Page 47 of War Of Fire and Fortune
"But," she sneered, "I'll let Father give you your punishment. I'm sure one of Ember's princes being put to death will be quite the spectacle back home."
Her words were meant to hurt me, each one designed to pierce deeper than the last, but I wouldn’t let them. If I died, at least I knew I was on the right side of this war, and after winning this battle, I trusted the rebellion enough to pull through.
"I don't have proof that both of you are traitors," she continued, prowling around my body, "but I'm sure Kade is just as guilty as you, if not more so considering he was fucking his little Peacebringer prize. You've been close since you were children. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the traitor first and then dragged you into it."
I stayed silent, keeping my face impassive, despite her being right. I didn’t want anyone else going down with me.Admit nothing, Rhet,I reminded myself. Give her no satisfaction.
"You know what else I suspect, little brother?" Her voice slithered through the air. "Father seems oblivious or refuses to believe, but I think you and Kade have shadows. You've both done well to hide your lies and secrets, working for the rebellion this entire time."
She paused, her gaze piercing me as if she could unearth every secret buried within my soul. "I could understand Kade. The years of torture Father put him through would make anyone hate the man. He carries the scars with him as a reminder every day. But watching him, I know he’s in love with the Peacebringer . . . and that paints a very clear picture for me.
"Yet you, little brother," she spat, her lip curling in disgust. "If Kade betrayed us, he would be executed and you would be next in line for the throne, regardless of being a puny piece of shit.”
“I’m still taller than you.” I grinned, spitting blood at her boots. Why I had the need to poke the monster, I didn’t know. Maybe to distract myself from the pain and the possibilities of how many people we’d lost today. I didn’t want to think about it, and I wouldn’t have to because she pulled her fist back and hit me again before continuing her rant.
I groaned.
“Father doesn't care that I'm the oldest. He only cares that you're male. You could have had the throne when he was willing to give it over—you could have had power and control. Everything I’ve spent my life proving that I’m capable of."
A bitter, hollow laugh welled up from within me, and I couldn't contain it.
The metallic taste of blood lingered on my tongue. "You're wrong, Valla. Father will never give up his throne. He's already well over the century allotted for a ruler. He doesn't care. He'llhold power until he's dead." The cold metal against my back felt almost soothing compared to the fire in my veins. "Besides, I don't want his throne. I do not want the hatred of the world on my shoulders. I crave peace."
She shook her head, the sneer etched into her face carved from years of being bitter. “You wouldn't make a good ruler anyway. Your heart is too soft."
Then she turned, readying to leave. But curiosity toed the edges of my mind. How had she done it? She loved nothing more than the sound of her own voice, especially when it sang of her triumphs.
"Valla," I rasped. Her footsteps halted and she half-turned, an eyebrow arched in expectation. I could see it in her eyes, the anticipation of my breakdown, but I wouldn't give her that satisfaction. I needed to know, to understand, even if it was the last thing I learned in this wretched cell.
"Tell me," I pressed, “how did you catch me?” A slow, cruel smile crept across her lips.
"It’s simple. I told Father that I felt you were both traitors, and then I offered him a plan and he accepted it. We decided to send two messages, one to you, one to Kade, both enchanted so that you couldn't talk to each other about what was in each. Both had different demands. Whichever made it back to the rebellion, let us know who the traitor was," she said, her eyes narrowing in mockery.
"And then?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
"Then I paid the Western Wyverns to keep watch over the rebellion. We didn't know the precise location because of those enchantment spells that are always looming over the camp, but they sent word to me when a large group of soldiers began their trek in the direction of where we had planned one of the attacks."
My heart thudded painfully against my rib cage.
"We were already one step ahead," she said. “I planned the ambush on the rebellion before they could reach their mark. After you left Iron Isle Harbor with Kade, I tailed your ship. Sure, I was a few days behind since I made the trip back to the palace to meet with Father, but I caught up rather quickly."
The room seemed to close in around me, emotion clogging my throat.
"Actually, I caught up just in time to hear word from the Wyverns, take down your ship, since it was your demands that made it back, and then I made it to the rendezvous point where we ambushed the rebellion."
There it was—the cunning and ruthlessness that defined Valla. She stood before me now, not as the sister I once knew, but as the monster she’d become. And as much as I wanted to deny it, she had outsmarted us.
"But you lost," I managed to spit out between labored breaths.
Her eyes flashed with fury. In an instant, her knuckles sank deep into my gut. The air in my lungs whooshed out, leaving me gasping, pain lancing through my already battered body. My head swam and my vision blurred, the edges of my consciousness fraying like worn cloth.
I coughed, trying to get air back into my lungs.
"Shadows," Valla hissed, “overtook the battlefield and I had no choice but to retreat. Which is even more of a reason why I believe Kade is with the rebellion. But I'm sure after that little stunt he pulled today, he's close to death." She paused, relishing the thought. "The amount of power he would have had to use to Hollow the whole rebellion army, or what was left of them when I was finished . . . no one could survive."
Each word struck worse than her beatings, making tears prick behind my eyes. Hollowing the entire rebellion army wouldn’t have been possible. We could only transport small groups at atime, and even then if we went far distances, it was draining. Fuck.
The chains bit into my wrists as I lunged forward, raw panic flooding my veins. The iron links rattled. Valla's lips curled into a cruel smile at my futile attempt, her eyes gleaming with delight. She licked her lips slowly, savoring the taste of my despair as if it were the sweetest nectar. How many friends had fallen? How many lives had she taken. Kade and Emelyn were obviously alive, at least for now. Was Cyran? Was he dying on a battlefield right now? I couldn’t reach his mind in the irons she had on me. I couldn’t feel him. Was he gone? No, he couldn’t be. Even suppressed, I was sure I’d feel the loss of my mate. A choked sob fell from my lips as my chest caved in.
