Page 4 of Shadows of Ruin

I cannot fail her. Not again.

Inhaling took more energy than I could muster. I choked against a thick rag. Fuck, I was gagged as well.

This time, I focused more on breathing through my nose slowly, refusing to give in until I succeeded. Once a breath filled my lungs, I focused on what I could remember.

Where had I been before now?

Thoughts raced through my mind.

Storm had knocked me out right after I found Lana and Kade beside the king’s body. The king’sdeadbody.

No.Fury pulsed across my numb arms, hungry for an outlet. Questions bubbled to the surface, each one trying to command my attention. How much time had passed since Storm and Kade’s betrayal? Where was Lana? The others? Was I hearing a crowd around me? Who in the damned Fates’ names is bellowing to them?

Then, one thought took over completely.If I ever see Kade Blackthorn again, I will slit his throat.

With a renewed sense of vengeance fueling my desire to escape whatever situation awaited me, I finally cracked open my eyes.

Well, shit.

Andras stood a few feet in front of me, gold-lined robes tattered, blood dripping to the ground from an unknown source. He brandished a bloodied sword in his hand while shouting at a crowd of scared Fae.

Where were the dark ones? How had Andras won?

“Princess Illiana Dresden is a traitor! She promised Lord West her heart if he would siphon all the king’s power into her. She is not only a traitor, but a liar!”

My head throbbed as I desperately tried to fully regain my senses. Surely, no one would believe Andras’s lies. How had he even gathered such a crowd after the attack during the trials?

“Princess Illiana has no magic, she has never had any magic. She has lied to you for her entire life. Her deceit and treachery know no bounds.”

Anxiousness filled the air so thickly I tasted it on my tongue. Whispers, gasps, and screams echoed in a chorus orchestrated by Andras. A master manipulator. No doubt using his magic to influence the minds of those around him.

How could his influence be strong enough to turn the citizens of Brookmere against their beloved princess?

A groan reached my ears, and it took me a moment to realize it was my own.

The fog in my head finally cleared enough for me to process more of my surroundings. I looked down and realized the throbbing stemmed from the rose vines strangling me against a stake. Blood seeped from each prick of the thorns against my skin. Unable to move without the thorns digging deeper, my attention returned to Andras and his filthy mouth.

“After Lord West refused to siphon from the king, Princess Illiana murdered her own father in an attempt to steal his magic for herself. But she didn’t act alone. When Lord West threatened to bring her to justice, she fled the kingdom with the thief, Kade Blackthorn. A male with no ties to nobility, no heritage to speak of. An imposter.”

The crowd shouted among themselves as Andras continued spewing his filth. “A criminal trying to steal the crown and rule this land, alongside the princess betrayer, for their own selfish desires.” He spat on the ground. “We must rise up together. We mustn’t let her treacherous acts ruin Brookmere’s good name. The queen lives! And I—” His sword clattered to the ground, and he sighed, placing a hand over his heart. It almost sounded as if he wept. “I will aid her in every way I can. I vow my life to protect her now.”

My gaze shifted to the Fae in the crowd. Disappointment tasted bitter. Andras had spilled Lana’s secrets for them to feast on, and they’d turned on her. Just like she always feared they would once they knew her secret.

Lan.

“Though it pains me to think this could happen, we have aduty to justice. If any Fae, near or far, lays eyes on Princess Illiana Dresden or Kade Blackthorn, you are to notify one of the Royal Guards immediately.”

Double shit.

I needed to escape these chains of thorns. I must find Lana. She’d never have fled with Kade. It wasn’t possible.

He must have kidnapped her. I refused to believe she’d go willingly with the man who’d murdered her father.

Each twitch of my body coming back to life forced the sharp thorns deeper into my skin. Escaping without causing significant harm to myself felt impossible.

But I’d heal.

“Fear not, citizens of Brookmere. Not all of us have faltered like your princess. I will protect you!” His weepy theatrics were gone now. Replaced with the conniving arrogance he’d always exuded. “I will lead us to safety. I will rebuild our kingdom, safe from the dark ones. The very same dark ones Princess Illiana used to infiltrate the palace,ourpalace. I will aid our people to rise back to the glory we have always been destined to achieve. I will rid our lands of these treasonous traitors.”

---