Page 119 of Burn

“At the risk of wasting my breath, I’m aware of what you fucking meant,” Winter hissed, calmly enunciating every word. “As for your clumsy presumption, I’m in attendance because it appears Autumn and Winter have more in common than I estimated.”

“What the fuck could you have in common?” Rhys blustered, his saliva flying as if he was suffering from heatstroke. “Autumn is a sentimental wasteland, on the brink of downfall because of this lawless bitch, her demonic jester, and their half-witted spawn—”

With a growl, I lunged his way. Briar reacted swiftly, grabbing my shoulders and wrestling me back.

Although his security detail wedged themselves closer, Rhys ignored the fact that he’d almost lost a kidney. Instead, his shrewd gaze dashed from me and the princess to Jeryn. “What have these sympathizing sluts offered His Highness?”

“How dare you!” Avalea said, launching from her chair.

“Husband,” Giselle ordered, grabbing Rhys’s ugly linen mantle. “That is enough!”

Winter simply cocked his head. “Offered me?”

The arctic edge in Jeryn’s voice could have amputated a limb. Hearing it, Rhys backpedaled. “They … they must have …”

But he choked on his words as the prince scrutinized the king. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re now questioning my integrity.” Unintimidated by their disparities in rank, Jeryn flipped aside one panel of his coat and set his fingers on the scalpel-shaped knife at his hip. “Careful what you assume.”

In other words, don’t fuck with this prince. On that score, Jeryn’s calculating pupils flashed on us. My own gaze narrowed; he was waiting for us to expose Rhys’s spies. Either we acted now, or he would. One might expect Analytical Winter to side with Briar’s logic, believing we needed proof. But then, I sensed Jeryn knew what the outcome would be.

Glimpsing Briar’s expression, I caught the private shift in her bearing. The trust in our abilities. That leap of faith. All of this, plus the knowledge that Rhys was already on the verge of conniption. It wouldn’t take much to tip him over.

I inclined my head.Do the honors, Highness.

Her chin rose.Don’t mind if I do, Jester.

Briar turned to our rapt audience and dropped the next sentence like a guillotine. “Summer has been parceling spies across the Seasons.”

That was all it took for Rhys to detonate. He barked and bleated whilst Briar spoke over his protests, explaining to a stunned Basil and Fatima all that had happened, starting with Merit’s beheading and proceeding with Rhys’s informants, the Masters’ recruitment, the courtyard battle, and everything his minions had attempted since Briar’s return to the castle.

In the end, Giselle slapped her palm over her husband’s mouth, staunching his tirade.

After a thunderstruck moment, Fatima glowered at Rhys. “Is this true?”

Summer purpled, the color proof enough. Indeed, he hadn’t thought we would make a move without a guarantee, certainly not in our position.

Aire stepped from the doors. “Autumn is a nation of virtue,” he testified. “We mean what we say.”

Jeryn rolled his eyes, clearly finding that affirmation to be insufficient. “Winter received an admission from one of its knights, which confirmed Summer’s presence in my court.”

“Ludicrous!” Rhys accused. “You intimidated him!”

“That would have been child’s play,” Jeryn dismissed, his baritone unrepentant. “I dismembered him.”

Aire’s horrified eyes widened. Avalea winced, not entirely surprised based on Jeryn’s reputation. Basil turned green, and I had no fucking clue how Fatima reacted because I didn’t bother checking.

“You barged in on Autumn with a demand once,” Briar clipped to Summer. “Now we have one for you. Whatever you came here to achieve or accuse us of, quit while you’re not ahead.”

Rhys brayed, “An heiress doesn’t command a king!”

“Then allow her queen to do it,” Avalea said. “Stand down, Your Majesty.”

“I’ve done nothing but protect this continent!” Rhys threw a malicious glower my way. “You were the one who—” But the coward cut himself off, his pride refusing to admit the pampered Court Jester had almost incinerated him to a crisp the last time he was here.

Behold, the power of an inflated ego. I should know.

“Filthy lies!” he spat at me and Briar. “And I will not be interrogated by a fucking inferior. Guards!”

Summer’s knights hustled forward, steel ringing as they ripped out their swords. In the confusion, Spring’s soldiers followed suit.

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