Page 152 of Shadows of Ruin

“Why? Power of course.” The king stated it so plainly. Like it was such a simple answer. Like we were all idiots for not knowing.

“You already have power. You already rule all of Mysthaven. What more could you possibly want?” Kade probed further, keeping the king talking. Hopefully the others were devising a way to get us out of this situation, preferably alive.

“I have power inthisworld. But he has promised me more. No more sacrifices. No more being bound to this desolateland. Brookmere is ripe for the taking. And all I need now is the willing blood of the second heir.”

King Dargan dangled the vial of Kade’s blood in front of us. “One down. One to go.”

I bit down hard on the hand covering my mouth, the guard wincing in pain and loosening his grip. I screamed at the king, “Never! You will never get my blood.”

Dargan frowned and waved his hand at several guards standing by the door, making sure we couldn’t escape. “Then Kade is dead.”

The guards hastily moved toward Kade, drawing their blades before thrusting them against his throat.

“Give me your blood,” Dargan stated once more. “It’s really quite simple. We can sacrifice your friends too. It really doesn’t bother me either way how many we kill to get your blood.”

“No. I’d rather die than release that evil into this land,” I spat.

“Pity.” Dargan sneered. “We’ll see how you feel in a few hours, after you watch him being torn to shreds by each and every one of the guards in my command. You will give me your blood before the day is over. Guard, take her to the dungeon. We’ll let her wait there.”

Terror threatened to overtake my entire body. I could not leave this room if I ever hoped to see my friends in one piece again.

The guard moved to take me out of the room, but he only made it one step. Kade’s shadows snaked up the bodies of the guards at his side, and snapped their necks, killing them instantaneously.

Dargan stumbled back, appearing flustered, but only momentarily. He removed the amulet from its resting spot against his chest and uncorked the vial of Kade’s blood, pouring it onto the stone.

And then all hell broke loose.

Chapter 44

Lana

Kade’s palpable rage strengthened as two more guards joined the other four at his feet, all snuffed out by his shadows.

I slammed my elbow into the guard pointing a dagger at me, and he winced in pain. He hadn’t expected me to fight back, and he stumbled enough so I could twist out of his grip.

Storm and Jax fought side by side, aiming their attacks at the guards that lined the room. We had survived worse odds before, we could do it again. I ran toward Kade, needing a weapon of my own, but was yanked backward.

“Enough,” King Dargan shouted. He reached forward, grabbing me by the neck with his free hand and hoisting me back in front of Kade.

He froze immediately, but the fighting around us didn’t stop.

Kade leveled his sword at us. “You will put her down now or I will destroy you, Father.”

“My boy, you have no idea who you are up against. I will drain you like your worthless mother,” the king spat.

Kade’s eyes widened, shock slacking his features.

His father grinned. “Ah, I am surprised you didn’t put that together. I hadn’t bent you to my will yet, so when the time came for the amulet to be reinforced with magic, I was hardly going to give up my life. I gave her life instead. Fueling Thames’s prison for just a while longer.”

Kade let out an anguished cry, charging his father, but the coward used me as a shield.

He held me to his chest, hand tightening around my throat. A shadowy tendril inched past me, snaking around my side, curling toward Kade’s father.

“When will you learn that allowing your heart into situations only causes pain,” his father hissed, squeezing my throat.

I couldn’t breathe. I kicked my legs.

In Dargan’s arrogance, he didn’t see Kade’s shadows until the moment they attacked.

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