Page 61 of The Fate of Eternity

“Why?” My eyes narrow on him as my body relaxes further into the soldier that’s keeping me propped up.

“You will become the new heirs of the kingdom.”

“Why?” I push, aware of the conversations I’ve had with the guys over the matter, but I want to hear it from these fuckers too.

“That part doesn’t matter,” Vallie’s uncle chimes in, earning a deathly glare from me once I can actually set my sights on him. “Fuck, Orenda, how much did you give her? She has to be awake and have some control over her magic for this to work,” he adds as Brody’s father stumbles toward me again.

“I used as much as you said,” he mumbles under his breath, avoiding my stare as he steps in front of me. “I can extract a little of it. Give me a minute.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Holloway grumbles, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a sigh.

What’s the rush? They’ve got me cornered, and no matter how I try to run through scenarios in my head, none of them lead to me escaping.

“Please, Addi. Don’t do this. Not for me, not for us. Please,” Flora cries, making Kenner roll his eyes, but he at least moves out of the way so I can lock eyes with my friend.

“It’s going to be okay, Flora. It’s going to be fine,” I promise, attempting a smile, but I know it falls flat.

Before I can offer any other comfort, a sharp sting burns at my throat again as Orenda pumps something else into my body. I groan at the burn, but as he steps away, syringe in hand, he takes most of the discomfort with him.

Before I can attempt to gather myself, the soldier propping me up pushes me to the floor. Thankfully, this time I manage to catch myself with my bound hands before face-planting the stone beneath me.

Flora yelps in panic as I try to take a few deep breaths. With each inhale, I feel my focus coming back as the world stops spinning. Mostly.

My fingers curl into fists against the harsh floor, the bindings of the magical restraints around my wrists keeping my rage burning inside of me. I huff a sigh as I push myself to my knees. “If I agree to this, I want to know what comes from you doing it. What are you gaining?”

Rising to my feet, I sway a little, but I don’t feel half as bad as I did a moment earlier. Although, I can still feel whatever he injected in my veins.

Kenner snarls, irritated with my persistence, but instead of charging at me, he turns for Flora. In a flash, his fingers are curled in her hair, yanking her head back as he holds a blade to her throat. “You’re forgetting who has the power here, Pet. You’re forgetting you don’t have a choice.”

“Then why aren’t you just fucking doing it?” I snap back, trying to hide the trembling in my bones at the sight of Flora in danger.

I’m pulled back by my hair as the door swings open behind me. The woman who leads the way isn’t someone I recognize, but my muscles ease at seeing who follows her.

Raiden. Kryll. Brody. Cassian.

My Kryptos.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I didn’t want to need them like this. Not after today, after what I did. But seeing them makes all the pain go away.

“Addi, baby?—”

“Ah, ah, ah, Dragon Boy. Step out of line and she gets punished,” the woman sneers, aiming a black fingertip my way.

I turn to Kryll, noting the rage boiling beneath his skin, but he clamps his lips shut and falls in line.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Raiden’s voice booms through the room, earning an eye roll from his mother, who seems less than impressed with his outburst.

“Raiden, shut up. The quicker this is over with, the quicker I can get out of here,” she grumbles, making my vampire sneer.

“Is the wine calling, Mother? Any work is too hard for you. Even something like this is incomprehensible to you. I should have guessed.”

“Watch your mouth, I?—”

“Enough! I sacrificed my niece for this. Now, do it,” Vallie’s uncle snaps, pointing at Brody’s father, who quickly steps into action.

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