Page 115 of Forsaken Royals

This kid had no idea what it was really like. How hard we had to work to maintain order. The entire kingdom was always on a tightrope between scale and chaos.

“Aside from the prophecy that you’re trying to stop. One that says an Aridunn is supposed to unite the fae,” Arden pointed out. “Why would the prophecy exist if the Order was right?”

“Prophecies are vague for a reason. They aren’t ironclad. If we killed you, then another century or so might…” Keane’s cough worsened, his breathing a wheeze. “Another century might pass before another Aridunn parasite comes out of hiding, thinking they’re the answer to the kingdom’s problems.”

He was dying right in front of us, melting from the inside out.

“Who sent you?” Flint asked, pulling water from the air and creating an orb the size of a fist. “You’ll either choke to death on your blood, or you’ll drown on dry land when I force this water down your windpipe.”

Keane coughed, shaking his head. “I can’t. I’d rather die.”

“Tell us,” Arden said. “You don’t have to die in more pain than you have to.”

She tightened her hand into a fist, and the concrete floor shifted, crawling up Keane’s ankles. He cried out in pain as the concrete bound his legs, squeezing them tightly. The concrete kept moving up, the bones in his knees cracking. Keane sucked in a desperate breath, his tears stained red with blood. But he still wasn’t talking. I heated the rocks until they were almost molten, but solid enough to stay clamped on his legs.

“Lord Elias!” Keane screamed when the molten rock reached his balls. “Lord Elias sent me—!”

Keane’s entire body went limp, like they’d shut off his power. Blood dripped from his mouth. Arden let out a shaky breath, the anger inside of her growing fast. She hadn’t killed him, but she’d never done anything like that before. Her conflicting feelings muddled our connection.

“Fucking Elias.” Lex’s face contorted with rage, unlike anything I’d ever seen on his face. “I’m going to end him.”

“At least you have a good excuse to this time. Not that you needed one.” I snorted, looking at Keane’s dead body. Flint made eye contact with an enforcer, who came in to take the body away. “I’m helping you kill him.”

“We need to find him in order to take him out. And to get rid of the rest of the Order.” Lex turned on his heel and stalked out of the cell. The rest of us followed. “We have to get him before he figures out we’re onto him.”

Chapter60

Lex

Ididn’t know it was possible to hate Elias any more than I already did, but here I was.

I was going to tear him limb from limb. Desiccate his body. Or pull all the air from his lungs little by little.

But we needed to talk to him, unfortunately. Then I’d get this anger out.

We went straight to the guest quarters, shoving past everyone. Our rush caught their attention, but none of us cared. We needed to get to Elias before the Order got to Arden.

I pounded twice on the door to where Elias was staying. He didn’t answer immediately, so I broke the lock off and shoved inside. A woman inside screamed, clutching the neck of her robe.

I stalked through the room, searching for traces of him. Jagger and Flint joined me, checking the closet and the bathroom. His things were there, but he wasn’t.

He’d made a run for it.

“Where’s Lord Elias?” I barked at her.

“I…I don’t…” She collapsed back onto the chaise. “I don’t—”

“Listen to me,” Arden said, stepping in front of us and putting her hands out. As much rage as I felt pulsing from her bond, she kept her voice gentle. The woman pulled it together, at least for a second. “It’s a life-or-death matter. We need to know where he went, and we’ll leave you unharmed if you just tell me.”

“He told me he went to his apartment, but I don’t know where. The one far from here?” The woman shrugged, shaking. “Downtown?”

“Thank you,” Arden said. “Lex, do you know?”

“I’m guessing it’s the one he usually stays in if he has to be in the city. That tall, hideous tower near the water on the other side of the city.” It was an eyesore, and every time I saw it, it reminded me of him.

Our enforcers and aides scurried around, trying to get us a car across town. They made it happen, along with several other cars for security, and took us to the building, speeding through the city streets.

“Don’t kill him right away,” Jagger said to me.

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