Page 119 of Rise of the Siren Queen
She broke me. And I wanted more.
My favorite kind of madness, with her name carved into it.
25
My fault
Iryen
“Shall we begin?”
Draven’s voice slithered into the silence like venom. His gaze scanned the room with lazy cruelty, hungry for weakness, for leverage. Then it landed on me.
“Oh, wait,” he mocked, “your court is incomplete.”
His smile was all teeth. A predator who already knew the kill was his.
I reached hard into his mind, my pain be damned. I clawed past the searing ache in my temples, pushing against the wall of madness he’d built around himself. But there was nothing. No cracks. No thoughts I could pull. Just static and shadows.
I masked my failure behind a calm expression, though dread coiled tight in my chest.
“I suppose I should wait until they arrive,” he mused. “I’d be a poor host, and an even poorerfuture king,otherwise, wouldn’t I, my sweet lioness?”
That name. Thatfilthynickname. It slid under my skin like rot. I snapped. Frost burst from my hands, crystal shards of rage arcingtoward his face. But they never made it.
A dagger of water materialized, sharp and trembling, against Queen Nerina’s throat.
Grandma.
I stopped breathing.
“Ah, ah,” he said, tilting his head, mocking me. My pulse thundered in my ears.
“Careful, baby,” Draven purred. “Wouldn’t want to act out with that mind gift of yours, would you?”
He didn’t know. Hedidn’tknow about Adrian. Relief crashed into me—swift, disorienting—only to be gutted by guilt. I’d left Adrian behind. Alone. Confused. I’d decided for both of us.
Maybe if I’d given him the choice…
Too late. I was too late now.
I turned to Elora, my fierce, reckless flame. Now bloodied. Bound. Beaten. Her strength dimmed, but not broke. Her silence over the past days. Gods, how had I not known? Shame licked up my spine like icy water.
“I’m fine,” her voice filled my mind. A whisper, stronger than it should’ve been. “He doesn’t know about your powers. Or Adrian. He just wanted to know why you went to Nyssaion.”
She hesitated.
“I’m sorry, Iryen.”
The guilt in her voice shattered me.
“Don’t,” I said back, keeping my face unreadable. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. I should’ve come for you sooner.”
I shifted my thoughts toward Sienna, reaching for her like a lifeline.
“Sienna? Are you—”
She didn’t respond immediately. I saw Thalor lean close to her, whispering something that made her flinch. My stomach twisted. She was trying not to react, but I saw the rage behind her stillness.
