Page 117 of King of Storms and Feathers

Van would rise up.

And me?

Other than those two goals, what wishes and ambitions still flamed inside of me?

As my thoughts grew fuzzy with sleep, I realized what I wanted for myself didn’t matter anymore.

“Who cares?” I slurred into the darkness as an answering deep chuckle reverberated off the cell walls, wrapping around my heart and squeezing.

Arrow.

Why couldn’t he leave me alone?

Even now, his smirking silver eyes watched me as I tumbled into my dreams, and I wondered… were those eyes a threat or a promise?

Because right now, I could really do with the winged asshole’s help.

Chapter 30

Arrow

“All of you… to the throne room. Now,” I snapped at Ari, Raiden, and Ildri as we disembarked from our carriages. I pointed at Esen. “Except you.”

She bowed, and then without a word dissolved into the night shadows as we marched toward the palace. With my faith in Esen badly shaken after the foundry incident, I couldn’t trust my blue-haired guard with any matter concerning Leaf, big or small.

Fury seethed in my gut, like a barely tethered creature that tore through bones and viscera, longing to break free, burn the realm down, and find my Aldara.

Rubbing my aching eyes, I settled on the throne. Then I scanned the line of betrayers who stood before me, their hands clasped in front of their bodies and brows sweating.

I was so fucking tired of this shit. I needed sleep. Food. Something to drink. And to burn the fucking palace to ash, if only to satisfy my need to destroy something.

On the journey from Auryinnia, instead of sleeping, I’d glared at the backs of my eyelids, every muscle strung tight. I was desperate to leave the carriage and hunt for Leaf, and I had to repeat Ari’s warning that acting rashly might be the death of her, as if it was a lifeline to sanity. Or perhaps it was a mainline to madness.

Who knew? And who fucking cared, as long as I got Leaf back in my arms as soon as yesterday? Whatever the hells that meant.

Fuck. I was definitely losing it.

A servant darted up the stairs and offered me a goblet of water. One hand gripping the throne’s gilded armrest, I drank deeply, tossed the cup aside, then watched it roll down the stairs, stopping at Ari’s feet.

“Explain,” I said, locking my gaze on her unflinching gold irises. “I’m warning you, don’t tarry. As you can imagine, I’m not in a patient mood.”

Standing beside his mother, Raiden swallowed repeatedly. Barely able to stop himself from begging for her life, his boots shuffled restlessly over the marble floor. If I was a good man, I’d tell him he needn’t worry.

Yes, I was fucking furious with them all, scared witless for Leaf. But everyone in this room had acted with her best interests at heart—perhaps even me in my own twisted way. They wanted her to be happy. And I just wanted her to be by my side at any cost.

Ari cleared her throat. “An ancient gold reaver pact with the human realm holds a cloaking forcefield around their city. Three gold reavers live in Mydorian, constantly renew it, and give their blood to the river, earth, and trees. It’s why your soldiers have never been able to find humans in the Sunken Forest. They’re hidden.”

“The Lost City of Mydorian?” I asked, grinding my teeth together. “And the Zareen knows about this?”

“Of course. Gold reaver elves are linked by blood to the human royal family, and we have always worked to preserve their lineage.”

Everything stilled, my lungs, my heart, the very air around me, as my attention honed to Ari’s parted lips. “What royal family?”

She raised her chin. “Promise me you’ll remain calm.”

My hands curled into fists as I sat forward on the throne, no longer slumped and feigning calm. A terrible premonition slid over my skin. Sinking bone deep, it reminded me of the feeling I got during battle when everything was about to change for the worse.

I couldn’t speak, so I dipped my head and prayed to the gold I could stop myself from murdering everyone in the room when I heard what Ari said next.

---