Page 207 of A Bond in Blood

His commanding voice did nothing for the queen before him. My chest grew heavy as I watched the fear grow in his eyes when his gaze met mine.

I’m sorry, he mouthed.

Ulrich was silent as he stood before my father. His shadows created shackles, holding my last family member to his throne.

“Ulrich,” I pleaded. I moved to shove Olen off me, but the giant kept me still.

“Brenna, I beg of you. Stop,” he whispered into my ear.

I fell to the floor with Olen’s arm around my waist, bringing my eyes up while Ulrich leaned over the throne.

I could not hear his words, his whispers. But I could see the hate in my father’s eyes. The determination of a king ready to go to war with an enemy.

My scream fractured through my body when Ulrich’s hand rose with a shadow sword in his grasp. Olen held me tighter, but it was no use. It was no comfort while I watched helplessly as Ulrich stabbed my father straight into his chest, nailing him to his throne.

“No!”

I kept screaming, sure everything inside of me had cracked to nothing. My heart—barely beating with the loss of my grandmother and the revelation of Ulrich’s letters—tightened in my chest.

I was going to explode. From either grief or rage.

Or both.

Ulrich’s body lit with silver light while he stayed leaning over my father, his shoulders heaving for several seconds before he stood.

And when he twisted back in my direction, I could not stop myself from emptying the contents of my stomach onto the ground. Not with his black eyes staring right through my soul.

He returned to Titania’s side, and she stroked his arm lovingly.

“We’re leaving,” Titania smiled at me.

Olen removed his arm from me and ran forward toward her. His unbroken limb was out, as though he intended to wrap his palm around the queen’s neck, but a guard stopped him, holding a sword at his throat.

Titania stared at the right hand.

“I could take you. I could leave this poor woman with questions she’ll never have answered, but I am not thatcruel.” Titania laughed. “I can make you worthless though.”

Another guard approached and stabbed its sword into Olen’s side. Ulrich did nothing, not even a flinch or shift in emotion on his face.

Those soft feelings I had for him from before began to crumble. Was this all the point? To ruin me fully?

My body shook while they passed me. I could barely glance up at Ulrich with my tears running down my face. He passed where my feet were beneath me as I knelt against the marbled floor. A guard was at his heel almost like a protection for the unkillable Unseelie King.

The hate I had quelled in my heart returned and my rage unleashed. I was on my feet instantly, grabbing the sword of the guard behind Ulrich. The fae stared at me in shock, pulling his weapon back but I pulled harder. We struggled, both of us trying to get the sword. Titania let out an amused laugh, enough to distract the man I struggled with. I took my opportunity, kicking him in the thigh and knocking him to the ground.

Before the guard could reorient himself, I lifted the weapon, gripping it in my palm tightly.

“Ulrich!” I shouted.

Ulrich turned on his heel, his eyes burning with hate.

“Brenna,” he warned.

“Fight me!” I screamed, shaking while I held the heavy blade out. “You fucking coward! Fight me!”

Titania’s shrill laugh near the door brought instant irritation. I snapped my gaze to her, glaring. Making me distracted enough for Ulrich to attack. The blade cut into his palm and his blood spilled onto the marble. His unbelievable strength pulled on the blade, dragging me toward him.

“You think I’m the coward?” he seethed. The sword clattered to the ground while his hand gripped the neck of my gown. “You think I do not fucking know that, Brenna?”

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