Page 93 of A Kingdom of Monsters

I quickly ran through the highlights of Nevermore’s succession attempts, and Lonnie listened with rapt attention.

“Alright,” she said when I was finished. “Well there’s one good thing about all that. They definitely won’t follow Idris. We don’t have to worry about him influencing them or coming here because they already reject the authority of the continent. It would be too hard to persuade them. I don’t think he’ll bother.”

Ambrose smiled weakly. “That’s a good point, love,” he said in a tone that implied he regretted yelling at her. I could fucking relate.

“That doesn’t help us now, though,” I growled. “And the hour is almost up.”

“I was serious downstairs. I can do this.” Lonnie reached up and began braiding her long hair as she talked. “I’ve been training everyday for months, and I’ve already survived two of these things even before I knew how to use magic.”

I cocked my head at her, thinking. “You really only have to cross the boundary and you’ll get the head start as usual. Once the wave of hunters are let in we can join you and help.”

“Okay,” she breathed, looking nervous but determined. She smiled a little sadly. “It’s just like when we first met. Except Bael’s not here to keep you from killing me.”

“I’ll keep everyone from fucking touching you, rebel.” I growled. “You’re going to be fine.”

She nodded, and turned as if to open the door.

“Wait,” Ambrose said, looking a bit pained. “One more thing, love. You should keep an eye on Cassinda.”

My gaze flashed to his. He must have noticed her behavior at dinner just as I had.

“I’d planned to,” Lonnie said darkly. “But any particular reason?”

“She thought she was going to be the queen,” I answered, when Ambrose failed to speak. “She was two months from ruling, and it all got taken from her. She’ll try to kill you for that crown.”

I half expected Lonnie to panic, or start asking a thousand questions. But, as usual, my rebel surprised me.

“I hope she tries,” She hissed, a slightly manic glint in her gaze. “I really need to burn something.”

29

LONNIE

THE KEEP, NEVERMORE

Despite my bravado, I trembled as we made our way outside.

The bitingly frigid air was even colder than I remembered, and my trembling increased when we stepped out into the gathering snow.

There was already a large crowd waiting for us. None of them seemed to be cold, but then, all wore heavy furs, knit caps, and sheepskin boots. I supposed the only upside of my thinner clothing was that I might move faster and more easily through the hunting grounds. If I could move at all that was, and hadn’t frozen to death before we even began.

One of the fur jacketed figures stepped forward and I realized before she even removed her hood that it was Cassinda. I glared at her with venom in my eyes. Once I might have given up on the spot. Said, “fuck it!” and let her be the queen. Now, I put my shoulders back and braced myself as she approached.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked me in her sickly sweet tone of mock concern.

I bared my teeth at her. She didn’t scare me.

She was no worse than Aine or Raewyn had been when I arrived at my first hunt.

She was no worse than the other servants who had sneered at and excluded me my entire life.

She was no worse than Scion had been upon our first meeting, taunting and threatening me at every turn. Ambrose, who’d burnt down the castle and had me shot, Or Bael, who had left me with nothing more than a note.

And she was certainly no worse than my own mother, who’d never wanted me at all.

“Where are the boundaries?” I asked sharply.

Cassinda looked annoyed that I didn’t seem willing to rise to her bait, but turned and pointed off into the distance. “The hunt begins here in front of the keep. You may run wherever you like, except into the center of the village or back into the keep. You may not shadow walk.”

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