“I can have the person beheaded for hurting you. Don’t you understand?” His voice drops to a whisper. “No one shall ever lay a hand on you again.”
I whip my gaze towards him, feeling the rage tickle against my fingertips. “I can protect myself, don’t you remember?”
His body shifts backwards. “Did you kill the person who did this?”
My head softly shakes. “No.”
“Seems like you can’t protect yourself then.” He violently pushes off the wood, standing tall as he throws the apple to the ground. “Did Koen do this to you?”
He glances over his shoulder, his eyes darkening as if he knows… as if he sees right through me.
“No,” I firmly say, rising to my feet. “And for you to ever think Koen would hurt me, is outrageous.”
“And to think he wouldn’t is foolish, Serene.” He snaps at me, his jaw ticking as he beams a raging glare. “You are smarter than that. You don’t know him like I do. He has always been called thedark one, why do you think that!”
He has yet to remember that I do know him. And once he does, everything will fall apart. He will know it was supposed to be him and I on the throne, not Skie and him. I need the stones.I need the book.
“He wouldn’t hurt me. If you didn’t think I could handle myself, you wouldn’t have left me alone with him.” I take a step closer to him, inches away from his chest as I stare into his damn eyes. “You don’t know your brother well enough.”
“Half brother.” He leans closer. “What thehellhappened in the Vitaei last night?”
“Nothing,” I hiss, feeling the fire run through my vines. “Drop it.”
“Damn it, Serene, you need to—”
“She said drop it,brother,” Koen growls, his grip tightening dangerously on the dagger pressed against his waist.
Florian throws his head back, releasing a sharp, sarcastic laugh filled with frustration. “Of course you'd interfere.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Koen demands, lunging aggressively forward, eyes blazing.
Florian mirrors the movement, stepping closer towards him. “You always try to play the hero, but there's not a shred of goodness in you! She needs to see that!”
“I can think for myself,” I blurt out, chest heaving as I stare at the two of them scream at one another in the Pyre.
No more bloodshed.Not here.
“This is between my brother and I,” Florian snarls, raising his hand abruptly, signaling me to stop talking.
My eyes narrow, head tilting in disbelief at his audacity.
“Excuse me?” I snarl back, rage burning at my fingertips.
“Ah shit, I used to be the one to piss her off all the time.” Koen’s lips tug into a sly grin. “I suppose now it's your turn.” His brow lifts, crossing his broad arms and making the daggers shift against his ribs. “Seems like you aren’t the better brother after all.”
In a matter of seconds, Florian launches a punch, but it barely causes Koen to stumble backward. Koen scoffs, wiping the trickle of blood from his cracked lips.
“You’re going to regret that.” Koen rubs his bloody lip, cracking his neck deliberately.
“Actually, I’ve been wanting to do that for centuries.” Florian takes his golden hair, pulling it up into a high bun. “Felt pretty damn good.”
“Stop this!” I hiss, stepping forward.
However, Koen lunges at Florian, tackling him to the ground with force. They grunt at the impact. The dry, white dust swirls into the air as they wrestle fiercely, each delivering blows to the other's face with pure rage.
I roll my eyes, catching sight of Kaine’s brow raising, and I know exactly what he is thinking.
“Stop,” I mouth out to him as he lifts his hands, cackling at the sight that is unfolding before us.
