Page 121 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

He’d sold me out. Of course he had. Holding back would’ve meant going against his father. It would’ve meant having a backbone of his own, which he clearly didn’t.

“You’ve been here for a week, and I’ve seen nothing. No display of power. No sign that you are the heir this realm needs. Until suddenly one of my donation centers burns to ash. And now you expect me to pour more resources into Sevanwinds without something in return?”

The heir this realm needs.

I stared at him, unsure if those words meant what I thought they did. He couldn’t know about the prophecy…could he? And if he did, that meant he knew exactly what sort of magic he was asking me to hand over to imbue his weapon.

The room blurred at the edges.

All that remained in focus was the king—his eyes gleaming with triumph.

Seeing that light in his eyes, the cruelty that lay beneath it, made me think of Vanya. Of the fae on the other side of the city currently draining their magic for a king who couldn’t care less about their wellbeing. A man who valued the illusion of power more than he did actual strategy.

Heliconia would eat him alive.

I wouldn’t let him do the same to me.

“I don’t owe you anything,” I snapped before I could stop myself, anger flaring in my chest. “I offered my allegiance so that we might fight together, side by side. But I’m not a trophy on a shelf.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’ve been generous, Aurelia,” he said softly. Too softly. “But my generosity has its limits. And so does my patience.”

The threat was there, coiled between his words, ready to strike. I clenched my hands into fists, nails biting into my palms as I tried to steady my breathing.

“I’ve told you, I’m unable to access my magic,” I managed, hating how small my voice sounded compared to his. But it was necessary.

“I suggest you figure it out,” he said,his voice hard as steel. “Because if you don’t, I won’t be able to protect your people. And neither will you.”

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. But I refused to cower.

The king watched me for a long moment, and I could see the calculation in his eyes, weighing whether to press harder, to push me until I broke.

Finally, he stepped back, though the tension in the air didn’t lift.

“Think it over,” he said, turning away from me and returning to the map on the table. “We’ll speak again after the wedding is done. I’m happy to do whatever it takes to access the magic you think you’ve lost.”

I turned and left the room as quickly as I dared, feeling their eyes on my back the entire time.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Aurelia

Rydian met me in the hall. I kept my back straight as I strode past him toward my room, my heart thudding wildly as I thought through my options. Leaving this place was going to be tricky. Getting out undetected with all the soldiers who patrolled or kept watch felt nearly impossible. But even if I managed it, there was still the matter of where I’d go.

Aside from Grey Oak, Lightshore—the Spring Court—was the only realm who’d ever been remotely friendly to my kingdom. And they were clear on the other side of Sevanwinds. I’d have to pass through Rosewood or veer up into the Broadlands to get there, and I had no doubt both were crawling with Obsidians by now.

The Osphiris might take me in, but unless I grew gills, it wasn’t exactly a viable option, no matter what the mer tried to say. Half of them probably only wanted to eat me for dinner anyway, and the other half were entirely uninterested in the problems of the surface.

The Moriori Islands were a possibility, though I’d have to make it out to the western coast and find passage on a ship, allwithout being recognized. Still, if I could get there, I’d at least have asylum. The Moriori were pacifists, which meant I’d be safe with them. It also meant I’d be among people who would never agree to fight or become an ally in this war.

And I’d have to get past the Rada people to make it across the sea at all. From the stories I’d heard, they were ruthless and violent with ships that could travel twice the speed of any other.

The Midnight Court loomed as a last resort, though I hardly even counted it as that. As mysterious as it was dangerous, the Midnight Court was a realm unto its own. Darkness hung over it like a veil, and no fae who ventured inside uninvited ever made it out again.

Besides, they’d ignored the Concordians. Done nothing to save them. I couldn’t ally with people like that.

My thoughts drifted to Vorinthia. There was nothing there, not officially. No kingdom or army or ally to help me. But Lesha had gone there. And Amanti before her—or, at least, she’d said she was. My heart tugged at me to follow.

Lost in these thoughts, I stormed through the castle, each step pounding out the frustration building inside me. Rydian kept his distance, apparently done helping me or even pretending to be my friend. His silence felt like salt in the wound, but I refused to be the one to go to him.

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