Page 55 of The Crown of a Fallen Queen
“Don’t listen to a word Ethan says. He loves to be cruel,” I say quickly.
Elio isn’t far behind, chasing after her, but she halts him with a teary look and a raised palm, commanding him to stop. “I need a moment alone. I’m going for a run,” she mutters, brushing past.
Elio’s mouth parts in a silent plea as he watches her go, but I shake my head. “Give her a minute.”
The Winter King’s fists clench at his sides, opening and closing, his jaw set in a hard line. “I can’t imagine what that fiend told her.”
I turn to my companion. “Damian should escort everyone back to their kingdoms before night falls, starting with the King of Light.”
The Shadow King lets out a tired sigh. “I think it’s a wise idea. Be careful out there.” he tips his chin in lieu of goodbye, and walks off to take Ethan away.
I breathe easier knowing Ethan won’t stay the night, that my mistake in letting him meet Lori won’t have immediateconsequences. In the meantime, Elio will find a way to protect her.
“Can I have a word with you in my study?” my brother asks.
“Lead the way.”
I watch the ice that freckles his neck as we walk. Crowns always come at a price. They break most of us, but Damian and Elio somehow got through the worst of it.
Elio lost his warmth for a time, but love softened his ice. And Damian… He lost his mind. He got splintered into something dangerous and beautiful, but pieced himself back together.
I envy them and their ability to let someone in that close. To love.
They escaped the rot that settles in your heart when you’re raised to rule. I didn’t fare as well. Most Fae royals don’t. We get hardened by power, losing parts of ourselves in the process. Aidan is too green to have felt the brunt of it, but Ethan is a devil, and Freya lost whatever shred of humility she had a long time ago.
Elio and I reach the safety of his study, and he rests a hand on his desk. “I have news.” His lips purse as though he’s searching for the right wait to put it. From the way he cracks his knuckles, I know whatever he’s about to say is delicate, and the evasiveness of his gaze adds a bit of secrecy and scandal. “The crowns have decided that you and Seth should be the ones to negotiate a truce with the Tidecallers.”
I arch a brow. “Me and Seth?”
“There’s more. Here.” He reaches inside his jacket and slips out a small, sheathed dagger. The sheath is made of a delicate weave of dragonbone chain links, supple yet indestructible.
“Is that what I think it is?” I carefully unsnap the holder and tug on the pommel to inspect the blade. The greenish tint along the edge sparks an itch between my shoulder blades.
“An end-all blade, yes. We couldn’t send you on a dangerous mission without the means to protect yourself.” He hands it to me. “Aidan made it special for you.”
The iron and silver alloy is shaped into a narrow, sharp blade, way smaller than the one Freya tried to kill me with, and more practical. Its handle is simple, topped with a small decorative silver heart. The sheath is decorated with gold and silver vines, and the efficient, light grip is a testament to the blacksmithing skills of the Summer King.
“Since you can’t use magic outside the sceawere, it’ll come in handy. I’ll have my best soldier escort you to the end of the Frozen Hills tomorrow morning, so you can cross the Uaithe into Storm’s End. Seth will explain the rest.”
I shift the dagger from palm to fingertips, testing its weight and balance. “And who do you want me to kill?”
He breathes in deep, a heavy silence settling between us. I study his ice-blue eyes, his disheveled blonde hair, and the worried curve of his mouth. No matter how many of us end up dead, he’ll be the one collecting their souls. As the King of Death, he’ll feel this war like no one else.
Counting bodies. Gathering souls. Forced to stare at the wastefulness of it all, day in and day out.
“Seth is blind where his brother is concerned. Luther’s rise to power will only bring chaos to the continent. He almost killed me. Almost killed Beth. The crowns want the new Storm King dead.”
My brows knit together. This Luther guy is really freaking everybody out. “What about Willow? She’s the leader of the rebellion.”
He wouldn’t send me to kill her too, would he? I might have a ruthless reputation, but I’d hardly be the one to ask.
“A compromise is not out of the question where I’m concerned. Talk to Willow. If there’s a deal to be made, sometruce to be brokered, you’re in the best position to find it.” He tucks his hands inside his pockets. “And if we get a shot at killing the real monster plaguing this continent, we should take it.”
There’s no mistaking his words, not when you’ve known Elio Lightbringer as long as I have. Not when you’ve seen the mangled scars across his back.
The crowns’ sanctioned mission is to kill Luther Storm, but Elio wants our father dead instead.
Chapter 17
