Page 65 of When Day Breaks

He twitches with hesitation, knowing that he has no choice but to unveil his secret. But something feels suspicious. Almost performative in the way he reacts. I’ve always known Zharus to be strong in his convictions and willing to do whatever it takes to abide by my command. He’s never disappointed me up until this very moment where he seemed to have let his need for privacy pivot into a point of dishonesty and the way he’s reacting seems faulty to his character.

I've never seen him act so seedy and nervous before.

But I step forward to instruct his response.

“Now, Zharus,” I demand and he can’t even look at me as the forbidden whisper leaves his mouth.

"It's the king." My Factotum closes his eyes in shame and shrinks into himself as every vein in my body boils over with hot, white rage, feeling betrayal rise in my blood and the need to crush his skull surfaces rather quickly.

"Viktrum?" I question through gritted teeth and a low, growly tone. Fury crashes in my chest, causing me to flip over the side table that separates me from him.

I then find myself at his feet and lifting him up, crashing us against the wall on the opposite side of me. "You're sleeping with my enemy?" I shout, fury dripping from my tone as I grip him by his shirt and hold him inches off the ground to face me.

"He-I… I don't- Rivian I-" Zharus stutters and mumbles over his words as he shakes in my hold. I could end him right now. Rip out his heart and it would be over for him. No extra steps to rid of a vampire not of Royal blood. Just watch his body decay with his littered heart screaming for life next to him. His heart will outlive him, and that will be the punishment he deserves for daring to betray me and this kingdom.

But I can't act foolishly or hastily. I have to figure out what to do with him and I can't have my people thinking I've gone mad. Though they won't be too happy to find out that I let Zharus' actions slide for any reason. They have to know that I will seek retribution.

I release my hold on him and let him slink to the floor like a pathetic waste of skin and bones. I turn my back on him and take a few steps, rubbing my jaw as I think about what the fuck I'm supposed to do now.

"How long?" I ask, still seething at his confession.

"Since… since the be-beginning of the year," he admits, and nothing can stop that anger that churns inside me.

I turn to face him and point an accusatory finger his way. "So you mean to tell me that all the bullshit you fed me about the Rogue and the suspicions that Valor had; the claims you state come from your informant, they all came from Viktrum?" Disgust lines my face as the realization hits.

The whole time he gave me intel, the whole time he assisted me in seeking answers for the accusations that were made against us were by the very person he had been secretly visiting.

How did I miss this?

"I didn't know that he was going to accuse you or the Society. At first he told me about the attacks and swore he saw Travois and-"

I pick up a wooden chair and rip a leg from the bottom of it, not an ounce of hesitation eludes me as I send it flying straight into his stomach which causes him to sputter on his own fucking air.

I can't listen to this. Whatever excuse he plans to give will not be good enough to rid of the aching fury that I need to release. I could very well burn his fucking body and walk away not blinking an eye but I need to think straight. I have a meeting to be at in an hour and he was supposed to stand by my side as my trusty Factotum, not as some sordid traitor who thought getting his dick wet was more important than his duty to the kingdom.

"I am your king. Zharus. I find this to be a form of betrayal punishable by whatever force I deem necessary," I state in an unforgiving and rigid tone, preparing him for the discipline I plan to enforce.

"Please…" he grunts as he pulls the wood from his stomach, blood spurts out from the wound before slowly healing shut. "I can explain," he pleads and I find it offensive that he even thinks I want whatever sorry explanation he could give.

"I'm- I can-" he tries to stand as he finds the words he wants to say but instead I push him back up against the wall and he gasps. I know my Factotum is stronger than this, but he's not putting up a fight because he answers to me. So why did he feel brave enough to go behind my back and fuck the only person on this planet who seems to have a problem the way I run my kingdom?

I press my forearm into his collarbone, holding him tightly as I force his eyes to mine. "I have trusted you for the last twelve years of my life, and you have been sleeping with the one person who has done nothing but seek out the end of me and my kingdom. And for what, huh? I don't suppose you know why he is so hell bent on my downfall, do you?" I push further, squeezing him between me and whatever has his face twisting in pain on the wall behind him.

He doesn't break eye contact though, despite his weakness to fight against me. But before I can threaten him with another stake or plunge my hand into his chest, someone rushes through the door, splintering the wood as it breaks off its hinges and breathing harshly as they interrupt us.

We both look over to see that my sister, Troian, has busted her way through with a look of panic on her face.

"It's Lucynda," she exclaims, and I immediately let go of Zharus to rush out of the office. But before I get too far, I give my sister a serious glare and point to the weak betrayer slumped against the wall.

"Get him in the dungeon, chained…" Troy stops my thoughts with a harsh shake of her head. "She'sdown there." And that's when I know my wife's curse has resurfaced, the only reason to chain her would be of that revelation.

Defeat plagues me.

I need to keep Zharus locked up but the last place I want him is in the same room as my wife.

"The Vitrival," I state surely, knowing damn well that such device is sinister and of a torture like no other. "Get him in the Vitrival and make sure he has no way of getting out." Troy nods at my request before I continue, "Then meet me in the Center Hall," I insist before I leave.

She tries to say more to me, but I brush her off to find my wife.

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