Page 110 of Taken By the Fae King

Aren steps forward. “We’ve received reports they are tracking and eliminating Wraith, deep in the forest, which have already escaped over the Wall.”

“How are they able to do this?” Edmynd asks. “It does not make sense.”

Kyven clenches his jaw. “I believe they have had help from someone inside my kingdom.”

“Who?” Raiden asks, his brown eyes flashing with anger. “Who amongst you would turn on his own kind?”

“Lord Torien,” I reply. “We believe he helped them cross the barrier into the city, when we were attacked.”

“Why attack the capital?”

“I was their target,” I reluctantly admit.

“What?” Raiden snaps. His eyes sweep to Kyven and then back to me. “How close did they get to you?”

“Close enough,” Kyven says through gritted teeth.

Raiden looks at me. “You need more guards. A handful are not enough.” He gestures to Aren and Talyn. “You need—”

“Do not insult them,” I interrupt. “They are two of our best warriors.”

Raiden runs a hand roughly through his short, dark blond hair. “Forgive me,” he addresses Aren and Talyn. “I am simply protective of my sister.”

“As are we,” Talyn says solemnly.

“She is our queen,” Aren adds. “Bondmate of our king and Sanishon of the prophecy. We would give our lives to protect hers.”

“Let us hope it does not come to such measures.” Edmynd rakes a hand through his short, blond hair before lifting his green eyes back to me, worry easily read in his features.

“There is more,” I tell him.

“What is it?”

“The assassin who killed Mother.” I swallow against the lump in my throat at the painful memory. “I believe Father was right. He was Fae.”

“I thought you did not see him well,” Raiden says. “How do you know?”

“I remembered something I hadn’t before. I saw a flash of a wing at his back.”

“Could you tell anything else?” Edmynd asks.

I shake my head.

“Do you think Torien may have had something to do with it?” Raiden asks. “And now he is trying to finish what he did not all those years ago, by trying to kill you now?”

“I don’t know.”

“If he was behind your mother’s death, we will find out,” Kyven vows.

“Have you had any word from Lukas yet?” Edmynd asks, changing the subject.

I love that my brothers do not ask Kyven if he knew anything about mother’s death. They already know my husband well enough to understand that Kyven would never have taken part in such a thing. And if he knew something, he would have already told us.

I shake my head.

“His father is in poor health and has passed the crown to him. He was forgoing his ceremony to march here with his warriors to meet us.”

“He is King of Valren now?” Kyven asks.

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