a way of inflating one’s ego. It has been the downfall of many powerful be