Page 48 of Across an Endless Sea

“Caedmon Fomorii, cease befouling my hall with your slave magic.”

My father’s cold, calm command—backed up by his casual use of my full name—forces the blade to dissipate, which means there’s nothing to stop Lev from levelling a full-force kick at my face.

I hear my nose crack before the pain registers. By then, Lev has wrestled the scourge from Draard and sends it flying straight into my face. I barely manage to turn my cheek in time to escape a barb to the eye, but it catches my ear and rips, shredding my scalp.

Blood spurts, dripping from the wound and filling my mouth with the taste of copper and salt.

“That was my sister, you bastard freak!” he snarls, levelling a second swing at my body without care or aim. “Howdareyou kill a true-born daughter of Balor?”

“Stop!”

Rose’s scream makes my gut clench, and I dare a glance up only to wish I hadn’t.

She’s scrambling towards me, still wearing Rayna’s blood on her dress. But it’s her blood leaking from her temple that turns my vision red. Half a dozen soldiers are heading for her, ready to contain her if she tries to interfere with my punishment. I flick my head, staring at Prae, begging my cousin with my gaze.

She rolls her eyes, but nods. The message is clear.

I owe her one.

“My king, I call the right of challenge against Lev,” she yells.

Her words cut through the chaos like a knife, and everyone freezes.

Prae never calls challenge—especially against our cousins. She knows, as well as I, the mess it would create if she won.

We’ll deal with the fallout later.

Elatha doesn’t respond straight away, but I’m not surprised when he nods. Prae might be smarter than any living Fomorian, but Lev has defended his position for years using a combination of tenacity and pure savagery.

My father will bet on him winning and finally killing her. In his mind, this is an opportunity to be rid of the nuisance he’s tolerated for years. Prae’s only survived this long because she was smart enough to keep her head down and shut up.

“Granted.” Elatha waves her away like a pesky fly. “Tomorrow, at dawn. For now, cease this ruckus, and let us get on with the rest of my son’s punishment.”

Lev is seething. His rage radiates off him as Draard yanks the scourge from his hand and shoves him roughly back in the direction of the high table. But the grieving twin isn’t done. He spits down at me, the glob of his saliva smacking the stone by my bleeding cheek.

“I will butcher the traitor in front of you for what you did to my sister,” he vows, “And then I’ll fuck the fairy until she breaks like a twig.”

I manage a shrug past the unexpected bolt of fury that turns my muscles rigid.

“Bold of you to assume you can get it up for anything that’s still breathing.”

Lev lets out a mangled yell and punts his stinking foot into my head again.

Worth it.

“Enough!” Elatha roars.

The entire room goes deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop as they wait to see what will happen next. It’s fifty-fifty with my father. Sometimes he’ll deal his rage out then and there. Other times, he bottles it up to unleash later.

“Bring me the Nicnevin,” he orders.

Shit. Prae wasn’t a big enough distraction. I brace myself, magic writhing beneath my skin as two warriors grab Rose by both arms and drag her up to the king.

“Turn her around.”

Panicked violet eyes meet mine as she’s jerked roughly around, involuntarily presenting the king with her back.

Elatha draws his sabre and steps closer to her.

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