Page 87 of A Crown of Darkness

Finn was down on one knee, and as Leander pressed forward, he launched himself up in a flurry of movement which took his brother by surprise. Leander fell back, scrambling for balance, and Finn’s face seemed to change. A ferocious expression burned across his features and Wren didn’t know him anymore. She was going to lose him. One way or the other.

Unless she could put a stop to it.

Laurence pulled himself up against the throne. She could see the bruising all down the side of his face now, purple and yellow and enflamed. Another reason to hate Leander, as if she needed one. She lifted her hand and pressed the palm to his cheek. He flinched back from the blade that came with it and then stilled beneath her touch.

Is he ours?the Nox asked suddenly.

‘Yes,’ Wren said, ‘he’s ours. Blood of Sidon, blood of the goddess, and innocent of the crimes of his line… His mother was Hestia, your servant and my friend. And he’s your child too. He has suffered and struggled, and tried to serve even though all around him abuse him. All the others have their own agenda. Even Finn. But not him. He alone is ours.’

The Nox gave a curious kind of purr and shadows twisted around the boy. He tried to pull back, tried to recoil, but he couldn’t. These shadows didn’t overpower him, or hurt him,though. Slowly the bruises vanished and his suspicious gaze grew round in wonder.

‘Lady, let him go. He’s just a child.’ General Gaius stood before the throne. He looked haggard, but undefeated. There was blood pouring from a wound, turning his left side scarlet, but he still stood tall and proud.

‘Soldier of Ilanthus,’ she mused, and it wasn’t Wren’s voice this time, though she spoke. ‘Most loyal general. Have you come to supplicate yourself?’

She was losing control of herself. There wasn’t much of Wren left. Tears stung her eyes again, threatened to spill down her face, and the Nox didn’t even bother to blink them back.

‘I will always serve you, lady, but release the boy. I swore to his mother I would protect him.’

The Nox smiled. ‘So did I. And I have need of him.’

Gaius looked anguished and then dropped to his knees. ‘Take me instead. I’m not blood of Sidon but my line is noble, and we have served for generations, devotedly so, the goddess and our royal family. Please, lady… Haven’t you spilled enough of his family’s blood?’

His family? Didn’t they even realise what the blood of Sidon was? Of course not.

‘My blood,’ she whispered harshly. ‘My blood.Hasn’t that been spilled enough?’

Gaius looked confused, and his voice was no more than a whisper. ‘Your blood?’

Wren turned her attention to Laurence again. ‘You have a role in this. She must have seen that too, Hestia. Son of Sidon…’ For a moment all she could do was stare at his face, so young. If she got this wrong, if he wasn’t fast enough, the Nox would kill him anyway. All she could do was pray…

‘She told me…’ Laurence whispered, his voice shaking.

‘Told you what?’

He looked up into her eyes, his expression desperate and afraid. But she could see Hestia in him as well. Could see his mother’s strength and determination. ‘That when the moment came, I was to follow my heart. Trust myself. Do what was right…’

‘Laurence, please…’ and it was her own voice. It broke on a sob and the Nox rose up around her to finally smother her.

Laurence snatched the crown from her head. The Nox lashed out, the blades like lightning in the darkness. It was wild now, out of control, and the crown, the only thing suppressing it, vanished abruptly. She would kill him for his presumption, for siding with Wren over his goddess, or simply for who he was. For being within reach. He was Blood of Sidon and that was what she wanted after all. Spilling it would make her strong once more. She had promised to kill them all. Sons of Sidon, line of traitors and cruel monarchs, that blood flowed through his veins like a poison. She would take it and make it hers. She would tear him to shreds. She would…

‘Wren!’ Finn shouted. ‘No!’

Something hard and cold slammed into her hands, knocking her blades aside. Laurence fell back with a desperate cry, holding the crown against his chest, and Gaius moved like the wind, pulling him out of the way and shielding him. The Nox’s blades tore through the metal of the ancient dark sword Finn had wielded as if it was no more than paper, shattering it and scattering the pieces on the floor around her.

The sword Finn had thrown to protect Laurence, to protect them both, was destroyed in a burst of released magic and in that moment some kind of sense thundered back into Wren’s mind. The crown was gone.

With a gasp of air which filled her lungs like fire, Wren surged to her feet. The blades disintegrated and the choker around her throat fell to pieces, scattering across the stonefloor and vanishing in the black flames. The Nox gave a cry of thwarted rage as the insidious power it had wrapped around her shattered.

Wren looked for Finn, desperate to see where he was and what had happened. He was unarmed now, helpless. He had given up his only chance in order to save Laurence, and to save her.

Leander kicked him full in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. Finn rolled, tried to rise, but only made it as far as his knees.

CHAPTER 50

WREN

Finn stopped there on his knees before Leander, as if any further movement was too much, too difficult. He looked over at Wren and a smile passed over his mouth, just for a moment. Finn’s smile, Finn’s mouth.

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