Page 56 of Twin Crowns

“The misunderstanding is yours,” said Rowena, flinging another rock. “If you think a witch-hating princess is welcome here, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“What do you think, Cathal?” Bryony smirked at the blond-haired boy. “Is she a good trade for Wren?”

Cathal rounded on Rose. “I’d have to taste her to see. What do you reckon, Grady?”

The other boy pretended to retch. “I’d sooner kiss my own toes than a stinking Valhart.”

“Nah. She’s got nothing on our Wren,” said Bryony.

Rose attempted to sidestep them. “I must get back to the festivities.”

Rowena shoved her toward the ocean. The four witches closed in on her, making a wall of their bodies.

The waves lapped at Rose’s knees. “I... I command you to let me pass!”

The witches looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

“You’re not our princess,” sneered Rowena.

“And you’llneverbe our queen.” Cathal spat at Rose, the glob hitting her cheek.

Rose furiously scrubbed it away. “I could throw you in the dungeons for that!”

“I’d like to see you try without your precious army. You wouldn’t stand a chance against him.” Rowena nudged Cathal. “Go on. Show her.”

Cathal smirked as he picked up a fistful of sand, and Rose flinched, waiting for him to throw it. But instead he began to speak.

“From earth to dust, I take from you, every breath until you’re blue.”

He opened his fist, but the sand never fell.

“What are—” Rose wheezed as her lungs constricted. She gasped for air but found none. She stumbled to her knees with a splash, clawing desperately at her throat.

They all began to laugh, and though there were older witches watching through the flames, no one came to her aid. Rose crawled through the shallows, her head pounding as her vision darkened at the edges. She was going to die on this beach, with these witches cackling at her. She would never make it home and she would never be Queen. The world slipped out from under her—and with it, her future—until all she could hear was the cruel echo of their laughter and the slow thud of her heartbeat as it gave up.

And then suddenly, Shen was pushing his way through.

“Get back.Move.Rose? Rose, can you hear me?” He lifted her, and she sagged against him, too weak to stand on her own. He took one look at her, then spun on the others. “Fix it.Now.”

“I’ll do it.” Bryony grabbed a fistful of sand and flung it at Rose,uttering a hurried incantation under her breath.

Rose’s lungs expanded with a painful wheeze. She found her footing, gulping hungrily at the air as the world shifted back into focus.

Shen cracked his knuckles. “Who did that to her?”

“Aw, come on, Shen,” said Cathal, backing up. “We’re just having a bit of fun.”

Shen’s voice was dangerously quiet. “It didn’t look like fun to me.”

“We weren’t going to take it all the way,” said Rowena blithely. “She would have been fine.”

Shen’s eyes flashed. “She’s Wren’ssister.”

“You know she hates us,” said Rowena. “We’d all be dead if she had her way.”

“And what do you care anyway?” challenged Grady. “Didn’t Wren tell you not to seduce her sister?”

“She also told me to protect her.” Shen stepped forward, putting himself between Rose and the witches. “If you have a problem with that, take it up with Banba.”

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