Page 111 of The Crown of a Fallen Queen
Dried her tears.
Told me she loved me.
Then stepped off that ledge, and never smiled again. I killed her by showing her I could fly. And still, despite all the horrorsthey’ve brought, my wings are mine. I grow them in defiance. In grief. In quiet rage.
They are both my most profound shame and my salvation.
Chapter 35
Maleficent
SETH
Irace toward the ledge, my feet hammering against the ground. My chest burns, my blood slick and hot at my temples. I should turn back, get the blade, and kill Alaric, but victory means nothing if Devi dies. I reach the edge of the arena and peer down.
Percy’s wings and my own heartbeat slam into my ribs. She’s already so small, falling fast, shrinking against the backdrop of the waves frothing below. Without thinking, I jump after her.
I’d do anything to slow her fall. To catch her. Or die trying.
I swallow hard, scanning the churning sea. If I could dive close enough to where she falls, I could swim to her, drag her from the current, and get her to the healers in time—maybe.
Percy slips out of my jacket and disappears into a burst of Faerie dust, zooming past my feet to reach his mistress. She’s seconds from impact, but suddenly, she stops falling. Her silhouette grows bigger below me.
Sleek, black wings unfurl behind her, and then, with the grace and fury of a reckoning, she starts to rise. Tofly.
Her virginal wedding gown is in tatters, shredded by wind and fire. The threads weave themselves to cover her intimate parts, making my heart thump at how beautiful and badass she is.
Fierce.
Unstoppable.
Magnificent.
She flies directly for me, and I melt into a cloud to avoid a hard collision, then condense back into flesh. She catches me in her arms, the added weight dragging us down for a moment before we rise again. Devi’s powerful wings are strong enough for two.
“You jumped,” she stammers, like she can’t quite believe how silly I’ve been.
“I wanted to save you.”
Her gaze softens, her silver irises clearer than I’ve ever seen them. “Let’s cancel this wedding.”
Chapter 36
Burnt Wings
DEVI
Seth jumped.
Hejumped.
He doesn’t hate me for what I did. There’s a chance to put everything right, but first, I’m going to kill this brute of a king. This horrible man who almost extinguished my will to live.
Seth cups my cheek, his eyes wide with surprise and devotion and something else—more potent than relief, and purer than pride. “You…”
“We still have a king to kill.”
I don’t care how many cupids come for me this time, I’m going to kill Alaric Rayne.
