“Both of you.” I stare at them with rage in my eyes. “I trusted you two, and then you go behind my back and decide if I should live or not?”
“Ren—” Kaine goes to speak, butI hold out my palm.
“Not yet, Kaine,” I huff. “I appreciate you, Florian, for staying at my door through the night, but I can handle whoever comes in that room. I don’t understand why you cannot see that I am perfectly fine without the two of you right by my side.”
“Well once Koen tells you what he did, you might never want us around ever again.” Florian deeply sighs, lifting his chin to meet his brother's violent stare.
Fire dares to violently ignite on my fingertips as I stare at them both, my heart pounding so dangerously against my ribs that it threatens to burst free from my chest.
“Now, Koen!” I snarl, my voice a menacing growl as I take an intimidating step closer. I lean in, trying to capture his gaze that avoids me. “You can't even look at me! What did you do!”
He stays silent.
“What did you do this time, Koen!” My voice booms, making his eyes shut by the rage that is bellowing from within.
His head tilts back, eyes searching the sky as he exhales a deep, shuddering sigh before finally, reluctantly, meeting my gaze. His eyes are soft, filled with regret, and the sight steals the breath from my lungs.
What the hell did he do?
Koen lets out a frustrating, yet heartbreaking grunt. I fear he knows what he is about to say will destroy me. “Your friend is dead,” he exhales. “I believe her name was Alice.”
Chapter 35
“The stones that are spread across the Realms hold powers deep within. They are portals. They hold memories. They are the hearts of the Realms and can only be touched by a Royal, or if one holds the pendant.” - Book of Azure
ALICE. IS. DEAD.
I can see Koen’s lips moving, but his words are a blur, lost in the fog of my mind. Florian is screaming, his hands waving in the air at Koen, but his attention is focused on me.
The life around me seizes. Everything freezes.
Silence floods my ears as all I now hear is my heart rapidly beating.
“What did you just say?” I hiss, letting the fire flicker from my hand as I step forward towards him. Koen catches the sight of it, closing his eyes for a split moment.
“Alice is dead, Serene,” he breathes out. “Let me—”
“For how long? How do you know this?” Tears burn my eyes, everything blurs as I try and keep them away. “How do you know this!” I scream, my throat burning.
“The day I met you.” His jaw ticks as he avoids my gaze once again.
I panic. My palms sweat by the heat of the flames blaring against my fingers. I heave, blackness creeping at the edges of my eyes.
“Serene, I can explain—” Koen sighs, pulling in his lips as he goes to reach out towards me.
“No!” I cut him off, fire flickering towards him as he yanks away. “Did you kill her!” The rage in my voice echoes in the Pyre, catching the attention of the rest of those who are here.
“Ohhhhh.” I can hear Lykia’s boots digging into the gravel behind me, walking beside me. She scans my body, slowly, from head to toe. Her eyes light up in realization. “Is this the woman from the field of ash?”
My heart plummets, rage piercing every single sensation in my body as I go to scream. “She was with you that day?”
Koen takes both of his hands, nervously running them through his hair and over his face. “She was, but—”
“No buts, Koen.” Lykia strides towards him, letting her arm rest on his shoulder as she stares at me. “This is her… isn’t it? I thought you took her to the dungeons as we did the other?”
My stomach tightens, my eyes burning as if they caught on fire.
One. I want to take that arm of hers and break it in half now that she has touched him again.
