Page 72 of A War of Crowns

But he ignored that, too.

“You lost your opportunity to marryme, Seraphina de la Croix, when you tried to make a fool of me before the world.”

She tried to offer another protest, but he spoke over her, cutting her off so that he could finally reveal, “So, if you wantmytroops. If you wantmyhelp. If you want me to continue to side with your little island rather than allying with Arath and declaring war upon your people as well, youwillmarry…my brother. The Crow of Drakmor.”

Edmund ducked his head to breathe in the scent of Seraphina in all her sweetness one last time before he let his murderous older brother have his way with her. It was almost a shame to snuff such beauty from the world.

But she had made her bed.

And now it was time for her to die in it.

Chapter twenty-one

Seraphina

Standing there, her back pressed against the king’s chest, Seraphina forgot how to breathe.

She had been prepared to offer the King of Drakmor many things in exchange for his aid against Arath—herself included.

But she had not been prepared forthis.

No, she wanted to whisper, though with an absence of breath came a stillness of tongue. She had not the words to protest. She had not the thoughts to offer a rebuttal to the king’s proposition.

The pavilion suddenly felt too small, too crowded, too loud.

She couldn’t think in such a place.

“No,” Seraphina finally gasped. She wrenched herself from the king’s embrace. “Absolutely not. Not now. Not ever.”

“Then I hope Elmoria’s navy is notwhollyengaged on the Arathian coast, as my reports suggest, because you will have my ships to contend with soon as well,” the king cooed.

She flung a look at him over her shoulder, as sharp as any arrowhead.

For a wild, split second, she remembered Olivia’s poison ring. It was still there on her right hand. All she had to do was strike the king, and the needle hidden within would do the rest.

She seriously considered using it in that moment while the King of Drakmor stood there chuckling at her. As if he had outsmarted her.

As if he hadwon.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” the king said, but Seraphina didn’t stand around to hear the rest. She fled, making for the exit on brisk strides.

Behind her, His Majesty called out one last boast of, “And there will be no loopholes for you to exploit this time, I fear!”

Seraphina didn’t stop. She didn’t turn back. She let him have the last word.

Bursting out into the night, she tried to breathe in deep but struggled for air. Even outside, there was something decidedly claustrophobic about Nerina Reef.

The air was too heavy. The night pressed in too thick.

And the ground underfoot was filled with treacherous unknowns.

Guided by the dim light of the lanterns twinkling all around, she surged into the darkness and almost immediately tripped oversomething unseen. In her heeled slippers and her heavily beaded gown, Seraphina stumbled.

But blessedly, she didn’t fall.

Kicking off her blasted shoes, Seraphina wheeled away from the pavilion and raced toward the blissful silence that awaited her further on.

Think.

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