Ninety-Three

REMI'S POV

The boat rocks beneath me as we approach the shore, the distant sound of crashing waves mixed with the eerie silence that hangs heavy in the air. The wind bites at my skin, but I barely feel it. I’m too consumed by the chaos swirling in my mind. We’re nearing Fifth Isle, the very heart of the Autumn Court, where my fate will be decided.

Raelisar stands beside me, his presence as cold and ominous as the land we’re heading toward. His eyes flicker toward me, but he doesn’t speak. He’s not here for me. Not really. He’s here for something else. Something darker.

And I know it’s coming for me.

The land in front of us is like a living thing—twisting trees with sharp branches that reach for the sky, their bark a deep shade of red and gold. It’s beautiful, but in a way that feels wrong, twisted. The air smells of autumn, of decay, and I can already feel the weight of the place pressing down on me.

I can’t help but feel the fear that tugs at my insides.

Raelisar doesn’t wait for me to gather my thoughts. He motions for two guards to step forward, and they grab me by the arms, pulling me roughly to my feet. My body is sore from the restraints, but I don’t show it. I won’t give them that satisfaction. Not yet.

They force me to my knees before the Autumn King, the very figure who rules this land, a tyrant who holds everything in his grip. The red-haired man sits on a throne made of twisted branches, the colors of autumn reflected in the deep scarlet and gold of his clothing. His eyes are the same blood-red as Raelisar’s, but colder, sharper. And when he looks at me, I feel the chill deep in my bones.

I don’t know what to expect. But I sure as hell won’t bow to him.

“I only bow to my king,” I say, my voice shaking but resolute. It’s not much, but it’s enough to let him know I’m not broken. Not yet.

The Autumn King’s lips curl into a smile, and I can hear the malice in his voice as he stands, stepping down from his throne, his movement unnervingly graceful.

“Such fire,” he mutters, his voice like ice. He runs a hand over my chin, his touch cold, calculated. “Let’s see if it’s enough to save you.”
The moment his hand lands on me, I can’t help but recoil, my body reacting before my mind has the chance to catch up. But I don’t have time to pull away.

Without a word, I bite down on his hand. Hard.

He doesn’t flinch. Instead, he pulls his hand back, wiping the blood off with an amused chuckle. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” he murmurs.
Before I can move, one of the guards strikes me across the face with a force that sends a shock of pain through my skull. My head snaps to the side, but I don’t let the tears fall. Not yet.

Another strike comes, this time to my other cheek, and the pain is almost unbearable.

Tears spring to my eyes at the second blow, and I stop resisting. My body goes still, the sting of humiliation more than I can handle. I hate that it hurts. I hate that I’ve allowed myself to break for even a moment. But I can’t stop the tears that well in my eyes.

The Autumn King pets my head again, the touch deceptively soft. “That’s better,” he says, his voice dripping with mockery.

I can feel the blood pulsing in my veins, the fear suffocating me as he steps away. He walks back to his throne, settling into his seat with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Who knew Keiran had such a broken pet?” The words hang in the air, cruel and sharp. The King's voice lingers as he looks toward Vienna, his daughter, standing silently to the side.

“Vienna,” the Autumn King says, his voice dark with curiosity. “What delusions have the Midnight Court filled in her head? Does she truly believe herself to be of any value?”

Vienna’s eyes flash, and she crosses her arms with a small, wicked smile. “Oh, Father,” she says, her voice laced with mock sweetness. “I think the only delusion is that Keiran thinks he still has control over her.”

My heart clenches at the sound of her voice, the betrayal cutting deeper than I expected.

I struggle against the guards holding me, my body straining as I push against their grasp. “Keiran will come for you,” I say, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. “He’ll kill you. He’ll kill every last one of you.”

The Autumn King laughs, low and mocking. “With what power?” he asks, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Keiran is nothing without his Pearl. His power is slipping away.”

I don’t back down. I push through the fear, forcing myself to speak even though my insides are unraveling. “They’re all powerful—Keiran, Rhodes, Kallias, Xaden,” I say. “Together, they’ll come and tear you apart. They’ll burn this place to the ground.”

The King’s laughter rings out, cruel and unnerving. “Keiran is dying, little one,” he says. “I know it. He’s losing everything. And what of his little playmates? The twins? Xaden? What are they really worth?”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gleaming object. The White Pearl. The same one that Keiran had lost.

I feel my breath catch in my throat. The room seems to tilt around me, my stomach flipping with dread.

The Pearl—Keiran’s only hope—shimmers in the King’s hand, and I feel my body tense, the fear coursing through me like ice.
Raelisar glances toward me, his sharp gaze flicking over my face. I don’t know what he’s thinking. But I can tell something’s changed. His eyes flick back to the King, and I can see the discomfort in his face. The King looks at Raelisar, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Do you think Keiran’s power is enough to break through my wards?” The King asks, his voice mockingly gentle.

I don’t know what’s happening.

I don’t know what any of this means, but Raelisar's expression is dark, filled with something that feels... regretful.

“Keiran’s Pearl,” I say, my voice trembling. “He’s powerful without it. He'll kill you regardless..”

The Autumn King grins wider. “We’ll see about that.”

In a flash, he stands and places the Pearl to his lips.

I gasp, my body freezing as the energy in the room shifts. The air grows heavy with an electric charge.

The King’s form begins to shift. The wind picks up, and I feel it swirling around him, bending to his will. The space between us seems to thicken as he absorbs the power of the White Pearl. His form transforms before my eyes—taller, more imposing, as if the very earth is aligning to his will.

Elemental forces crackle around him, fire dancing at his fingertips and lightning surging through his body. The temperature in the room drops, and the air grows thick with power.

I can feel it—his power calling to me.

The King lets out a dark, victorious laugh, his red eyes glowing with the raw energy he’s just absorbed.

“You feel it, don’t you?” he says, his voice low, seductive. “You’re drawn to me now, aren’t you? Just like the others. You were never drawn to that boy.” His fingers curl in the air, and I feel a pressure building in my chest. “You were drawn to the power of the Pearl.”

I try to pull away from him, but my body betrays me, drawn to him despite myself. I fight against the magnetic pull, my heart racing as I stand firm.

“No,” I hiss, my voice shaking. “Lies. I love Keiran. I will never bow to you.”

The King leans in closer, his breath cold against my skin. “You’re lying,” he says softly. “It’s the Pearl. It calls to your magic. It is your master. And now, you will obey me. You’ll be good, won’t you?”

I spit in his face, the disgust in my chest rising to the surface. “I will never obey you.”

The King wipes the spit away with a calm flick of his hand, his expression unreadable. “They lied to you, Remi. They didn’t tell you everything.”

“They’ve told me everything,” I say through gritted teeth. “They love me.”

The King’s gaze darkens. “They love you?” he laughs. “Do they tell you everything?”

I hesitate, but then I say, “Xaden has.”

The King exchanges a look with Raelisar, who looks—worried?

“No,” the King says softly. “Xaden is the worst of them. You haven’t been told everything, Remi. They lied to you.”
I blink, confusion swirling in my mind. “Xaden wouldn’t lie to me.”

The King of the Fifth Isle chuckles darkly. “Then ask Xaden, Remi. Ask him what’s spawning from the Isle where you both were born.”
And that’s when it hits me. The horrible, terrifying truth. Could we... be siblings?

The question burns in my chest, and I can’t answer it. T-there's no way. I couldn't have lost my virginity to my-my BROTHER.

The King’s cruel laugh echoes in my ears as the room spins around me.Then my other brother. The other vampire--soul snatcher--whatever, catches my head before it can hit the ground.