Page 96 of Death of a Mortal

The remaining fae ran for the doors, wanting to leave the king’s wrath far behind them.

When none but us and the guards remained, the king’s flames slowly receded to reveal a furious Caedryn. His eyes were back to red, wild and deranged. His hair was a mess, his hands balled into fists, veins popping across his forehead. He was the very image of terrifying.

Then he turned and pointed a shaking finger at me. “You. You brought them here.”

“No, of course, I didn’t,” I yelled. “I don’t know who they are. I’ve been in my cell day and night!”

“If you didn’t bring the rebels here, then it was your sister. Guards! Bring me the girl!”

I registered two things in that moment—one, that I had just witnessed the work of the rebellion, which meant they were still alive and strong and opposing the king, and two, that the king thought Nella had brought them into the castle.

He would kill her for that. And this time, I wouldn’t be able to bargain for her life.

Chapter 23

Broken

I couldn’t thinkfast enough to process what was happening in front of me. Everything seemed sped up, moving in a blur.

Rebels had been here, Caedryn blamed Nella, and he was a fire demon. And I was stuck behind the king, queen, prince, ambassador, and a line of royal guards.

I had no way to get to Nella when two guards dragged her into the ballroom, kicking and screaming, and threw her to the floor, one pinning her there with a boot on her back.

The dread that filled me when she screamed my name was debilitating. I tried to break through the line of guards, yelling to Nella, but to no avail. One sent an elbow to my cheek, disorienting me, ceasing my thoughts momentarily.

“Secure her,” the queen yelled to the guards.

One wrapped his arms around me and forced me to my knees, hard enough to break the skin. Not that I felt it. I hadn’t even felt the pain in my cheek, which I knew was bruised.

“Your Majesty, please! She didn’t do this! We don’t know whothe rebels are or how to even find them, I swear it!” I kept looking between Nella, terrified, the king, crazed, and the queen, flustered.

“The last time that fucking rebellion entered this castle, it was a mortal servant that orchestrated it from inside Ashthorn. I’ll be damned if I don’t kill every servant here until I find out who it was this time!”

This couldn’t be happening…

“Varyn, please!” I would do or say anything at this point. “If ever there was a shred of something real you felt for me, please stop this! It wasn’t Nella! She’s innocent!”

The prince clenched his jaw and looked from me to his father, then said nothing, did nothing.

I couldn’t see through the tears and the fear. Everything blurred.

“Noxie, help! He’s going to kill Nella, and I can’t get to her!”

“I’m on my way, Naci, just try to keep the king occupied until I can get there!”

I wasn’t sure how much help a crow could be, but he was all I had right now.

“Your Majesty, please, we had a deal! I’ve kept up my end. You can’t harm her!” I was grasping at anything I could say, anything at all.

“You dare tell me what I can’t do?!” Smoke plumed from the king’s nose, seemingly on the brink of releasing his vey again as his chest heaved with breath. “I am the king! I will take every head off every neck in this room if I so please! Guards, round up every mortal in this castle and bring them here. Kill any that resist.”

The line of guards in front of me filed out of the ballroom, leaving just one beside the king, the one holding me down, and the one pinning Nella to the ground.

There was no reasoning with a madman. I had to get to her. I couldn’t worry about the rest right now. I had eyes only for my sister.

And she had eyes only for me, eyes that were spilling over with tears. She was terrified, and it ripped my heart open.

I struggled once more against the guard holding me, but all it didwas to cause him to draw his sword and hit me in the stomach with the hilt, making me double over on my hands and knees.