Page 92 of Steel Heart Iron Claws

Even the damn squirrels fall silent as everyone turns to Sabine.

Face pale, she stutters, “It’s—it’s true. The bloodtaster verified it before my own eyes. I know this man to be trustworthy beyond doubt. He and I were—to be married.” She gently strokes the twine around her fourth finger. “Iyre can verify it. She took his memories.”

“Iyre?” Vale asks.

Iyre takes a long time inspecting an imaginary crumb under her fingernail. “I did not see the bloodtaster with my own eyes.”

The hot anger I feel for her crushes against my skull, making my fingers curl so hard into fists that I’m afraid the bones will shatter.

“You ruined my life!” Unable to control myself, I lunge toward her with a growl. I win a few feet until Captain Tatarin signals to the guards, and the iron chains pull taut. Another metallic snap echoes through the hall.

Gasps ring out from the guests.

Sabine’s hand flies to her collar, her face going ghostly white, terror-stricken.

Iyre only offers the hint of a smirk.

“Enough!” Vale’s thunderous voice makes the floor shake.

I bite back my hatred of Iyre, letting it simmer into hot coals in my belly as I fight to keep my breath steady.

“If I may, Majesty,” Captain Tatarin says with a bow, her soft presence diffusing the tension. “I might be able to offer some evidence to support Lord Basten’s claim. He was captured with a horse…and a monoceros.”

Sabine’s lips part in soft surprise.

Vale strokes his metallic beard before finally signaling to Captain Tatarin. “Bring the animals.”

“Here?” she says, gazing up at the crystal chandeliers. “Inside?”

“Here.”

She leaves with a few guards, and soon, the clatter of hooves sounds in the hallway. Captain Tatarin enters, leading Myst and Tòrr by ropes in each hand.

The human guests in the hall murmur in confusion. They see two horses, not a horse and a monoceros.

But the moment the fae set eyes on Tòrr?

All five of them jump to attention as though I’ve dropped a powder keg in their party.

In a way, I guess Ihave.

Artain springs upright from the table, knocking over a bottle of honey wine. Iyre’s eyelids flare. Even the fey lines on Vale’s limbs pulse.

“By your reaction, I assume you can see beyond the beast’s glamour,” I say, stretching out my jaw. “I stole him from King Rian. I’ve traveled with him in daylight for a week—as you can see, I’m still alive. He would have incinerated a spy.”

Whispers spread through the hall, and my ears pick up on every one of them.

The horse is glamoured… It’s a monoceros… Look—dawn rises outside!

Vale twists toward the early morning sun rising through the windows. “Samaur—bring night. Now.”

“It’s only just dawn.” The God of Day brushes aside a crow to reach out the window. “We’ll lose an entire day’s worth of light.”

“I don’t fucking care! Do it now! That monoceros can burn the castle to ash!”

Samaur casts one more doubtful look at the rising sun before bringing his hands together in a clap. Orange-gold fey shoots out from his palms toward the open window. The echo of his clap makes the water glasses tremble.

The rising sun skyrockets across the sky from east to west. The shadows change. The sky brightens, then dims. The animals throughout the Hall of Vale run for cover, alarmed.

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