Page 85 of King of the Unsightly

And nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

Kaschel’s demeanor turned placid as the vines snatched and crawled up all his limbs and slammed him against the wall with all skeletons adorned in diamonds and rubies, positioning him as the centerpiece.

Kaschel hung there like a spectacle for all to witness.

“Wait!” I cried out.

I didn’t truly grapple with what I had done to him until it was too late—until everything slipped through my fingers and faded from view as I fell through the floor, and dropped to the front entrance of where it all began.

A Brewing Storm

Iwasn’t prepared.Not nowand especially not when that crucial moment came, and I desperately needed to stay level-headed. Someone’s life hung in the balance, and I was the puppeteer who held all the strings. Maybe I could have saved Kaschel but instead, I cut all his lines and let him take the fall.

I made a judgment call where I knew no matter what route I took the outcome would never be in my favor, yet I couldn’t help but be repulsed by my actions.

Now I had to live with myself for what I had done.

“Where is he?” Ryas asked, concern leaking from her voice. When I stood there silent, I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she pursed her lips. “Where is Kaschel?” she asked again with more malice.

Levisus stepped closer to Ryas’s side. His deep purple eyes harbored a despondency in them as he ruffled his short silver hair. He was a wreck, a stark difference from when I first met him.

Levisus lowered his dark brows as he placed a hand on Ryas’s shoulder. “Hey, calm down. There has to be a solid explanation. Right?” He glanced in my direction, and all I could do was stare blankly at him.

Levisus was acting sensible, and I honestly didn’t think he could be anything other than an overly flirtatious playboy.

Ryas huffed in aggravation as she crossed her arms.

Before I could say anything, Gren stepped in front of me and blocked them from prying any further. His obsidian hair reflected the sun’s brilliance—and I lost it as an ache gradually gnawed at my insides and twisted my stomach until I felt nothing but a numbing sensation.

I buried my face into his shirt hoping to feel something, anything but it was only cold and relentless.

And just when I thought I was in control of all my emotions, Gren wrapped his strong arms around me and patted my head, and I lost all control.

He didn’t utter a single word as I unleashed all my miseries on him.

He squeezed me tight, and I nestled my head more into his chest. I couldn’t form a coherent sentence or answer. It was like every time I tried, my throat constricted.

And I couldn’t face Ryas or Levisus in this state.

Not now. Not when it was all too fresh.

Levisus lost any chance of setting his brother free, and I had no idea how far Ryas’s connection to Kaschel went orhow deep.

All I knew was I was no better than Jared.

No better than the killer of the mangled corpse we saw in the cabin. No better than the witches stalking and tormenting me.

No better than the trickster bastard himself.

I played into his trap. Hook, line, and sinker.

I might as well have taken Kaschel’s sword out of its sheath and stabbed him in the back with it.

Again and again and again.

My mind twisted what I did, attempting to justify it, like sacrificing someone else was forgivable.You barely knew Kaschel. You had no other choice. Kaschel wouldn’t have given you the keys if you asked. Lucien was waiting for you. Have you forgotten? You still needed to save him.

My lungs revolted against me, and I gasped in between my cries of pain.

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