Page 120 of The Cursed Kingdom

Kie steps toward me, and I tighten my grip on the knife.

I’m not being thoughtful in my actions, and I’ll most likely look back on this and regret it, but I’m not in a mental state to worry about that right now. I feel out of control, and my decisions reflect that.

“Abby…” Kie’s voice is soft, as if speaking to a child. I’m not going to fall for it. “Put down the knife before you hurt yourself.”

It’s too late for that. My thigh grows wet with blood.

I look between Kie and Mason, trying to determine who’s a bigger threat. Instinct tells me Mason, but I’m quickly learning not to trust my instinct. It hasn’t bode well for me so far.

Mason grunts. “Fuck this.”

He storms toward me, and I act without thinking. I twist my body toward him, and when he gets close, I sink my knife into his abdomen. He doesn’t evenattemptto stop me, and I fight back the urge to heave as the knife smoothly pushes through his skin and muscles.

I stare at where the handle presses against his stomach, struggling to believe that I’ve just stabbed him. I’ve never been in a fight, let alonestabbedsomebody.

Mason grabs my wrist and twists, continuing until I have no choice but to release the handle, leaving the knife in his abdomen. I’m faintly aware that Kie is shouting something as I cry out, but his words go in one ear and out the other as Mason throws me over his shoulder and carries me down the hallway.

The sudden jolt of being picked up and tossed around is enough to break me from my stupor, and I suck in what feels like my first breath in minutes before slamming my fists against Mason’s back.

“Put me down!”

Kie follows us, but he doesn’t interfere as Mason tosses me into the room Kie locked me in earlier.

I stumble, half-landing on the bed, and I fight past the burning in my thigh as I rush toward the door. I’m not fast enough, though, and I let out my loudest scream as it’s shut in my face.

Chapter Fifty

MASON

MY STOMACH STINGS, and I rip out Abby’s knife as I walk out of Kie’s and my home. I wasn’t anticipating Abby actually stabbing me, and I especially wasn’t expecting my cock to twitch when she did.

I like it when the human gets angry, particularly at me.

Kie follows, his footfalls loud as he walks two steps behind me. I could feel his magic surrounding the guest room earlier, and I gathered it was where he locked Abby up when I saw the dirty shoe prints covering the bottom half of the door.

Queen Gitta’s guard must have broken Kie’s magic seal, which he shouldn’t have let happen. Even in Kie’s weakened state, his magic should have held up. I was initially concerned, but after hearing him utter the nameLillian Collins, I know what happened.

He was distracted, and he let his hold slip.

“Where is she?” I ask.

Lillian. Fucking. Collins.

I knew the human had secrets, but I never imagined it would be this.

Memories of Kie, Lilly, and me playing in the fields surrounding the estate flash through my mind, but I brush them aside. We were young, and I’m no longer the short, foolish kid Iwas back then. Everybody thought Kie and I would marry Lilly when we came of age, but those plans fell through when she murdered King Malcolm.

What was Abby doing with her?

I grimace as I push together the skin on my chest, urging the stab wound to finish healing. The human was close to piercing my lung. One inch to the left, and she would’ve succeeded.

“Where is she?” I repeat.

Kie sighs, like he doesn’t want to answer me. I can’t imagine why. He was just as hurt as I was by Lilly’s betrayal, and he should be just as angry as I am.

“Kieran?”

“In the cells.”

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