Page 97 of I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem

That gave the guards pause. They looked at each other in different degrees of shock and disbelief, but at least one of them—the guy in the most impressive armor—stepped forward and held out his hand for the letter.

His eyes skimmed it as I handed it over, and his face turned pale. “Let him through! Let him through!”

The elf who was the head of the guard not only got me through the first barrier, but he continued to run with me through level after level of protection put between me and the king. I panted, a painful stitch growing in my side with every step I took, but I pressed on, thankful that one of the gods had some pity on me and granted me an escort. Getting through the palace alone with just a letter would have been near impossible. Not to mention, I would have gotten lost more times than I could have counted.

With each level, the surroundings grew more ostentatious, but I barely noticed. I glanced around enough to reassure myself that I was getting closer to wherever the king was lurking.

As we reached yet another round of stairs, my legs gave out and I collapsed at the foot, gasping for air. I needed a second. One second to catch my breath, and I could run any distance for Nylian.

“What’s going on here?” snapped a tired and irritable voice.

“Your Majesty!” the guard beside me gasped and dropped to his knees as well.

My head snapped up, and I found an older elf standing at the top of the stairs dressed in elegant white and gold robes. His hair was golden blond like Nylian’s, but a touch paler. His eyes were harsh with dark shadows under them, as if it had been a long time since he’d last had a good night of sleep.

Sucking in as much air as I could manage, I thrust the hand holding the letter above my head and shouted, “Your Majesty, Prince Xeran and Duke Thallan sent me. I have the antidote. Please, I beg of you…let me pass. I need to get to Orian before it’s too late.”

“You have it?” King Dorwynn whispered, those three words choked with hope.

I nodded, trying to save my breath.

“Give it here!”

“No!”

“What?” It was like the entire room had frozen over and every guard that surrounded me had become a statue. No one dared to tell the king no.

“Xeran trusts me to save his brother. I will not break that trust.” I narrowed my eyes on the king, whose cheeks had flushed with anger. “You want to do something useful with your guards? Send them out to capture the real would-be killer. Xeran is fighting him right now in front of the palace. He risked his life to protect me so I could save his brother.”

Silence stretched for a moment, and I was already gathering my strength to jump to my feet and rush past the king. Orian had to be somewhere in this wing. It had to be the safest place. I would search every inch until I found him.

But the king saved me from my desperate flight.

He turned to the guard at his right with the fanciest armor of all. “Take Prince Victor to Orian as quickly as possible.” He then focused his attention on the guard still kneeling beside me. “Take your men and find Prince Xeran. Bring him to me unharmed. And if there’s anyone trying to hurt him, I want them brought as well.”

The king had barely finished speaking when the guard assigned to me rushed forward with his hand extended and a reassuring smile. I prayed this meant that he was a fan of Nylian, Orian, or both of the twins. I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. With a little more air in my lungs and riding a second wind of hope, I ran faster through the palace, down secluded hallways and through doorways with even more guards. We were in the very inner sanctum of the royal family, the halls and rooms that most of the world would never see.

Technically, I wasn’t even seeing it. Everything was a blur of color as I moved as fast as I could with the guard. We needed to reach Orian before the assassin could complete their task. I also needed to return to Nylian. If I were lucky, the king’s guards would end the fight, but I’d only feel relief when I held Nylian in my arms again.

At the end of a long, lonely hallway, the guard’s footsteps stumbled, and my heart lurched in my chest. The double doors leading into the last room were open a crack. Shouldn’t there have been a guard on them? Or at least a lock?

Were we too late?

The guard placed a hand in the center of my chest, holding me back so that he could enter the room first. I was a half a step behind him, my heart hammering in my ears.

The room was a simple bedroom with a man who looked far too similar to Nylian lying in the center of the bed. I tore my gaze away from him because it felt too much like a bad omen, but my eyes caught on the four older men lying unconscious on the floor, a trickle of blood pouring out of their mouths. Poisoned!

And the poisoner was standing at the foot of Orian’s bed, chuckling to herself.

“You’re too late,” she crowed without even turning to face us. “The healers holding the spell in place are dead, and time has ticked forward for poor Prince Orian.”

“Consort Keya! How could you?” the guard demanded, his voice trembling.

As the short, slender woman turned toward us, I grabbed the edge of the guard’s armor and forced him to dive to the floor with me. Just above our heads, a spray of silver needles shot out of her hand and embedded in the doors and walls behind us. I knew she had to have one more trick up her sleeve. The only way she benefited from this murder was if there were no witnesses to what she was doing.

Shoving off the ground as I pulled my sword, I lunged at the woman, and she charged me. The room was small, and maybe I didn’t care as much as I should have. All I could think was that she was keeping me from saving Orian and Nylian, and no one was allowed to do that.

The point of the sword slid into her stomach with surprising ease. The scream pouring from her lips stopped short and a look of shock widened her pale-hazel eyes. For a heartbeat, our gaze met, and there was a sudden swell of pity within me. What could have driven her to take this action? Was it a thirst for power or for the love of her son?

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