Page 50 of The Blood Crown

Valea had become the king’s daughter once more, squaring her shoulders, a swaggering stride that seemed to transform her back into the female that had delivered them before her king just weeks ago. A look on her beautiful face that brooked no question of her authority here—her stare enough to send anyone who glanced their way back into the shadows of the halls.

“Leah, was it?” Karro drawled from where he kept pace beside her.

“Va-lay-uh,” she bit off in irritation, eyes scanning the main artery of the mountain keep. “Too many syllables for you?”

Even from beneath the heavy hood, Aurelia caught a glimpse of the bottom half of Karro’s rugged face, his lips lifting into a grin at the prospect of a battle.

“A beautiful name,” he murmured. “The name of a queen of old.”

The fierce female didn’t have a cutting reply to that, but Aurelia could have sworn the slightest shade of pink stained her alabaster skin.

“Shit—” Valea hissed.

A silver-haired male and a handful of others appeared at the other end of the hall, walking toward them.

The Captain jerked her sharp chin toward the tunnel branching off at their left, but it was too late—ducking into the shadows now would damn them.

The male approached, putting a fist to his chest. “Captain—I thought you’d be with your sentries on patrol by now.” He glanced at the hooded Wraiths behind her, eyes lingering on Ven’s lowered head.

Valea squared her shoulders, the mask of the king’s justice back in place. Imperious and cold, calculating and cruel as she answered, “I have my orders and my sentries have theirs—neither of which concerns you, Cassis.”

But her bravado didn’t seem to sway the male as he studied them, suspicion narrowing his eyes.

One of the males behind him took a step closer to Karro, nostrils flaring as if he scented the lie.

Aurelia's pulse hammered as the male leaned closer—too close. In a swift movement, the male ripped the hood from Karro’s head, revealing the jet-black hair and bronze skin beneath.

Karro’s hand went to the hilt of his broadsword as the male took a step back, reaching for his own.

Ven's crimson eyes lifted to Cassis.

“What is this?” Cassis asked, drawing his blade and leveling it at Ven's chest.

“That would be ill-advised, Cassis.” Valea cautioned, removing her own blade. “You saw what happened to your fatherfor plotting against the king—I can guess what your fate will be if you kill the heir to the blood crown.”

This must have been Roheer’s son. And now that Aurelia looked closer at the male, she could see the similarities in the set of his shoulders. The resolve in the hard line of his jaw.

Cassis turned toward his men, hand bursting into flame as a cruel grin curved his mouth. “Fate has smiled upon me—offering up both of the king’s children in payment for my father’s death.”

Two of the males closed in on Valea as flame twirled from her fingertips, scorching their finely made clothing and filling the tunnel with the scent of burning flesh.

“You bitch,” Cassis roared. “King’s favored bastard or not, I will take pleasure in killing you for what you did to my father.”

“Your father brought about his own death with his carelessness,” Valea spat as her fire battled against his. She was clearly the stronger of the two, her magick engulfing Cassis’ as the male grimaced from the effort of pushing her back.

Karro’s blade slid free with a metallic hiss as he gutted the male in front of him in a single, graceful movement, but soon the others were upon them.

Ven lashed out with shadows, coiling around the throats of a male and female nearby, forcing them to drop their weapons and claw helplessly at their necks.

Two others had cornered Aurelia. She couldn’t control her magick in such a confined space—it was too much of a risk. She ducked, sweeping the legs out from one of the males. The strike swept the legs out from one of the males, but the other came forward, pinning her to the floor.

Reaching for the dagger at her side, she grasped blindly as the male pinned down her other arm. Hooking a booted foot around his hip, she threw him off, finally sliding the blade free. She struck wildly, plunging it into his chest, his arm, his leg—until finally his movements slowed.

She whipped around, finding her feet again. Cassis’ back was toward her, one hand holding a dagger to Ven's throat, the other engulfed in flames that licked close enough to Ven's face to make a bead of sweat roll from his brow.

Karro and Valea dropped their weapons, hands raised in surrender. The others were dead at their feet—but echoing footsteps and raised voices told her more had been drawn by the commotion.

“A new era will begin this night,” Cassis uttered. Fire flared around his hand, singeing the side of Ven's face.

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