Page 61 of The Throne's Undoing

And within its wave, pain and anguish mixed, tainting the flood of emotion. The man jerked, tugging at the restraints that held each limb to the table.

His bloodshot brown eyes widened as he screamed around the gag lodged into his mouth. When Myra's gaze met the stranger's, he strained against the restraints, a plea slipping from his eyes and muffled in his throat.

Myra tried to take another step back, but her legs were frozen.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't speak.

Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw Dr. Thorne remove a needle from the man's neck. The stranger's head fell to the side.

The king snatched her wrist and tugged her close. "This is why you are here," he hissed.

Only a hint of annoyance showed on the king's face as if this man's outburst was not unordinary. As if her entire body hadn't felt like it was frozen in ice. Who was this stranger?

Terror coated her limbs as she looked from the king to the man.

"The creatures we saw in Frenzia were only the beginning. With the combination of my research, Frenzia's advancements,and your gift, we will make history. Kalisandre's gift needed more fine-tuning before I could get her involved. You, on the other hand," the king mused, his brown eyes brewing with malice and greed. "Your gifts are similar enough. You will do what Kalisandre could not."

Myra's eyes widened, but she kept her mouth shut out of fear of making things worse for her brother.

"All we need you to do is calm his mind. Think of it as bringing him peace."

Myra swallowed as she was forced to accept the hand she was dealt.

"Who is he?" Myra asked quietly.

"Who heisdoes not matter. What matters is what he will become."

Chapter 18

KALLIE

"It's not fair!"Kallie shouted, her fists slamming against the ground.

"What's not fair?" a boy much taller than her, with shaggy black hair, asked. He peered at her with silver eyes, his brows drawing together and a wrinkle creasing the center of his forehead.

"I'm too little!" Kallie said through the tears that began to roll down her cheeks.

"Little?" the boy repeated, brow arching curiously.

Kallie nodded, biting her lip.

Her brothers had already sprinted ahead, their legs longer and stronger than hers. Even though she had tried to run faster, Kallie couldn't keep up. They were four years older than her and over twice her size.

It wasn't fair. She wanted to play with them, to be as fast as them.

But every time she ran after them, they hurried away, faster and faster than she could force her feet to go.

The boy looked at Kallie. Unlike when the adults around her peered at her, he didn't look down at her. He sank to the ground, propping himself up on one knee.

While he wasn't her brother, he lived in the castle with them. When Kallie had asked her mother where his family was, her mother said they were his family since his mother had left this world long ago. Although Kallie didn't understand what that meant, she didn't mind him being around, for he was always kind to her.

When her brothers would push her down or run away from her, he was always at her side, pulling her up. He didn't have to. She wasn't his responsibility.

Her brothers were the ones who were supposed to be taking care of her; at least, that's what her mother and the caretakers reminded the young princes before they traipsed through the castle's forest like hooligans.

Yet the boy with the sad silver eyes and raven-black hair was always the one who made sure Kallie didn't get hurt and left behind.

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