Page 79 of The Horned King

"What do you mean and then what?" I ask. "We go back to our lives." The statement feels bitter in my mouth. There's no way my life will ever go back to the way it was before.

"So that's it? You've come here, learned what you can, and now you'll go back to your people like none of it ever happened?" he scoffs.

"That's not what I said—"

"No." He runs his fingers through his hair again. "You don't need to say it. You'll go home, back to where you can live in feigned ignorance with all the other pretenders leading your country. Go back and tell them how you barely survived staying with the animals from your neighboring nations."

"I would never say that about any of you," I argue, eyes watering. "I've loved my time here. I've learned so many things I can take home and teach my people. This can be good for everyone, don't you see?"

"You're lying to yourself again, Elva." Defeat makes his shoulders droop. "You think anything will change because of this? That Rhyma will allow you to break the hold they have over their people within the ignorant bubble they've created?"

"If this was pointless, why did you let me come at all?" My frustration almost boils over.

"You can blame Shan for that, Elva. He orchestrated all of it."

"And you let him," I add. "You knew I was coming."

"Wrong," he bites. "I knew someone was coming. Had I known it was some girl with no survival skills, no real-life experience, just a pretty face and a charming smile, I would have told them not to fucking bother."

The blow lands, knocking the wind out of my chest. Just a pretty face. After all this work, giving my whole life to this, risking it time and again to come find peace. After the time we've spent together and the things he's shown me, all I am is a pretty face.

Rather than show vulnerability and show how small I feel, I shrug. "Well, how fortunate for us both that I'll be gone tomorrow, then."

"Can't fucking wait."

We both stand, fuming, facing one another alone for what will probably be the last time. He's angry at me for being ignorant, even after telling me more than once that my naivety isn't my fault. And I'm angry because he's being a colossal asshole once again.

I nod, pursing my lips and refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how upset his cruel words have made me. Without another word, I leave the way I came, storming past Raya, who doesn't bother trying to stop me.

She'll hear all about it from the king anyway.

Twenty Two

Kairon

Elva looks so ethereal tonight.

She's so fucking beautiful it aches to look at her, watch her laugh, and dance with every man who even looks her way.

Her dress had been in the making for weeks, and I should have torn it to shreds when it arrived rather than torture myself by seeing her in it. The deep green brings out the green and gold flecks in her eyes and hugs every inch of her gorgeous curves.

I've watched with barely contained fury as Tirriel and every other person with a pulse has looked their fill of her, gazing at the way the fabric hugs her body, the low neckline in contrast with the lace sleeves that go all the way to her wrists. The cascading fabric looks like a waterfall of green as it falls to the floor.

As she spins away from me, making conversation with someone—it literally does not matter who— I see just how indecently low the back of the dress falls, every inch of her back on display, all the way until others can almost see the delicious dimples she has just above her luscious backside.

She's furious with me, as she should be. I said things to her that shouldn't be said to anyone, much less someone as capable and unsure of it as Elva. Between Valta's attack and Shan's treachery, something in me has shattered, my singular thought becoming how to get Elva away from this fuck-show before anyone else can attempt to harm her. No matter how much it aches in my lungs, it's better this way, better that she's angry and running for her home as quickly as possible.

She doesn't need to know just how close she was to being a corpse, how even within this castle, a traitor was orchestrating her demise while we were fighting against outside forces, never the wiser.

My guards threw Shan in the dungeon, finding all of the letters between him and Rhyma regarding Elva's trip shoved under his bed. I tried to get answers from him, but even with the threat of death, he insisted he knew nothing of them being there.

I should have just killed him for the answers, and I will later. But I want his death slow and agonizing, and I already have enough answers that I can get Elva safely home and then proceed to take all my anger out on Shan for his treachery. Just for tonight, though, I want to watch my Elva one last time, floating from person to person and charming them with her innocent touching and genuine curiosity.

Only Elva could make open naivety and asking a million questions seem charming. Anyone else would seem calculating, but she is simply so genuinely hungry for knowledge that it's impossible to deny her the answers she seeks.

Raya appears at my side, holding a third drink out for me, the other two cradled in one hand. "You should apologize."

I take the outstretched glass of wine. "Yes."

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