Page 57 of Kill the Queens

Blood ran down Reed’s arm, coating her fingers where she'd held it up. The room was spinning as Farah dropped hisarm. Her breathing had become ragged. His was shallow. The thrill that raced through her was bittersweet when she grabbed the dagger up once more, this time holding it to his throat.

This was for the greater good, Farah reminded herself. This was how she made sure she survived whatever the Fae had in store for her and how she stuck around to protect her beloved country. She could do this. She would.

Closing her eyes, she yanked the blade across his neck. And listened to him die.

EIGHTEEN

Ace

Rehan and Ace left the horse tied to a tree at the edge of the woods. From there they'd traveled by foot until they reached the wall that surrounded Queen Farah's castle. It was a smaller version of the wall they'd just passed through when they'd made it back into Pasia. Maybe only tripple the height of Ace herself.

Ace squinted up the wall, the sun stinging her eyes. "Could you just magically let us through this wall too?"

Running his hand over the stone, Rehan chuckled. "No. I doubt there are wards as strong as the outer wall but I'm no warlock. I can't give either of us the ability to walk through walls. Or what the Fae were able to have their warlocks do with the other wall, they created a portal. You enter on one side, it spits you out on the other. Genius really."

"I thought the magic kept Fae from crossing it at all, portal or not."

"Oh, the Fae that came with me when we crossed before and the majority of Fae in King Osiris’s camp are half breeds. Fae mixed with human or warlock blood in some way or another. A nice little loophole in the spell allows them to cross."

Ace scrunched her nose. "And you…trust them?"

"I trust them to help me kill the queens. That's as far as my trust goes. As far as his proclamation that we'll one day reign, I'm not sure yet." Rehan looped his fingers into the edges of his pockets.“Truthfully, King Osiris has given me no reason to distrust him yet.”

"Do you want to be king?"

Rehan strolled toward her. "I believe the gods do."

"What do you want?" Her palms felt clammy as she stood still waiting for his answer. He frowned as if he'd never thought about that.

"I want to fulfill my destiny from the gods. I want to be with you in whatever capacity you want me." The toes of his boots were practically touching Ace's as he came to a stop. Taking his time, he brought a hand up and tipped Ace's chin. She didn't have to crane her neck in the way she did for Shelby.

His eyes kept leaving her gaze to watch her lips. Rehan let out a long sigh before dropping his hand. "I want to kiss you so bad."

"I don’t have to be able to hear your thoughts to know that. How can you want to kiss someone you hardly know?" The laugh she gave was weak and strained.

He shrugged. "I knew from the moment I was brought back that someone was waiting for me—you were waiting for me—and I was made to be with you. The desire comes naturally." He took a large step away, then pinned Ace with a playful stare. "I'll wait to kiss you until I'm the only man on your mind."

Ace pursed her lips. She supposed being desired was nice but her heart ached for Rehan because she didn't believe that would be possible. Not now. Not after she'd already begun to have feelings for someone else. Maybe it would be better to be with Rehan. It would be easier, that much was clear, but an easier path didn't necessarily equate to a happier path.

"Good to know." She pointed up the wall. "Now how are we getting over this?"

"Um, we are going to climb it."

"Climb it?" she said slowly. "Listen, the only thing I have practice climbing is rooftops and usually I have something to help me up. How am I supposed to climb this?"

"Well, the stones are all uneven, there are plenty of lips and ledges to cling to." He curled his fingers around one of those ledges to show Ace how it was done.

"I'm going to fall to my death today." She nodded. "This is how I die.Again."

"Not if I can help it." Rehan waved her toward the wall. "Come on. Up you go."

Dread made Ace feel as if she'd suddenly turned into lead, but she shuffled forward and found a place where she could place her foot to help push her up. Her hands ached in the familiar way they did when she climbed the lattice—but the lattice was easy to climb—as she continued to hoist her weight up higher and higher. Once there was a full body length between her and the ground and her legs weren’t trembling, Rehan followed behind her.

Shelby was on the other side of this wall. She had to remind herself with every move she made. She would make Queen Farah pay for his capture.

"When we get to the other side we'll be met with guards, no doubt—”

"If they aren't already waiting for us." Ace grunted.

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