Page 139 of A City of Flames

No, I need to—

“Erion!” Darius shouts, stalking through the dust as I lift my eyes to him, but Erion jerks both me and himself up, pressing the edge of the blade against my neck.

Darius halts, glancing between the dagger, me, and then Erion.

My breath stops short and I look for a loophole as Erion chokes out a laugh, and I grimace with displeasure at the sound of it.

“Darius Halen,” he announces it with a taunt to his voice. “The despicable stepson. And the one shifter Lorcan missed, even after I brought him here, he’d always say how much he missed him.” He croons with a malignant edge. “His brother Darius.”

Darius’s hands curl into a tight fist and that only makes Erion nudge the blade further into my skin.

“You turned him against me.”

“I turned him against all of you.” The pride in Erion’s words is sickening. “And like the naïve boy he was, he believed everything because I’m the one who was the father he craved, the one who turned him into the creature he is now… half dragon, half rümen.”

Darius hadn’t known, yet he does not react. “A man like you does not deserve the title of father.”

“Then, kill me, thief,” Erion seethes and the pressure of the blade eases from my neck as he shoves me toward Darius. “Kill me like you did Lorcan’s father.”

I cling onto Darius by the arm, turning to look at Erion as he spreads his arms out at the sides.

He’s smirking, daring Darius to do it.

I attempt to step forward, anger raging through me when Darius’s arm comes across me. His gaze sweeps across my neck and as if I feel it, I run my fingers along it, drawing back blood onto the tips of them. When I look up, Darius eyes aren’t on me anymore.

“He’ll only hate you more,” Erion taunts and that smug grin of his remains even as Darius considers his words. It’s the first his face is impassive until his lips lift into a cold smirk that’s brutal for anyone that ever dares cross him.

“Well,” he says, “it’s a good thing I adore being hated.” He approaches Erion, shadows crackling within his hand at the side as he studies the sudden cowardice washing over Erion, despite my blade in his hands. “Send my regards to Aurelia.”

Aurelia?

Erion’s brows furrow, like he recognizes the name as he whispers, “Aurelia,” to himself.

“My mother,” Darius grits out and a heavy weight pushes down on my chest.

Erion must have been the one to kill his mother all those years ago.

Recognition dawns on his face as Darius raises his hand. Shadows form into blades except a rush of ice sweeps past my spine and I look to my right.

Lorcan stands there at the edge of the wall aiming an arrow toward Darius.

Shrieks become muffled as Lorcan glances at me and though his expression is solid, unmoving, his eyes share a charge of regretful emotion.

Wait—

“No!” The word sounds too weak from my lips because the second I say it, the arrow springs out of the bow and instantly I squeeze my eyes shut with terror holding me captive this time.

The sound of someone choking on blood freezes me.

No, no, no.

I open my eyes but shock creeps all over me as the blood spluttered on the floor doesn’t come from Darius.

Shifting my gaze to the general, his mouth gapes wide open as he clutches both hands onto his neck. An arrow pierces through his throat as he collapses to his knees and blood pours through the gaps of his fingers.

He looks at Lorcan, betrayal fires up in his wide eyes as he then slumps, no longer moving.

Lorcan killed him.

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