Page 169 of Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

He forced himself to his knees, panting. “Worried about me, Angel?” he asked, flipping his hair back.

Just that motion alone caused heat to build in my stomach, and he must have known because he smiled.

Smiled.

“Do you like seeing me on my knees for you, baby?”

I swallowed, my mind spinning. “Yeah,” I answered and then my eyes widened. “About being worried,” I quickly corrected as I crouched down in front of him, studying him. Why was he so pale? He looked just as he had the morning he had saved me from Mom. But before I could get a word out, another voice cracked through the air, just as loud as the thunder.

“What did you do?” I heard a female equivalent to Trick demand.

I looked over, finding abeautifulwoman standing yards away, another male and female standing behind her, all of their wings hidden, the lightning lighting up their features, making them look every bit as terrifying as the stories had claimed.

At the rage in her eyes, I found myself standing upand stepping between he and them. “Who are you?” I had no idea what I was doing, not a single clue, but I was running off of adrenaline, fear, and worry. I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to.

She stepped closer, her eyes finding Trick’s. “Stay out of this.”

Something feral came over me as I held up my bow and arrow, pointing it at her head, causing her to stop in her tracks.

My hands were steady, my mind on my brother, on myfriends. “Take another step and I’ll put a fucking arrow in your fucking eye.” The blood,myblood burned against my skin, each flash of lightning lighting it up like jewels. The blood was flowing with ease. I was going to bleed out if I didn’t take care of it soon.

She looked at the arrow and back, such rage reflected in her eyes, I probably should have backed down, but I couldn’t. Something else had taken over. “Do you even know who I am?”

“No, but I assume you’re about to tell me.”

She lifted her chin, her eyes flaming. “I am Lora Michael, daughter of Uriella and Aden Michael, High Queen of the Fallen, and my brother deserves to be reprimanded for what he has done. Step aside.”

Well shit.

Wait. High Queen?

That wasn’t right. That couldn’t be right.

“I don’t recognize you as High Queen,” I stated, “and I don’t recognize your orders.”

Lora looked to the tip of the arrow and back. “He revoked his title, and I claimed it. I’m the HighQueen now, and you will do as I say.”

I laughed,laughed, and shook my head. Must have been the blood loss because this wasn’t just reckless, this had crossed over into absolute stupidity. “First, you’re notmyHigh Queen, and second, even if I were a Fallen, I think I’d rather follow the God of Nightmares then some woman who shows up and rather than asking questions, she immediately blames her brother for whatever it is that’s happening.” Whatwashappening? What would cause the demons to do this? What would cause the High Court, to show up here?

She took another step closer, hatred in her eyes. “I have no obligation to defend my actions to you.”

Blood dripped to the water below, my mind spinning. “I just hit a demon in the eye a thousand feet up off the back of another demon in the middle of a blinding, torrential downpour. Killing you would be nothing to me.”

Magic sparked in her hands. “Do you even know why he’s on his knees right now? Because he wiped himself out building bridges to connect the nine continents again. To piece Caduto back together.”

It took everything in me not to reveal how shocked I was. That was more powerful than I had ever imagined. “And why is that so terrible?” I challenged icily. “Oh no, he was trying to bring us all back together, let’s kill him for it. Because that’s rational.” Nothing about any of this was rational!

Lora narrowed her eyes to slits. “He did it for his own hateful reason. Tell her, Trick. Tell her the truth. Tell her that you did it because you were pissed at me.”

A sigh sounded behind me. “Arrogance has neverlooked pretty on you, sister. It’s time the world see the truth of the corruption simmering in the hearts of the people in this world. This has nothing to do with you.”

I found Lora’s eyes again and shrugged. “And?” But his words stuck with me, bled through me. What corruption? What could he see that others couldn’t?

Shock filled her eyes, and I felt pride in that. “Youstupid, pathetic human. We are trying to do everything in our power topreventa war, but of course, you are all the same.”

I flinched back against my own will, my heart picking up, fear dripping down my spine.

I released a shuddering breath, trying to shake the memories out of my mind. Memories of a raised hand, of sharp words.

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