Defy The Alpha(s) novel Chapter 870

Chapter 870: Gone Forever

The bells tolled heavily across the Fae palace three times before stopping, the ominous countdown reminding everyone that it was midnight.

Baron’s execution was due.

The ground was so packed with faeries that there was no space, and the smaller winged faeries such as the pixies couldn’t have been more grateful for their size as they hovered curiously in the air.

All of their murmurs quieted immediately, a ripple of silence spreading through the crowd as every head turned toward the raised execution platform at the center of the courtyard.

Torches burned along the perimeter, their flames reflecting off the faces of the stern-faced Fae guards at the sides, doing their duty. The air was thick and oppressive, the fear from the people even reaching Violet where she stayed on the rooftop, watching the procession.

Then the doors of the palace opened, and her mother, Queen Seraphira, stepped out with regal bearing.

Even for an execution, she moved with such measured grace, her presence alone enough to command the entire courtyard without a single word spoken.

Behind her followed an entourage of guards with unreadable expressions, their formation tight.

And between them was Baron.

Unlike earlier, Seraphira had the grace to clean and dress him in the royal purple robe he was known for. But even that could not cover his gaunt expression or his empty sockets, dark and hollow.

A scandalized gasp rippled through the crowd as faeries who had not seen Baron since his punishment finally took a good look at him.

How far Baron had fallen that a chain was fastened around his neck to lead him, even though he could walk perfectly. He must have been feeling his surroundings through his other senses; Fae senses were heightened, after all

Violet had to give a grudging respect to Baron for walking to his execution with his head held high. However, that was where her feelings of pity for him ended.

She had almost lost Asher because of the decision he made, which was a sin Violet could never forgive. Moreover, Alaric had told her that the mind-controlling larvae he used on Asher could only be found in places of massive Fae death.

In one word, Baron had intentionally taken and killed his own people, farming their bodies in order to produce that larva. There was already suspicion that there could be more circulating around, and Seraphira had opened an investigation into it. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

For a place so jam-packed, the crowd parted effortlessly for Seraphira to step through until she reached the platform and stepped onto it. She turned to face her people as silence fell completely.

"Loyal citizens of the Free Fae," Seraphira began, her voice projected effortlessly across the courtyard with magic. "Tonight, the Free Fae witnesses the end of rebellion."

Baron was made to kneel before her, Seraphira’s hardened eyes sweeping over him with disdain.

She said, "I once called Baron of the House of Briarwood my beloved. He was bound to me in marriage and soul. Yet he conspired against his queen, against his realm, and against the very people he swore to protect."

Baron made no sound or attempt to refute anything Seraphira had said. He simply remained still, waiting for the moment his fate would be sealed.

Seraphira went on, "He sought to take what was not his, and in doing so, he chose his fate. Let it be remembered that this is the hour Baron Briarwood would be sent to the great beyond."

Her voice boomed with authority now as she thundered, "While our own punishment may be quick and swift, let hers be eternal and cruel. Let the Fifth One judge him harshly unless he sees fit to confess his crimes, repent, and move on to rest with our ancestors."

Seraphira looked at Baron. "Do you, Baron, acknowledge your crimes and plead for mercy, so you may rest in the bosom of the Fifth One?"

For a moment, Baron did not respond, making everyone watch and wait. Then he lifted his head as if he could somehow see Seraphira, even with his missing eyes.

"Rot in hell, bitch!" His words were laced with hatred right before he spat at the queen.

What followed next was a quick flash of steel and what could qualify as the fastest execution Violet had ever seen—not that she had seen many—as Baron’s head rolled to the ground.

Startled gasps and murmurs ran through the audience, with some looking away as Baron’s decapitated body twitched and bled out on the ground.

"Let it be known that tonight marks a turning point in the Free Fae realm. No more betrayals will be forgiven. Every crime will be met with equal punishment. May the Fifth One bless the prosperity of the Free Fae."

Queen Seraphira took her leave, her gown trailing behind her, looking unaffected and undaunted by the renewed look of fear in the eyes of her people. They could see it—she had changed entirely. Now they were uncertain what the future held for them.

"Well," Asher said with a finalizing tone. "That is that. We’ve confirmed he’s dead." His eyes moved to the guards who had stepped in to clear what remained of Baron.

Then Asher suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked Alaric, "A decapitated body can’t switch bodies right? I like to believe that my enemies stay dead."

Alaric’s expression slightly creased, clearly thinking it through. "I don’t know for certain," he admitted. "Soul transfer isn’t dependent on the body itself, it’s the soul that moves into a new vessel. But in some practices, the condition of the body matters."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"Decapitation, especially, is believed to disrupt certain rituals since it severs the flow of magic tied to the body. I want to believe that is why Queen Seraphira chose this method. But if it’s purely soul-based, then..." he shook his head, "I can’t say for sure it would stop him."

"However," Alaric reminded him, "for him to actually switch bodies, he would need to find a compatible one, which is not possible, not without my device, and that is safely out of reach."

Asher’s gaze darkened. "Even so, we can’t rule out the possibility of Baron’s sympathizers going the extra mile to bring him back."

Alaric stilled for a second, then his eyes widened in realization. "Then his body has to be cremated."

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