Page 208 of A Bond in Blood

His eyes burned while he held my gaze.

“I haveneverhated someone as much as I hateyou,” he whispered.

I stared into his black eyes. “I hate you,” I sobbed. “You killed him.”

Finally, the monster cracked. His expression shifted from nothing to actual pain. Real regret and he brought me closer. I stared at his unmasked face, blinking back my tears, hoping for something that would redeem him. Something to bring clarity to this insanity.

His beard brushed my neck, and his other hand grasped my palm gently. He dropped me, letting out the same laugh he’d done for months. One of amusement. One of mocking.

“Come, my pet,” Titania sang from the door. “We must gohome.”

I moved to run after Ulrich, but more guards approached, holding me back.

“Get back here!” I cried, slamming my fists against them. “Face me!”

Ulrich and Titania walked away while I struggled with the guard before. He was stronger than me physically, but my rage had unlocked something inside of me. A feral hate overpowering even the strongest man.

I kicked his feet out from under him and his sword clattered in his surprise. I brought it high into the air, then brought it down, right through his chest. His choked gasp echoed with the sound of the front doors opening. Fueling my vengeance further.

More guards began to approach but Olen twisted, fighting them off. Snapping necks with one arm as though they were nothing more than dolls. Even with his black blood bleeding from his wound and a useless arm dangling at his side.

“Go!” Olen screamed.

I turned, running to Ulrich, determined to catch him. To get answers.

When I reached the palace doors, I slipped, glancing down and finding a trail of black blood.

His blood.

I ran faster, holding the sword in my palm, almost reaching the queen and the man she now called herpetwhen hands gripped the back of my hair, ripping me to the ground.

My head hit the earth, and my back slammed down. Stars formed in my vision and my breath stuck in my lungs. Then he was over me.

That damned monster who had poisoned me.

“Brenna,” Bjorn sang. “I love when fate allows destiny to do its job.”

His hand gripped my gown, pulling me to his face. “I will have his throne, Brenna. I will take his place in this world as the Unseelie King. Oberon and Titania have promised it.”

He dropped me and I cried out from the pain of my body hitting the ground once more.

“Titania loved to learn Ulrich had brought a woman home. That she was forced to sleep beside him. She especially loved your hate for him.”

My tears fell.

Bjorn held my shoulders down, keeping me in place. His smile was sick and knowing that he was keeping me from Ulrich. Keeping me from doing anything to catch him.

“Titania has agreed to make you my personalwhore, Brenna.” Bjorn licked my neck. “I will give you everything that coward of a king has failed to give you.”

He pulled one hand away, running it down my ribs and I bit my lip.

“Oh yes,” he hissed. “You will do—”

His words were cut off and I laid in shock, staring when his head was ripped right off his shoulders. His black blood spewed from his head, covering my body in the gore.

I saw it, what Ulrich had mentioned, a sliver of silver in the sun, lifting upward. I was sure it would disappear in the wind when Olen’s head appeared, and he sucked it into his lungs.

What. The. Fuck.

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