Siege And Seduction

Chapter One OceanofPDF.com MORGAN IT’S SAID that hatred can consume a person. In my experience, hate was the fuel that strengthened the fire already burning inside. Hatred didn’t consume me; I consumed it. Not a generalized hatred for the world—I wasn’t quite so far gone. My wrath was focused on a few select individuals, the Seelie Queen occupying the top of that list. Her name was written in all caps, underlined, and etched in permanent ink so that it would never fade. No matter how much time passed, I wouldn’t allow myself to forget. Not ever. She was the source of it all. The other names on my list were merely a byproduct of association. At the moment, my most hated of her minions was the powerful Fae sorcerer who had recently imprisoned me. My adoptive father, Merlin. Our past was already complicated, but the lengths he’d gone to lock me away gouged the knife in my back that much deeper. I didn’t care that his intentions were purportedly benevolent or that my prison looked more like a posh mountain resort than Guantanamo Bay. I was equally as trapped and almost entirely alone, all because he believed the very worst of me. Always had and always would. He stopped in on occasion to attempt conversation in his efforts to rehabilitate me, but the exchanges rarely went well. Otherwise, I was left to my own devices—or at least, what little I could do without my magic. The iron cuffs he’d banded onto each of my wrists ensured that I was as helpless as a child. Escape was seemingly impossible between the cuffs and the impenetrable walls surrounding my luxury prison. The one consolation to my imprisonment was the vast acreage of forest where I was being kept. It wasn’t just any ordinary forest. When I gazed out the window at the bantiff trees and flowering canips, there was no question about where I was. It had been centuries since I had seen a wooded Seelie forest, but its beauty could not be mistaken. These were Seelie Lands. Despite the extensive wards Queen Guin had used to keep me out of her Seelie kingdom, Merlin had managed to smuggle me in—a feat I had not managed after centuries of attempts. I was finally back on Seelie Lands, closer than ever to my objective. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to strangle Merlin or send him a thank-you card. How he’d managed to get me past wards specifically designed to keep me out, I had no idea. But that was Merlin. He appeared in places he could not be and knew things no one else did. He’d managed the impossible, and I was doing everything I could to use this new turn of events to my advantage. If I could find a way to escape, I could move about Faery freely. Everything I’d fought to achieve was finally within my grasp—the only thing stopping me now was a ten-foot wall and its protective ward bordering the property. Within my grasp might have been a slight exaggeration. I’d been holed up in my makeshift prison for over a month, and despite my relentless pursuit of a way past the wall, I’d come up empty. Day and night, I walked the winding trails through the woods, searching for weaknesses. While my walks weren’t particularly productive, I had to begrudgingly admit that they were enjoyable nonetheless. The Wilds where I had been living was similar to Seelie Lands but not as densely vegetated. It had been so long since I’d seen the vast variety of plants and creatures in the Seelie kingdom that I often found myself distracted by the wonders around me. Lush green plants in every shape and size filled the landscape peppered with gnarled tree trunks that branched into a leafy canopy that veiled the sky overhead. If it wasn’t for the nearly full moon, I wouldn’t have been able to see a thing wandering around in the middle of the night. The shadows didn’t scare me. Maybe it was presumptive, but I doubted Merlin wouldn’t have kept me alive just to let me be eaten by forest creatures. He’d likely ensured the property was relatively free of threats, which gave me the confidence to take one of my frequent nighttime strolls. Captivity wasn’t conducive to maintaining a standard schedule. I slept at odd hours and roamed when I had energy, which was how I found myself yet again wandering the forest paths in the cool night air. I had wrapped myself in a long red cloak to keep out the chill and immersed myself in the Faery nightlife, hoping a solution to my problems would soon present itself. Quieting my thoughts, I opened my senses to the world around me. Escape would likely require creativity, so I couldn’t afford to limit myself. The air chittered with insects and nocturnal creatures while a light breeze rustled the leaves and vining undergrowth. The night was peaceful until a cloying sense of awareness began to claw at my skin. It was a sensation I was familiar with, though I hadn’t experienced it in some time. The feeling of being watched. Hunted. My magic never would have allowed someone to sneak up on me, but in my powerless state, I was vulnerable. A twinge of fear—something I had not experienced in centuries— uncoiled in my belly. My steps faltered, and I slowly turned to see what form of creature stalked me in the night. My eyes darted around at first, unable to find the source of my unease. The moonlight was enough to guide me along the path but also cast gaping shadows in the thick foliage. It wasn’t until my ears caught a rumbling growl that I was able to hone in on the location of my pursuer. From the depths of an impenetrable shadow, golden eyes glared out at me. Head lowered and ears back, an enormous white wolf slowly emerged from the darkness. The moonlight shone off its stark white fur, and for a moment, I was too mesmerized to think. The creature was magnificent—snow white fur shimmering in the moonlight disguised the brutal build of a deadly hunter. I shook myself from my musings when its lips lifted in a vicious snarl. I couldn’t get enough air, and my feet stumbled backward of their own accord. I knew not to run from a predator, but my vulnerable state seemed to create a disconnect between my thoughts and my actions. Logic no longer ruled my body. Primal fear had taken over. The monstrous wolf stepped directly onto the path some thirty feet in front of me, its hackles raised aggressively. This wolf was far larger than any I’d ever seen. When standing on all fours, its head was as high as my chest. This beast didn’t just stare at me like I was its next meal; its eyes bore into me like it wanted to rip me to shreds. I took several deep breaths and chided myself to remember who I was and all I’d accomplished. I was a sorceress trained by Merlin Ambrosius himself. I was known throughout Earth as the merciless Morgan Le Fay and feared throughout Faery as Morgan, Lady of the Lake.