“The elixir,” Dax bellows. “Here. Give her the fucking elixir.”
I open my eyes, and pain slams back into my body. I roar out a cry. Grasp for…something. I don’t know. Quinn’s face hovers above me. Then there’s Wren, and he pries open my jaw. Dax pours the elixir between my lips. It slides down my throat like a hundred white-hot flames searing me from the inside out.
“You better live long enough for me to fucking kill you for this, Princess.”
I want to laugh at Quinn’s asinine comment, but I can’t. I’m too busy choking on the elixir. Or am I burning alive? Is this dying? Yes. This is dying, I’m sure of it, and it’s awful. I have to close my eyes again and slip back into the void. Only now, I’m not alone. Quinn’s demon is here, and he’s angry.
At me.
‘You stole him.’
I damn sure did.
‘One more truth, and he’s your monster to keep.’
He damn sure is.
Now, go away and leave us alone because I’m not ready to die, and you can’t have Quinn’s soul. It’s his to keep—but his heart belongs to me.
The demon’s laughter—its wicked, heinous laughter—follows me back to consciousness.
“There you are, Rapunzel. Don’t you dare leave us.” Dax’s voice penetrates the blackness. It coaxes me awake, and the pain is gone when I blink my eyes open. I’mverymuch alive—and surrounded by threefurious renegades. “There’s our girl.” Dax smooths a hand through my hair. “Have I told you I’ve always preferred brunettes?”
I cough out a laugh at the same time Quinn punches Dax in the face. While Dax rubs his cheek, Wren helps me sit up. All around me, my golden hair is withering. Dying on the floor.
As it should.
My days of hiding are over. I want to live a normal, mortal life. With my men. My renegades. We fought for this. We damn—I—damn well deserve it. We may be battered and bloody and have a kingdom to rebuild, but we won the battle and defeated a king.
But our newly acquired responsibilities can wait until tomorrow because tonight…
Tonight is for us.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Behold, our queen.
Look at her.
A work of art.
It was Wren’s idea to have her wear the crown.
My idea to strip her naked first.
Outside this chamber, Newkirk teams with activity as the staff, led by Sir Walter, scrambles to clean up the mess of our coup. Including the disposal of John’s body. We expected resistance from the remainder of the three-hundred-strong garrison. More than half fought alongside our allies to help secure the garrison. Those who opposed… Their deaths convinced any lingering reluctant soldiers to lay down their weapons and swear allegiance to Rygard’s rightful queen.
But it was when Cardinal Bram dropped to one knee and proclaimed that Rapunzel was a blessing upon this land that the courtiers fell in step and offered her their loyalty as well.
It certainly helped our cause that the cardinal also had been dear friends with Percy Kincaid. He never forgave John for Percy’s murder.
Our first order of business was to bring Sybil up from the dungeon. The poor old woman couldn’t even walk. John, the prick, beat the witch damn near to death. After a brief reunion, Sybil was taken to the infirmary, where she will be cared for by the royal physician.
Aldo hated the king as well.
There was plenty of that sentiment to go around this kingdom.
With Sybil under the physician’s care and Sir Walter managing the army, all else can wait until the morrow because the new queen of Rygard is ours for the rest of this night.
