Page 23 of A Crown of Darkness

‘Are you here to execute me?’

That would be the quickest and most efficient thing, wouldn’t it? A soldier’s death wouldn’t be so very bad, and Gaius would make sure it was quick. Roland would have done as much for him.

The general’s hand fell to his sword, as if the thought had not actually occurred to him.

‘I fear the king would be displeased if that was to happen. No, I amnothere to kill you, Finnian. I’m here with a message.’

‘A message?’

‘Yes. And given the current state of affairs and the general unrest, I’m not exactly thrilled to be an errand boy.’

Finn just stared at him. What else could he do? The general wasn’t given to humour, dark or otherwise. He never had been. He was Alessander’s man, and his strong right arm.

And now, Finn supposed, he was Leander’s. Although Gaius didn’t seem so very enamoured by that prospect.

‘And who is this message from?’ Finn asked at last.

But Gaius didn’t say anything. He just tossed a piece of mangled metal onto the stone floor. It clattered to a stop in front of the cell bars and all Finn could do was stare.

It was twisted and broken, as if some force had torn through it like paper, but he couldn’t mistake the delicate patterning or the sheen which marked it as shadow-wrought. It was half of the bracelet which Leander had once worn, the same one Finn himself had put on Wren’s wrist to dampen her dark magic.

Slowly, Finn dragged his gaze from the remains of the bracelet back up to the cold steely eyes of the general.

‘And the other half?’ His voice sounded hollowed out and broken, like it belonged to someone else or he was hearing it from far away, echoing back on him.

‘With the king.’

Half for him, half for Leander. There was no doubt who sent it. Who destroyed it the moment it was removed from her skin. And it was certainly a message.

‘Just this?’ Finn asked.

She had to know he was here, that he was a prisoner. She had to know what Leander would do to him.

But he had betrayed her. He had chained her and left her helpless. And he had done that long before he’d activated the spell to bring them here or fallen victim to Leander’s enchantment to swap their bodies.

He had no excuse but that he had thought he was doing it for the best. Clearly he had been wrong.

Gaius just stared down at him, a grim expression, and Finn wondered if he had in fact changed his mind, and would draw that sword to put an end to him after all.

‘The sisterhood is hers now. She serves no king, no crown, no one. She is the goddess incarnate and all of Ilanthus will bow to her. All of Asteroth too. There is nothing to stand in her way. Queen and goddess, embodiment of power, lady of the darkest night… Do I need to go on?’

Finn shook his head. ‘Leander won’t like that.’

‘He does not. It is a call to civil war, Finnian. Religious war, in fact. And your princess is at the heart of it. She’ll tear this kingdom to pieces with her demands.’

Finn sucked in a breath to still himself, to try to grasp equilibrium in a world that seemed intent on tearing him apart like that ragged bit of metal.

‘She’s not my princess,’ he whispered at last.

Gaius just nodded. ‘She doesn’t belong to anyone now.’

‘And where do you stand, general? With the king?’

‘With Ilanthus,’ he murmured softly. ‘But who is to say what that means anymore? What have you and your brother done, Finnian? What have you created?’

‘This isn’t my doing.’

‘Isn’t it? We should never have gone to Pelias. I said that at the time. But Hestia was insistent and Alessander listened so I obeyed. Just as I will obey now. The princess…’ He paused and then shook his head. ‘The goddess incarnate has issued an ultimatum and Leander has no choice but to agree.’

---