Page 4 of Blood of Two Crowns

Turning on my heel, I strode towards the exit. Zurie shrieked in protest behind me.

“Wait! You can’t keep me here!”

Glancing over my shoulder, I stopped in the doorway, where my beloved and loyalolana kah’heiwaited for me. Thalia remained notably out of sight. “I can. You are no longer a Queen, and the sooner you accept that, the easier your sorry life will beifI decide to let you live.”

The heavy dungeon door slammed shut with an ominous finality. Thalia strode closely beside me as we made our way back into the palace’s northern wing. Though she said nothing, something inside me prickled with unease at her closeness. I didn’t trust her. The more time I spent in her presence, themore certain I became of that. Even if my Knowingness had gone silent again. Probably to spite me after myaltercationwith Mareina.

You tried to kill her,it hissed.

Guilt and anger warred within me. Her betrayal was something that I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to ever forget. Forgive one day, yes. We had a kingdom to rule together, after all. But forget? No.

Not to mention, I couldn’t help but resent the fact she was with that blonde fae fucker.

A piercing burn seared my fingers, dragging my gaze to my hands. My newly grown claws lengthened to beastly proportions. Blood trickled to the floor, leaving a trail behind us as we walked back to my rooms.

Fuck.

How would the people of Atratus accept me as a monster?

I’d spent my whole life glamoring away my wings, tail, and solid black eyes. I’d dreamed of one day being able to live freely without having to hide my true form. Just as my nightmares had foretold, I’d become something even more terrifying to behold. The feathers of my wings had vanished and become membranous like a bat’s. Black, stone-hard plating had risen from bone and pierced the skin on either side of my brow like a dark crown adorning my black, gazelle-like horns.

I looked like a demon.

But I was tired of hiding.

Monster or not, Mareina and Atratuswillaccept me.

Val and Lokus walked beside me, flicking me concerned glances before locking eyes briefly with the rest of myolana kah’hei.

Val silentlywilleda handkerchief into his hand and passed it to me.

“Fuck me, mate. Are you alright?” Lokus asked.

Pomona smacked him on the back of the head.

“Yes… Fine.”

Lokus gave me a bored look. “Fine?”

“Lay off it, ya cunt,” Val growled in warning.

“Fuck off. He needs to talk about it. The male’s been through?—

“Yes.Fine,”I snapped, my patience for bickering nonexistent,“I’m just adjusting.”

Lokus heaved a sigh. “Right. Well, on that note, I’m gonna go find a brothel, see if anyone’s feeling adventurous?—

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You do realize there are about a hundred reasons why you can’t do that?”

“Can’t or shouldn’t?”

“Can’t.It’s not like you canfoldout of the palace. What the fuck are you gonna do? Walk out the front door? We’re not even supposed to be here. What’re her guards going to?—

“I’ll take him to Zurie’s harem.”

I shifted to look at Thalia, who smirked when I raised a brow.

“What? A girl has needs. And the guards won’t bat an eye at me… or your pretty friend.” Thalia’s gaze flicked to Lokus, scrutinizing him. “Zurie and I spent copious amounts of time there together already.”

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