Page 121 of A Kingdom of Shadows

No.

"Sarilyn would not kill them without a threat toward me beforehand. She knows what my brothers mean to me. She—" I press my lips together in frustration. Darius reaches out to me, but I take a step back with another shake of my head as his eyes are awash with concern. I glance at Thallan and the hidden smirk itching to reach his lips. "What did you do?" I demand and raise the letter in my hand. "For all I know, this is fake, conjured up by you!"

But I know it is not. No one else knew of the den, and I would recognize Iker's writing anywhere.

"Thallan was just doing his duty, Nara," Dusan says, his voice taking on an edge. "I know you might be upset, but you do not need to take it up with my emissary."

My gaze snaps to him, and I march to his desk, slamming my fists down. I grind my teeth, hating how he would defend a man like Thallan. "Even if I was most euphoric, I would rather gouge his eyes out just for simply speaking to me."

Dusan's stare grows wide at my fury. He might be king. He might have let us stay inside his home out of kindness, but my brothers come first.

Always.

Especially when it is over royalty.

"Leave her, your majesty." Thallan's laugh breaks the putrid silence. "She is clearly not in the right state of mind right now. Might I suggest locking her up until she calms down?"

Fire burns throughout me. I'm shaking with rage as I slowly turn my head toward Thallan.

He's grinning, amusing himself with his jokes.

My legs start moving, fists clenched and ready to wipe that smile off his lips when I'm stopped mid-step as he goes slamming against the walls. Garbled sounds come out of him as swirls of shadow magic wrap around his throat.

I look over my shoulder. Darius is there with his hand extended outward and a look of pure wrath flooding his eyes.

"You were saying?" He smirks, and Thallan's choking gasps become louder.

"Darius," Dusan warns, but it's no use. Darius's shadows slither up Thallan's now blue face until they begin digging into his eyes.

Squelching blood slides down his face as he cries out in pain.

"Darius!" Dusan yells again, and this time guards charge into the study room.

Swords are unsheathed, and Thallan's screams are still slamming through the walls, but Darius doesn't care.

I walk up to him, circling a hand around his arm. "Let him go," I whisper, even though I want to smile at Thallan's misfortune. "Darius."

The tension in his shoulders lessens, and our eyes meet.

The warmth in his usual gold eyes returns, and he exhales a breath as if in relief. He drops his hand, as does Thallan, to the floor. His gasps and agonizing groans sound haunting. I don't look his way. I don't believe he deserves that much. Instead, I glance back at Dusan.

His expression is blank, eyes only on Darius and me.

My grip tightens around Darius's arm, fearing he will be taken, fearing I will live that moment Sarilyn captured him once again.

Dusan's gaze slides to his guards. "Stand down."

"But sire—"

"I said stand down." Dusan turns to me. He doesn't say anything else, except the look he gives me is clear.

He is giving us a chance.

And for what reason, I'm not sure, but I'm grateful enough to take it as I curl my fingers around Darius's hand and walk out of there.

Chapter Forty-Six

I'm storming through the maze as the fresh air beats my face, yet it does nothing to ease the frantic state I am in right now. I arrive at the center with Darius behind me. I start pacing back and forth, running both hands through my hair. I'd expected Darius to be less than calm after the macabre scene of him using his powers on Thallan, but no, he's leaning against the hedge, watching how panicked I am.

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