Page 87 of Feral Guardian
“Think about it. Did Belle really run away with a stable hand? Truly? For one, she was never interested in anyboys. We were her whole life: me, Alyse, and Reina. She’d never have left us behind, no matter what Mother said about her being a nomaj.”
I meet her gaze. Her eyes are red, and her cheeks are stained with tears. She believes that the queen killed Belinda, and that she’s next. But she only started believing this days ago, after the krysanthem.
“Lily, who poisoned you back in Sovosk?” I ask.
She scoffs. “Why does that matter?”
Shewaspoisoned, then.
“It matters,” I growl. “Whoever did it may have used it with a compulsion potion. They may have tainted your mind. While you were under the influence of that potion, they could make you think anything they wanted you to, and you wouldn’t even know it. You wouldn’t even know it wasn’t your own thought.”
She stares at me, her face slack with shock. “You still don’t believe me.”
“I know youthinkthe queen is trying to kill you,” I say. “But that thought mightnot be yours.”
“You’re serious…” She shakes her head, an angry smile on her lips as she steps back.
“Was it Trask?”
“Just leave me alone,” she whispers as another tear slips down her cheek.
My ears are ringing, and my vision distorts. Bile burns in the back of my throat. I’m sick, so sick to know that my sweet princess was tainted by that vile man. It must’ve been him.
She turns away, and my panic rises. I lunge forward and grab her wrist. “Was it him?”
She yelps, pulling on her arm as she whimpers something I can’t hear through the ringing in my ears.
“Answer me, Lilianna!”
“Fuck you!”
A pain spears through the palm of my hand as a bone rips through it. I growl, my demon snapping out once more. A surge of red magic flows to the wound on my hand. I’m still impaled by her, but my demon tries to heal anyway.
“Let go!” She thrashes like a wild animal trying to escape.
The movement twists the bone in my palm, sending a fresh stab of angry pain up my arm.
“Please, Lily!” I grab her shoulder with my other hand, trying to keep her still, and she lances me again.
The pain doesn’t register through my panic.
He’s going to take her.
“Was it him? Tell me! He tried to kill you, Lily!”
“He’s trying tosaveme!”
Her other hand flicks out between us. I see a green rune take shape, but it’s already too late to act. I’m pushed away from her asthe air between us explodes. I hit the earth with a heavy thud and roll up to my hands and knees.
Lily stares at me from across the clearing, her eyes wide and wild as her shoulders heave. My blood decorates her body like war paint. She moves her hand and draws Kor’Tar’s shield, enveloping herself in a bubble of green protection.
She’s protecting herself fromme.
Oh, Juuren, what have I done?
“Lily.” My voice softens. “Please forgive me.”
“Itold youthat you were hurting me,” she snarls. “Was that a lie, too?”
