Page 64 of A Kingdom of Destruction

Adrenaline sluggishly left her system, although its claw marks remained.

For some reason, the male had seen her using the runes and taken personal offense to it. So Roran killed him. She had it completely under control, but if he hadn’t done the dirty deed, she most certainly would have, and the results would be the same.

No.

That was a lie. She nearly died. And she was too proud to admit it. To thank Roran.

Wait. She’d just left the body there?

Shit.

Aven bolted from the tub and hardly had her robe wrapped around her by the time she made it to the door.

Pulling it open, she met the eyes of a soldier, staring straight down his nose at her. The guard on the other side of the doorway maintained his forward posture, but she felt his reproachful energy on her regardless. She yipped, choking down the sound,and slammed the door shut again. Roran had sent the guards to her. There would be no sneaking out to move the body.

Besides, where would she go with it? What could she do?

Without Roran’s presence, the fight went out of her. And without the heat of her anger, the adrenaline and desire to survive, she hollowed out. She somehow managed to get into bed on wobbly legs, climbing under the sheets with her hands in a death grip on them.

Sleep barely came before Nora woke her in the morning and dragged Aven out of bed. She blinked through the grit in her eyes as her lady’s maid helped her dress.

“You’re quiet today,” Aven said at last in the silence. Her own voice shook. “Is something wrong?”

Her stomach tightened as she waited for Nora to say something—anything. A simple “No, everything is fine” or “I didn’t sleep well” would have been normal, but the words never came.

“You’re going before His Majesty this morning.” Nora whispered, then pursed her lips, her eyes round like it was a secret she shouldn’t have blabbed out loud. “I’m to get you ready.”

King Donal. Aven said nothing, knowing exactly what waited for her.

What was there to say?

Nora wouldn’t know any more about it than Aven did. Less, as Nora wasn’t there last night during the fight. Rather than argue, Aven stood, her chin drawn high.

Every action had its consequence. Aven had been foolish enough to let her emotions guide her, and now she had to facethe fallout. If they imprisoned her, so be it—she was already a prisoner. If they killed her, at least her men wouldn’t die trying to save her. If they tortured her, maybe she’d finally pay for the deaths of her siblings. There was nothing they could do to her that would surprise her. That she wouldn’t deserve.

Once Nora finished getting her dressed, she led the way toward the throne room. The doors leading into the vast chamber were open, the room pale and empty looking without the decorations from the party. She hadn’t been in there since.

A small part of her curled up into a solid ball inside as she prepared for the worst. There could be only one reason for this surprise meeting. Well, two, if she considered the way they’d all been putting off the Fae King’s decree to choose one of his sons.

It would be foolish to reveal her fear to him. He probably smelled it, regardless.

She chose to swagger into the room alone.

An assembled crowd of fae nobles stood sprinkled among the space.

Jewels hung like chandeliers over the necks of several of the women, and many of them wore clothes finer than even her sisters would have managed. Although no one escorted her further, Nora stopping at the doorway, Aven cut her own path to the throne.

She kept her head held up and her focus on a small spot to the left. Another few steps until she made it to the front of the dais and dragged her eyes over.

King Donal lounged across his throne with his fingers tapping the curved sides of the chair. His sons stood on either side of him, one silver, one gold. Both of them stared at her, but only Roran’s sneer mimicked the one etched into his father’s cruel features. The expression didn’t reach higher.

She wanted to mistake the flash of fear on his face for something else when her heart went cold.

Cillian, on the other hand, tensed. Ready to erupt out of his skin.

“It’s a surprise you can even meet my eyes, Princess,” the King said at last.

His lilting voice gave her the creeps and filled her with venom.

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