Page 19 of Knight's End
“Because several of their sons refused to join his army.”
Declan tilted his head. "He can write down whatever he wants. But can you force someone to make a wish?"
Blue shook his head. "You know why my father first took a harem? So he could turn those women against each other. They’re so caught up in status and jealousy and fear that most of them will do anything. My mother happened to refuse that particular wish. She wouldn’t cripple a village for the sins of a few.”
“So, he doesn’t always get his way.”
Blue’s laugh was bitter. “Oh, he does. One of his other wives wished it for him. And then a third wife wished for my mother's hand to necrotize. Her hand rotted off before her eyes. She was forced to stand there and watch. I was forced to stand there and watch.”
His story alone made my stomach necrotize. I nearly puked at the mental images he sent of his mother screaming and collapsing in pain as her fingers shriveled and blackened.
Blue’s voice grew thick, even though his face stayed harsh. “These amulets are merciful.Deathis merciful compared to what happens when you're under the control of the monster."
The rest of us were frozen in shock. We knew the sultan was bad. I had an ambassador that lived in Cheryn’s palace. The reports back had never included dark dealings between the royal family—perhaps because my ambassador was worried about what might happen if his scrolls were intercepted. A sultan who’d destroy an entire town wouldn’t have much consideration for a lone ambassador.
I turned to ask Quinn what his spies knew about the sultan and I realized I’d never gone to him.
I stepped past the others and went to my spy master, taking his hand. “Did your people ever see—”
Quinn ran a hand through my hair and caressed the back of my neck as he nodded solemnly. His eyes tried to speak, but no thoughts followed. He gave a frustrated grunt before turning and striding out the door.
I almost followed, but just then Blue moved, and my attention was drawn to him. My knight from Cheryn strode over to the dining table. He yanked Cerena’s pouch off the top, opened it, and dumped its contents out. He grabbed the tin jar immediately. "Anyone know how to make that spelled bread?"
We all shook our heads.
"Then this stuff is useless.” He dumped out the powder inside the tin onto the tabletop. Then he marched over to the ladder and started climbing down.
No! He doesn’t mean to—my thoughts were a panicked wail.
I took a few steps toward him. “Wait," I called out. He couldn’t do this. What if he … what if what happened to Cerena happened to him?
I didn’t really know him. I hardly knew him as a man. But I knew that fierce little bird that had tried to stop Abbas from choking me. I knew that fierce little bird who refused to let me go to a cave in another country to rescue Declan alone. I knew that we were bonded, even if I didn’t know his favorite things, even if I didn’t know how to make him laugh, even if my mind couldn’t fully understand how or why—he was mine.
Didn’t he feel it too? How could he throw it away?
Blue looked up at me. And I couldn’t read his expression in the shadows. It made me ache.
His tone was harsh, even though his words were polite. “Give me a little light, please."
He was going to do this! No! I refused to let him. "You can’t!”
He just took another step down the ladder.
My feet were automatically drawn closer to him. Shouldn’t he listen to me? Shouldn’t he stop? He was being a fool. I was his queen. He should listen to my orders. He should know we’re bonded. But … we’d just gotten married. My hold on him wasn’t going to be strong enough.
I thought of his father, a man who’d ordered about and abused him endlessly. I briefly wondered if Blue had ever gotten to do anything he’d wanted in life. I highly doubted it. And that’s when it hit me. I couldn’t order him to stop. He was making a choice. Even if it was one of his final choices. I had to respect it. But I couldn’t help the sad words that poured out of my mouth. “But what if you …" I trailed off. I didn't want to say it. But I was already crying … already anticipating what was about to happen.
Blue’s words were a harsh whisper. "Then at least I tried to help you."
Our eyes argued. But he shoved more memories of his father at me. Memories of being thrown across the throne room. Memories of his father forcing his brothers to transform and hunt him through the halls of the palace, when speed was Blue’s only weapon against his brothers’ shape-shifted teeth and claws. He shoved memories at me of finding his mother hanging from the ceiling of her room after she took her own life to escape the sultan.
He needed to do this. I could feel the desperation in his thoughts. He’d rather use this weapon on himself than let his father ever get ahold of him again.
I extended my hand and let my arms rip open as I lit the room slowly for Blue.
Next to me, Connor shook his head, his dark curls falling across his face. But he didn't say no. He wouldn't. Not after I allowed it. My best friend simply came up beside me and put his arm around my waist, supporting me as I used my power and tears streamed from my eyes.
Blue reached the bottom rung and hopped down onto the dusty floor. He walked slowly toward the wall, studying the hanging amulets, tilting his head this way and that. He leaned close to them, so close that I clutched Connor's arm in alarm.
