Page 52 of To Bleed A Kingdom

“Did she just say what I think she did?” Aurora squeaks my thoughts.

“If you mean, is she talking about sucking dick? Then yes,” Griffin says, scrubbing his mouth. “Yes, she did.”

“And orgasm. Don’t forget orgasm,” Kace adds helpfully.

“Oh my gods!” Aurora laughs, slapping a hand to her mouth.

Surveying the crowd, I find a few bowled over in laughter and some visibly stunned, but my heart gallops in my chest when I see more than half with varying shades of outrage directed towards the irreverent human. Eyes darting to Adelphia, my blood runs cold at the look of fury etched on her face, along with her flickering aquamarine and starlight jewels.

“If you won’t kneel,” Aerin seethes, stalking forward, “then I will force you to.”

Lena’s eyes hone in on Aerin's reaching hand. “If you so much as lay one finger on me, I'll break every bone in your fucking hand.”

Aerin jerks back, eyeing her warily as he unsheathes his dagger and signals to the Queen’s guards with a nod of his head.

I move without thought, summoning my flames without a command as I lunge for Aerin with a snarl. But I’m suddenly jerked back, Griffin’s arms banded around me to press me into his chest.

“Wait,” he whispers in my ear.

Unconcerned with the advancing guards, Lena’s eyes remain fixed on the Queen. “Is this how you rule your kingdom, Your Majesty?” she calls out loudly enough for everyone present to hear, but calm, authoritative. “Through fear and forced obedience?” She motions towards the Cascadonians silently watching and publicly challenges the legendary Queen, verbally passing her a noose with which to hang herself. “You arrest or kill anyone who speaks their mind?”

Adelphia’s composure implodes. Jewels near blinding and her face reddening into a murderous rage, her green-eyed glare shows every ounce of loathing she feels for the plebeian beneath her.

“Arrest her!” Aerin shouts. The Queen’s guards move as one towards Lena.

Neither Lena nor the Queen dare spare a glance at the approaching guards, the shoutsof those calling for Lena’s death, or from those condemning the Queen. Both of them silently refuse to admit defeat by breaking their gaze from the other.

Removing Griffin's fingers from my vest, I slap both palms to his chest, not even giving him a side-eyed glance as he soars through the air and tumbles across the street. In this moment I see nothing but Lena. Not my mother's rage, not my friends, not even the eventual punishment for my actions. My thoughts, my focus, my entire being is honed on the only thing that matters: Intercepting the guards before they dare to touch her.

“Stop!”

I, along with everyone else, freezes mid-motion at the Queen's command. We hold our breath as we wait for her to make her next move.

A faux, charming smile creeps up Adelphia’s face, dismissing Lena to address her people. “Of course we don't arrest those who express their thoughts. In fact, I welcome the insight provided by those who are less fortunate.” She peers down at Lena, her eyes flashing as her grin shifts to a sickly-sweet grimace. “I thank you for imparting such wisdom.”

Lena snickers and it takes everything in me not to strangle her for it.

Adelphia’s smile tightens. “Who might you be, little human?”

“Lena.”

“Your full name, child?” Adelphia says more sternly, that sickly-sweet smile still plastered to her face.

Lena silently assesses Adelphia. “Dalenna Nectallius.”

Adelphia’s brows bunch, and she pulls on the reins to halt her restless horse. “I’m not familiar with that surname.”

Ignoring the implied question, Lena squints up at her. “My gods… there’s so much darkness in you, isn't there? So much pain.”

Darkness?

Adelphia’s lips pull back and she bares her teeth. “Where are you from?”

Lena shakes herself from her spell and shrugs. “I'm a traveler. You could say I'm from many places.”

Abandoning all pretenses, Adelphia’s mask dissolves into an expression carved from ice. “Why have you come to Cascadonian?”

“Seeking trade.”

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