Page 125 of The Cursed Kingdom

I shake my head. “There is no relationship. He kidnapped me and attempted to give me to Zaha. That’s about as far as it goes.”

The corners of the queen’s lips twitch upward before settling back into their usual position. She’s happy Kie tried to sell me.Bitch.

“So you’ve not touched my son?” Queen Gitta asks. I physically recoil, which seems to be enough of an answer for her. “I’m relieved to hear that.” She gestures haphazardly toward her guards. “Take her to the cells and report to me what you find there.”

Her guards don’t move. I’m not entirely surprised. A shifter with anger issues attacked the last guard in charge of transporting me. Tense silence stretches, and I greatly enjoy the flush that rises up Queen Gitta’s neck.

I don’t understand why she brought me all the way here to ask only three questions. This conversation could have easily happened back in Kie’s quarters, but I’m sure she has her reasons. Maybe she wanted everybody to see me paraded through the compound like a prisoner. With my torn, dirty clothes and several visible wounds, I sure fit the part.

Queen Gitta stands, and a guard rushes forward. He’s tall, with white hair and violet eyes, and I flinch as he grabs my arm in a painfully tight grip. I’m tired of all the grabbing, and I stumble over my feet as he begins pulling me from the building.

My thigh is stinging again.

I’ve been so distracted I completely forgot I cut it, but now that I’ve noticed the sting, I realize how bad it’s grown. Hiding that knife in my leggings was a risky move, I knew that, and it didn’t pay off. Mason hardly reacted when I stabbed him, and now I have blood trailing down my leg.

At least I’m being brought to the cells, I guess. I’ll get to see Lill, and she can tell me what the fuck is going on. She better. Otherwise, I’m going to bludgeon her to death.

We can work together to find a way out of here. Once she’s had a chance to fill up on magic and regain her health, I’m going to whore her out to a guard. These faeries aren’t interested in me, and even in Lill’s weakened state, she’s more beautiful than all the women here.

She can sleep with a guard and convince him to help us escape.

I trekked through a forest filled with shifters and trolls for her, so she can spread her legs for us. Besides, faerie men are attractive and I’ve seen some of the guys she’s hooked up with in the past. This is a considerable upgrade.

The guard drags me down several pathways, his grip on my arm tightening with every step. By the time we make it to the building I recognize leads to the cells, I’m sure my bicep is littered with tiny, finger-shaped bruises.

There’s a guard already posted up outside the front door, and he steps in front of it as we approach. I eye his muscular torso and long white hair, mentally debating my chances of winning in a fight against him.

They’re low.

“The princes have asked for privacy,” he says. “Come back later.”

Are they inside with Lill right now?

This is good. Lill and I can work together to convince them she’s innocent of whatever they’re accusing her of. Lill’s in noposition to defend herself, so I’ll do it for her. She could barely hold a conversation when I left, and I can only imagine how much worse she’s gotten in the time I’ve been gone.

The guard holding me grunts. “I’m acting on the queen’s orders.”

There’s a long moment of silence as the guards stare at one another, and I wince when the one holding me pinches my arm.

“Hey,” I hiss, flinching. “That hurts!”

The guard blinks, and the door to the building flies open.

Chapter Fifty-Two

KIERAN

MASON LEANS AGAINST the bars of Lillian’s cell. She’s finally awake, but it doesn’t appear it has been that way for long. She rubs at her eyes, her movements slow and groggy.

I shift my weight from foot to foot, anxious for answers. Answers only she and her mother can give.

“Lilly.” Mason is the first to speak. “How nice to see you again.”

It’s odd hearing him use her childhood nickname. I forgot he used to call her that, especially considering I never did. Mason was closer to Lillian than I ever was.

Her arms shake as she pushes herself into a sitting position, and she winces as she scoots back and leans against the far wall. The lashes covering her back have yet to heal, and I imagine it will take several hours more until they do.

I applied some salve to them while she was unconscious, but there’s only so much I can do. There’s little magic in the cells, and I’m guessing she doesn’t have much stored inside her to aid her healing.

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