I jumped to my feet. “What?”
“I can hear at least three of them,” Locke added as he took a few steps back. “Just keep quiet and let me do the talking.”
I knew what he was really saying:Keep quiet so their attention remains on me.
Locke cocked his head like he was listening, and soon I heard it too. The scrape of footsteps on the stone floor and the jostling of metal keys. When King Chalir came into view, he wasn’t alone. Three fae soldiers stood with him, including a female soldier with long auburn hair and hatred shining in her hazel eyes. The one who’d been there when we were captured. When I’d gained consciousness in the cell, the fire around my neck had disappeared, and there was no wound to suggest it had ever been there, but I could still remember the searing pain. The fae soldier smirked as if she knew I was thinking about what she’d done to me.
King Chalir stopped in front of the bars, and his expression hardened at the sight of us. It was the first time I’d seen him without his painted fae females pawing at him.No wonder he looks so agitated.
“Torez. Zandras,” he said to two of the soldiers. A male soldier, Torez, and Zandras, the female soldier with the auburn hair, lifted their arms. The magic crackling around our cell disappeared, and almost in the same instant, searing pain curled around my throat, the agony driving me to my knees. Locke managed to stay standing, fighting against the pain. He staggered toward me and tried to rip the collar of fire from my neck, but his efforts only made the pain worse as the fire burned hotter.
“Stop,” I croaked, and his panicked gaze lingered on me before he swiveled back toward the king.
“Let her go,” he snarled, but King Chalir ignored him.
“I knew there was something strange about Azaren’s story. Humans escaping those monsters? Those beasts? I was a gullible fool for believing him.” King Chalir’s brows lowered, and he took a calming breath, his expression becoming thoughtful. “That son of mine always was too soft. I’m sure this was your plan all along. To pretend to be his saviors so you could finally gain access to our world.”
“Wedidsave your son,” Locke said coldly.
“I can only imagine you intended to assassinate me after you murdered him. Just like your human king did to my father,” King Chalir continued, acting like Locke hadn’t spoken.
“The Forgotten Fae are the ones who stabbed Prince Azaren,” I blurted, my words turning into a coughing fit as the ring around my throat tightened.
“You’re killing her!” Locke shouted, and King Chalir watched us for a moment before nodding at Zandras. She flicked her wrist, and the ring of fire around my throat became smaller again. Tears leaked from my eyes, and I tried to control my erratic breathing.
“My soldiers tell me there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was in the room besides you five monsters and my son,” King Chalir commented conversationally.
Locke peered back at me before turning to face the king again. “What have you done with our friends?”
King Chalir waved a hand in the air. “There really is no point torturing you monsters. I could never believe anything that came out of your mouths, even if itwasthe truth.”
“Whatever you think happened,” Locke growled, “at least know Raine had nothing to do with it. She was a prisoner like Prince Azaren, and we brought her along to help sell the story. As you can see, she’s still human.” He twisted to the side, indicating to where I had staggered to my feet. While the fire had lessened, the pain in my neck was still unbearable, and I fought to keep down the bile that started rising up my throat.
King Chalir scoffed in disbelief, though he regarded me again before saying, “If she is, then that is most unfortunate. For your crimes against the crown, all five of you will be executed in the morning.”
Executed?I didn’t know why fear hollowed out my gut. It was exactly what I’d expected the king to say. At least I knew Kade, Darian, and Asher were alive.For now, that is.
Locke’s hands fisted at his sides as anger rolled off him. “Then you’ll be murdering an innocent.” He wasn’t trying to claim that we were all innocent. He was only trying to save me, and I found it irritating as hell.
“There are always regrettable casualties during times of war,” King Chalir replied coolly.
I took an unsteady step closer to the steel bars. “What do you mean,war?” I rasped.
King Chalir smiled, but there was no warmth in the expression. “I should be thanking you, truly. For over a century, I’ve wanted to march on Katakin. To get vengeance for the deaths of my father and sister and rid us of the abominations Izla created. Now that you’ve brought violence to our home, the fae will have to act. Even the Forgotten Fae won’t be able to stop what’s coming.”
“Assassination was never our intention,” Locke seethed. “We came to stop a war, not start one. The only battle you should be focused on is the one you’re waging against your own kind.”
But it was obvious that nothing we could say was going to change King Chalir’s mind.
“You monsters are the reason there was ever dissent among the fae to begin with. When your soul is being torn from your bodies, just rememberyou’rethe ones who infiltrated this castle and came into my home,” King Chalir responded, his face reddening with anger. “And when you’re paraded before the fae, and they see how powerless you are to stop me from taking your lives, they’ll finally understand their fear for the monsters of Katakin is unfounded. Your race is but a perversion of the fae. A cruel and twisted imitation of our kind. My sister cursed you all as penance for your crimes, but I’ll be the one to eradicate you once and for all.”
I wanted to point out that from what I’d heard, Izla had only intended to curse the human king, but nausea overwhelmed me, and the room began to spin. Locke caught me before I fell, and all I heard were Locke’s words to the king, “You’ll suffer for this,” before I was thrown into darkness once again.
CHAPTER 18
~ Raine ~
Ahigh-pitchedringingsoundedin my ears, and I forced my crusted eyes open. Groaning, I squinted against the blinding light coming from above. I tried to lift a hand to shield my eyes, but cold metal bit into my wrists, keeping my arms by my sides.What the hell?
