Page 85 of Queen of Ever

Where was Tarian?I was sure he’d be able to figure out something, he knew the High Fae better than any of us.But I couldn’t see him anywhere.Hadn’t he made it out of the tunnel?I took a deep breath to calm myself.Panicking now wasn’t going to help anyone.

‘So whatisthe plan?’I asked Marietta.

‘Do you think you can hide from me forever, rabbit?’Solas called out across the battlefield, carrying clearly in the silence.There was a smugness in his voice, as if he had already won.Did he know something we didn’t or was he just overconfident?

I stood up, my legs trembling beneath me but still holding.

‘Where are you going?’Marietta hissed, yanking me back down.

‘To buy us some time.’I could only hope the rest of the rebel forces were gathering somewhere else, having escaped out the other tunnels.If they weren’t, then we had already lost.

‘I grow tired of this game, rabbit.If you won’t come out on your own, I’ll force you out,’ Solas said.Before I could respond, more arrows flew through the air, this time fewer of them, and all aimed at the shield protecting Marietta and me.

My brow furrowed as I tried to figure out why he’d bothered.The arrows weren’t even flaming.But it didn’t take long for his strategy to reveal itself.As if the arrows were coated in some kind of acid, the roots began to erode, eaten away by something unseen, and inch by inch our shelter was shrinking and there was nowhere else for us to run, no place we could go where we wouldn’t be exposed to the next onslaught.

I pushed my hands against the soil, willing my magic to regrow the tree roots, to manipulate new ones to block the holes in our defence but it drained the little energy I had, the pounding in my head throbbing harder, my body growing weaker.

‘Imogen, stop!’Marietta said, fear in her voice.‘It’s no good, you have to stop.’

‘We’ll be exposed.’

‘Let me speak with him.’

‘Are you crazy?He’ll kill you.He needs me alive.I’m going.’

‘You’re in no condition.If you use any more magic, you could die.’

‘Then I’d better not use any magic.’

‘Imogen, wait—!’

But it was too late, I’d stepped out from behind the decaying shield.Solas walked forward, covering some of the distance between us, then beckoned for me to do the same.It seemed we were to talk before war broke out.

‘You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,’ I said when I reached him, pushing as much confidence into my words as I could muster, fake as it might be.

The look of displeasure on Solas’ face was well worth the jab.‘Do you really think this is all for you?’

‘Isn’t it?’I asked, quirking an eyebrow, daring him to deny it.‘Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not out of any kind of affection.You want my power so you can challenge Moriana.’

Speaking of the Unseelie Queen, where the hell was she?I saw her soldiers, but she was nowhere to be seen.I’d doubted she would agree to help Solas capture me so he could use me against her.But here they were, allied.So what had they agreed on?A bad feeling twisted up my stomach.

‘Finally figured it out, have you?’he asked, a smirk pulling his lips.‘It would have been so much easier if you’d just married me.There are worse things than a loveless marriage.You’d be alive, for example.’

‘What, you can’t have me so nobody can?’I scoffed, but the sarcasm slipped from my face at his bland expression.That’s exactly what it was.He didn’t come here to bargain with me, he came here to kill me.

‘Sorry, rabbit.It’s not how I wanted this to play out,’ he said, not even a hint of remorse in his voice.‘But you really left me no choice.’

Faster than I ever would have thought him capable of, he drew his sword and swung it at me.On impulse, my magic flared up, ice shooting up from the ground, not thick enough to protect me indefinitely but enough to stop his blade before it shattered.My legs collapsed beneath me and I fell to my knees, my breathing laboured, my head pounding harder.

‘Overusing your magic?’Solas asked, mocking me.‘Tisk, tisk.Such a novice’s mistake.You’re making this far too easy for me.’He moved closer to me, taking his time, clearly enjoying his victory.‘Don’t you know that will get you killed?’

Pain exploded in my ribs as he kicked me and I went sprawling on the ground, gasping for air, my hands pressed against my side as if that could somehow stop the pain.

‘I admit, I’m a little disappointed.I didn’t think this would be quite so easy.’

I could hear him moving, I knew he was raising his sword, I knew the killing blow was coming, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.My body was heavy, too heavy.I’m sorry, Tarian.My eyes closed as I waited for the blade to strike me.

‘Solas, stop!’

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