Page 103 of The Shadowbound King

“As you have?” Othor spat. He gave a bitter laugh. “The whole Embervale buzzes with news of your”—Othor’s mouth twisted—“alliance with Mirella.”

Rane pressed the knife harder against his throat. “You don’t get to say her name, you filth.”

Othor’s gaze was steady, his smile vicious. “Once again, you think with your cock instead of your head. And you’ve infected Andrin, ensuring he does the same. I told Larinor to sell you while he had the chance. Once you caught the prince’s eye, you were bound to be trouble. But he wouldn’t listen, and you wormed your way into Andrin’s bed, convincing him to free you and the rest of the shadow spawn.”

Rane’s eyes widened. “Is that what this is about? You turned traitor because you didn’t want Andrin to free us?”

“I didn’t want a king who beds down with a slave!” Othor snarled. “Autumn deserves better. I’m a Verdalis. The throne should be mine. Walto was supposed to carry the Kree into Andulum, where I could retrieve it once Andrin weakened.”

“But he didn’t do that,” I said, grim satisfaction joining my anger. “He helped you betray me. And then he betrayed you.”

“He’s impatient and greedy,” Othor said. “And I was a fool to forget the vanity of men. Once he started to age, he panicked. He was always clever. He read everything I wrote, memorizing spells and learning magic. The Kree was dying at Purecliff, its light fading. Walto was supposed to summon me so I could save it. Instead, he found a way to keep the Kree alive.”

I looked down at Mirella, wonder and fear twining through me. How could I have been so blind? A new vision formed in my head, the image wholly mine. Mirella swung in her cage with sunlight behind her and a book in her hands. I’d been unable to keep my eyes off her that day.

She’d been haloed in light.

Now I knew shewaslight. The heart of Autumn beat within her.

Othor’s grunt drew my gaze back to him and Rane.

“How do we get the Kree out of Mirella?” Rane demanded.

Othor hesitated. For the first time, fear flashed in his eyes.

“How?” Rane growled, pressing the blade against Othor’s jugular. “You’re the best healer we have. Save her life, or I’ll take yours.”

Dread trailed icy fingers down my spine. I held Othor’s gaze. “If you want to live, tell me how to save her.”

Othor swallowed. “You can’t,” he said finally, his voice hollow. “If you remove the Kree to save the Edeloak, Mirella will die. And if you leave it in her, Autumn will die. You can’t do both.”

Denial blazed within me. A howl thrashed in my chest, desperate to roar until every tree in Autumn shook.

“Andrin,” Othor said, his voice hard. “You have to choose.”

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

MIRELLA

Leaves tumbled through the air above me.

So beautiful.

I reached for them—and discovered I couldn’t move my arm. I couldn’t move anything. Numbness spread through me.

But I could still feel the heat of Andrin’s skin as he lifted my hand and pressed it to his cheek. Gold smeared my fingers.

“You’ll get it in your beard,” I said, my voice sluggish in my ears.

“You can wash it out for me later,” he said.

A smile tugged at my lips. We both knew that wasn’t going to happen. But it was nice to pretend.

Rane appeared on my other side, his purple eyes stark in his pale face. A leaf dusted his hair before slowly vanishing. Behind him, Othor slumped on the ground.

“Did you kill him?” I asked Rane.

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