Page 153 of A Crown of Lies

Divina laughed, loud and high. “Poor, poor Lord of Potatoes. You’re only upset because your little dove isn’t alive anymore. Instead, you’ve taken an elvish whore and an ugly creature to your bed. Tell me, does the big one even have a cunt? Or is it a cock? Perhaps both, knowing you.”

Ieduin pulled back an arrow aimed at Divina’s throat. “Say one more fucking word about her, bitch. I fucking dare you.”

Rowan put a hand on Ieduin’s shoulder. Slowly, Ieduin lowered the bow. They were getting nowhere. “This is who you choose to fight beside, Lord Arington? Bandits? Where is your honor?”

Arington was stubborn, but he was an honorable lord, one of the few. If Rowan could just appeal to him…

But Divina just wouldn’t shut up. She had to gloat. She smirked again. “You’re going to have to watch them die, Rowan. Both of them. And it won’t be like when we did Ambra. Not at all.”

A cold sweat broke out on the back of Rowan’s neck. “Ambra killed herself.”

She chortled with laughter. “Is that what you honestly believe? After all this time? Are you that stupid? That dumb bitch was in love with you! The amount of work it took to break her, even with the curse…” She lifted her whip and caressed it. “It was truly astounding.”

Rowan’s breath caught and a cold tingle went through his limbs, the rest of him going completely numb. “What did you say?”

Her saddle creaked as she leaned forward, grinning wildly. “I held her down, you know. While Simeon tested out all her holes? She screamed, cried for you. But the room was spelled. Not a single squeak escaped. And after he was tired of riding your precious little dove, I gave her a taste of my whip and drank in her despair. Oh, it was so sweet, listening to her weep about how unworthy she was of you, how much she was holding you back. By the time I was finished with her, she wanted to die… But the hanging? That was all her idea.”

He stared at her, trying to make sense of what she was saying. For a year, Ambra’s ghost had haunted him, and he’d believed it was his fault, that he’d done something wrong to keep her there. Something that made her want to die. Instead, it had never been a suicide at all.

It was murder, and he was face to face with her killers.

Rowan’s fist closed around his dagger, his ears ringing.

“Release your prisoners at once,” Ieduin ordered. “Or you will all die here.”

“I look forward to finding you on the field, Commander Cock.” Arington bobbed his head, turned his horse away and rode off.

Divina smiled and followed before Rowan could stab her.

Simeon remained long enough to spit in the dirt once more. “I’m going to piss in your skull and fuck your corpses,” he said before riding off.

Rowan considered riding after them. If he was fast, he might catch Divina. He could leap from his horse, tackle her and—

“ROWAN!” Ieduin’s shout cut through his rage and he came back to find Ieduin shaking his shoulder.

Rowan blinked. “What?”

“I asked you if you were okay.”

“Um… Tofi hates to be the bearer of bad news but…” He pointed to the other end of the field where archers had stepped forward. They held their bows to the flame, lighting arrows.

Ieduin squinted. “What are they doing? Our men are out of range of their archers.”

The first flaming arrow loosed but didn’t pass over their head. Instead, it hit the nearest wooden beams and with athunk. The Crow tied there screamed in agony as the flames engulfed him.

Ieduin and Rixxis both let out a curse.

Rowan’s eyes slid to Ewan as the archer readied another arrow. I can still get to him. I can still save him!

“Don’t,” Ieduin warned, but it was too late.

Rowan urged his horse forward at full speed, riding hard. The next arrow sailed past him, hitting the second Crow. Rowan drew his sword, ready to cut the bindings that held Ewan in place.

A song suddenly drifted over the empty field, carried by a single voice. Rowan barely heard it as he rode. There was only the thunder of hooves, the pounding of blood in his ears as he pushed the horse to top speed, riding with everything he had.

Flames suddenly sprouted up around Ewan just before Rowan reached him. The horse reared, scared by the fire. Rowan pulled back, holding on for dear life. Panicked, he searched for a way to get close, but the fire was already high, the smoke heavy.

Through it came Ewan’s voice, shouting out the words to an old drinking song. Though his voice wavered, it was still loud and strong. Even as the fire licked at his feet, he sang, until the smoke was so thick, he could only cough. Then there was one final wheezing, pained gasp, and nothing but the sound of flames devouring a great man.

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