Page 140 of Crown of Slumber

She fell to her knees, a stream of scarlet now pouring from her lips. “I would… rather die… than lose this… crown,” she choked. “And y-you did this… to me… Fennick.You…” She wheezed, spitting up more droplets of blood. Her eyes grew unfocused as she murmured, “At least… the work… is done.”

She slumped over, blood pooling from her form as she jerked once, then went still.

I could do nothing but stare, shock numbing my entire body as I watched the life leave her eyes.

Mother was dead. And I had killed her.

Soldiers gathered up Mother’s body. It didn’t take long for the council to spring into action, peppering me with questions about a funeral and a formal coronation ceremony. I didn’t remember speaking at all, but somehow, I answered their questions and made it through the day.

Only when I was alone in my chambers did I allow myself to feel. And I felt all of it. The regret. The rage. The shame. Pain and sorrow exploded within me, and I fell to my knees, sobbing so hard my throat ached and my chest burned. Tears streamed down my face, but I let them come, furious and ashamed with myself forfeelinganythingfor the savage woman who had once been my mother.

She was a monster. Deep down, I knew she deserved to die.

But she was still my mother. And, as much as I didn’t want to, I mourned that loss. I mourned the mother she could have been; the mother I had always believed her to be.

And I mourned the Fennick who had died with her—the version of myself who thought he could let her rule forever, who believed he never needed to assume her responsibilities or play this role.

Those days were over. I would never be the same again.

And for that, I wept.

I only took a moment to grieve. After that, there was no time. There was too much to be done.

My thoughts were constantly on Aurelia. As soon as I could get away, I raced downstairs to the dungeons to search for her. The guards immediately turned over the keys to me.

“Aurelia!” I cried out, peering into every cell as I ran past.

But she wasn’t there.

With each stride, panic built up more and more in my chest. Had Mother moved her? Had she had her killed?

And I would never know, because my mother was dead.

Shit, shit,shit…

The final cell, our largest one, held a very cramped and restless Mal. He thrashed against the metal bars when he saw me, the loud clangs bouncing off the dank walls.

“Mal!” I drew closer, and he fixed his golden eyes on me, grumbling something I couldn’t understand. “Mal, where is she?Where is she?”

He roared, pushing more fervently against the bars.

I fumbled with the keys, trying three different ones before I was able to unlock the cell. The metal door groaned as it slid open, and Mal immediately bounded forward. It was only thanks to his massive size that I was able to follow him; he had to wriggle and squeeze to make it through the dungeon, which slowed him down.

As soon as we were up the stairs and in the courtyard, he tookoff, his wings spreading wide as he rose several feet in the air. Several people screamed, cowering and covering their heads with their arms. The guards swarmed, swords drawn, but I threw up a hand to stop them.

“No!” I shouted. “It’s fine. He won’t hurt anyone.” I gazed up at the sky, following Mal’s dark shape. “Mal!” I shouted, waving my arms frantically. “Mal,wait!”

But he was in a frenzy, desperate to find Aurelia, and it was as if he couldn’t hear me. He soared higher and higher, but he lingered by the stone walls of the castle. I frowned, squinting at him, until he drew closer to a window on the fourth floor, his wings beating to keep him hovering in the air.

He growled, baring his teeth, his eyes flashing. As his head swiveled down so he could glance at me, I understood. My heart gave a painful jolt in my chest, and I was running before I knew what I was doing, legs pumping furiously as I bolted up the flights of stairs, barely pausing to catch my breath. I flew down the hallway, counting doors until I reached the one with the window facing the courtyard. The one Mal had been looking into when he’d been flying.

When I reached the door, I found it locked. With an angry roar, I aimed a high kick and slammed my foot into the door repeatedly. On the third blow, the wood splintered, and it banged open.

I raced inside, stopping short at the sight before me. Aurelia was lying motionless on the bed, her hands clasped demurely before her and her eyes closed. Her face was paler than death, making the freckles stand out against her skin. She was so still, it didn’t even look like she was breathing.

I hurried to her side, taking one of her hands in mine. It was ice cold. “Aurelia?” I whispered.

She did not respond.

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