Page 141 of The Throne's Undoing

Kallie absently felt Graeson squeeze her hand, but she barely registered it. Her pulse was thumping in her ears, louder and louder.

She wasn't ready.

She wasn't--

"And?" Graeson asked, his voice cutting through the noise of her heart ricocheting beneath her ribcage.

"And that upon your return, you shall face the court on the grounds of possible treason."

Kallie didn't know when she had stood, but her legs shook beneath her as she stared at Medenia, her mouth agape as she struggled to understand what was happening. She jumped as Dani's hands smacked against the table.

"Treason?" Dani shouted. "You have got to be kidding."

Kallie heard a noise beside her, but she didn't turn to look. She felt someone's hand brush her own, but she could not take her eyes off the letter that Medenia held out to Dani.

"I am not," Medenia said as Dani took the letter from her. "According to the queen, you all went against her orders, and asa result, a war is on the cusp of breaking out because of your actions."

Before Kallie knew what she was doing, she ran from the room, her heart in her lungs as shouts erupted behind her. But Kallie did not stay to hear what they said, not even when someone called her name.

As the tears ran down her face, she already knew.

Chapter 46

GRAESON

Graeson couldn't tearhis focus away from Kalisandre's retreating figure. Just as he began to follow her, Dani's sharp voice stopped him in his tracks.

"This is all her fault," Dani spat.

Graeson turned toward her, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. "Do not blame Kalisandre for this," he said, rage boiling in his veins.

Dani huffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "All the destruction, all the lives lost over the past few months arebecauseof her. We know it, and she knows it. It does us no good to lie about it. A few meals, some trivial conversations, and simple training sessions do not erase the past."

"Dani," Terin growled, his gaze flicking to Graeson as he scooted back his chair. "This is not--"

"Not the time?" Dani asked, fury rising to her face. "It isneverthe time!"

"You cannot put this all on Kallie," Terin snapped, his voice taking on a foreign edge. "You wanted to come here, as well. You wanted your revenge just as much as we wanted to save her. One person is not to blame for the fate of the seven kingdoms!"

"One person can make all the difference, though," Dani countered, her lip curling in disgust. "Onepersoncan set things into motion. Did you not hear your mother? We are being charged withtreason."

"Perhaps we should--" Sylvia carefully started, standing as well, but Dani talked over them as if Sylvia hadn't even spoken at all.

"All it takes is one person to slither their way into your home and take everything you know and love away from you! Hasn't she caused enough harm?" she demanded.

Fury propelled Graeson forward, his feet carrying him around the table toward where Dani stood.

But Dani did not retreat. She did not take back her words. She only dug her heels further into the ground. "Coming to protect your precious little soul bond?" Dani challenged, quirking a brow.

A feral noise vibrated in his throat as the blinding rage of the beast rose even higher. Graeson stepped forward before Ellie pressed a firm hand against his chest, stepping between them. He scowled at her hand, glaring.

She dares stand in our way?the god within roared, furious.

He heard someone--Sylvia, perhaps--whisper, "Soul bond?"

But he ignored her, just as Dani did.

"Does she know yet?" Dani asked, a slight smirk twitching at the corner of her lip. "Based on how she acted when I mentioned soul bonds several weeks ago, my guess is no. She had no idea what they even were." She chuckled darkly. "I wonder how that conversation is going to go."

---