“You know more about my magic than nearly anyone else. You oversaw my childhood to ensure it.”
Kallin smirks. “Is that bitterness I hear? It’s misplaced if so. Everything I have done, both then and now, has been in service of my home. I will continue to protect her, no matter the cost, Your Majesty.”
I mimic his smile, even as I struggle to latch on to the anger that I know is simmering within me. “As will I.”
The air is thick with the scent of must and mildew, each lungful a battle not to cough it right back out. Even with the fabric of the scarf covering my face, the smell of the dungeons is one that can’t be dampened. In the cracks between the stone that surrounds me, water drips, the rhythmic sound of it hitting the ground matching the pace of my steps.
Carrying a small white bag in one hand, I sink the other into my pocket, playing with the now empty glass vial as I whistle a tune to announce my arrival to the two guards posted at the end of the tunnel. It’s a stupid fucking plan, but it is the only one that doesn’t necessitate involving other people. If I am going to go against every oath I took as king, then I damn well better make sure no one else can be an accomplice to my crimes. Sweat beadsat my temples, my heart pounding at my ribcage as I follow the tunnel and turn right, revealing a guarded metal gate.
“Who goes there?” one of the guards shouts, hand going to the sword strapped at his hip. The lights of the spelled flames on either wall reflect amber over his leather armor, his partner also reaching for his weapon as they watch me come closer.
“I’ve come bearing gifts!” I shout, lifting the hand holding the white bag in front of me. The guards take in the armor I wear—stolen from Cass’s room—and my half-covered face before looking at each other.
“What’s that?” the younger of the two asks, shaking his head to move the red curls dangling over his forehead off to the side.
“A gift from His Majesty.” I toss him the bag, his partner’s eyes fixed on me as I stop in front of them. His fingers flex against the hilt of his sword for another moment, and I arch my brow in response.
“The king has never sent us anything before,” he says, allowing his hand to finally fall as he steps back next to his partner. “What’s in there, Damien?”
I watch as the younger man opens the bag and reaches in. He pulls out the iced lemon bar before handing off the bag to the man at his side. “There’s a new king now,” I say.
The other man snorts, palming a lemon bar for himself. “Unsurprising. His Majesty seems like the type to try to win you over with something simple like sweets.” He lifts it up, inspecting the icing on top. “Gods, did lightning strike the person who was trying to ice these? It’s a mess.”
My brows lower, but I keep my mouth shut as he bites into the dessert.
“If he wants to send us dessert every day in order to get our support, he’ll hear no complaints from me. Especially when it’s about time for us to go home,” Damien counters, biting into hisown bar before pulling the bag from his friend. “Did you want one?”
I shake my head, taking a step back. “Already enjoyed one with the others upstairs. Just wanted to make sure you guys got some as well.” As I speak, I count the seconds that pass. Galen said that lavendaris worked quickly, I can only hope that adding it to food doesn’t lessen the effects.
A few moments later, that proves to not be the case. Damien’s eyelids begin to droop as he mumbles something about sitting. His partner watches him stumble to the ground before slowly moving his gaze to me, realization hitting just a few seconds too late. Another handful of seconds pass as he tries to fight it, and then he too goes down in a heap.
I pull the scarf down and draw in a steady breath, the cold air of the underground tunnel sticking to my sweat laden brow. Kneeling at the side of the second guard, I unhook the keyring from his belt, sifting through the keys until I find the one I need. Sliding it into the lock of the gate, I turn it as a click rings out and the gate lifts. Behind it are rows of cells in a grid-like pattern. They should all be empty, as it is rare to keep someone down here for long periods of time. It’s a cruelty that my father never enjoyed employing, and I only knew of one in his entire reign as king who was sentenced to years of solitude here before he was granted the mercy of death.
Flipping the keys on the ring, I find the master key for the cell doors and open the closest one to the gate before dragging Damien and his companion in.
For days, I had tracked the movements of the dungeon guards, learning about shift changes under the guise of needing the information as the incoming king. It was an abuse of power for my own personal gain, and I didn’t fucking care. My timing had to be damn near perfect, as I am unsure how long the effects of the lavendaris will last. Locking the door to the cell, I moveto a pillar framing the gate into the dungeon and tuck myself behind it while I wait for Stephan. When his steps finally sound in the hall, I slip two daggers from their sheaths at my belt just as I hear his steps halt and draw his own weapon.
I hold my breath, clammy hands gripping my hilts as I wait for him to make his next move. This entire plan hinges on the fact that if I have deducedanythingabout Stephan, it is that he believes himself to be infallible. After all, he had taken me down without any fight—regardless of the fact that I’m at my weakest. I had seen the way his eyes gleamed in utter satisfaction, his power over me as he dragged me through the woods unquestionably boosting his ego.
I nearly sigh in relief when his profile comes into view as he crosses the threshold of the open gate, his sword lifted in front of him.
“What the fuck?” Spotting Damien and his companion, Stephan’s steps slow as he looks down the row of cells. I stay tucked back within the shadows, letting him pass me on his way to the cell holding the guards. He shifts his weapon into one hand as he reaches back with the other to his belt, where his keyring hangs.
I lunge at him then, the element of surprise helping to close the gap between my current shortcomings and his advantage over me. He turns, eyes wide and mouth agape, just as the hilt of one of my daggers smashes into his temple. Stephan crumples, the clang of his sword hitting the stone beneath us loud as he collapses.
My chest heaves, and my fingers tremble around my blades, but I relish in the small feeling of victory that warms me from within.Finally,something goes right. Once I’m sure he’s out and the other two guards are still asleep, I sheathe my weapons and kick Stephan’s away from him, stripping him of his remaining blades. I drag him through the maze of cells into the center ofthe dungeon, sparsely spread out spelled flames the only source of light. Placing him inside a cell, I lean against the metal bars of the door and tip my head back in exhaustion.
I picture Rhea as I close my eyes, the ever-present headache between my temples throbbing harder. This dungeon is supposed to just be a temporary holding spot for those who dare to betray their fellow mages or their king. But in my presence, it will become something darker. Something harsher. For her, I will be the most monstrous thing this dungeon has ever seen. For her, I’ll doanything.
Chapter Eighty-Six: Nox
Ikickthebottomof Stephan’s boot, his entire body jolting with the movement. “Wake up.”
It has only been a few minutes since I knocked him out, but the adrenaline coursing through me is begging me to act. To bring my weapon to his throat and demand he tell me everything he fucking knows. And I will resort to that, if necessary. For now, I’m trying to let logic and rationality—no matter how miniscule those feel within me—win out.
Stephan groans as his head lolls to the side, his body partially slumped over where I propped him up against the damp stone wall. Pressing my hand against the leather armor on my chest, the imprint of Rhea’s ring pushes against my skin, grounding me. I watch as Stephan’s eyes flicker open, taking a few seconds to focus. A laugh barrels out of him as he looks around the cell before turning his gaze to me.
“Well done, Your Majesty,” he says, heaving his body a little more upright as a breath hisses from between his teeth. “I knewthere had to be more to you than a pretty face. How did you incapacitate those two guards?”
