Storm’s black coat gleams like polished onyx, his powerful strides thundering against the ground.
Kian curses under his breath, his jaw tightening as his gaze shifts to me. Commotion spreads, murmurs rising around us in a low hum of disbelief. I somehow forgot about the audiencesurrounding us. Shit. This was supposed to be my chance to prove myself, and so far, I am definitely not making the best impression.
“Did you just . . . call to them?” Zaria mutters under her breath, leaning into me, her eyes locked on the wolves and Storm.
I shake my head, confusion stirring inside me. “I don’t know.”
Then, before I can work out a response, Storm stops in front of me, his large, dark eyes meeting mine with a calm intensity. He nudges me gently with his nose, his touch surprisingly comforting, and I instinctively reach out, steadying myself with a hand on his head. The familiar feel of his mane under my fingers eases some of the panic threatening to rise.
Taking a deep breath, I look up, my gaze moving from Storm to Kian and Tristan, all watching me closely. My pulse is pounding, but I stand a little straighter, forcing myself to meet their stares head-on.
“I told you. I can’t leave him behind.”
Kian shoots me a look, but it’s mixed with something that almost resembles respect. “You’re impossible, Princess.” His tone carries a hint of exasperation, though his lips quirk into a small smile.
“I’ll take the carriage,” I declare, turning back to Kian with a fierce glare. “But If I decide I want to ride, I will ride.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but then seems to think better of it. He just shakes his head, a rueful smile playing on his lips. “Stubborn as ever.”
Chapter nineteen
Maxon
Even with my eyes closed, I can sense the shadows in my dungeon growing darker, deeper, pressing in with a suffocating weight. This whole place breathes darkness and despair, like it’s alive and feeding off my anger and exhaustion. I know Yumekui is watching me. Her gaze is sharp, lingering—a prickling sensation that crawls over my skin, settling like an itch I can’t scratch.
If only I could get these bone chains off. Just for a second. One second is all I’d need to cause enough damage to leave a mark she’d never forget.
“You look like you could use a pick-me-up, Your Majesty,” Yumekui’s voice weaves around me like wisps of smoke.
I force my eyes open, glaring into the shadows that seem to pulse with her presence. “I don’t know why you’re keeping me. You should just kill me. I’m of no use to you. Everly isn’t coming for me. My men won’t allow it.”
The shadows shift, and she steps forward in her beast form. Her black coat glints like polished obsidian, scruffy yet formidable, her size dwarfing even Nymeria and Anika. She’s massive, a hulking wolf, a pure predator, one that carries both elegance and danger with each and every movement.
“If that’s truly what you wanted,” she murmurs, her voice soft but sharp as steel, “you wouldn’t have killed the deadling that snuck in here hoping for a little taste of royal blood.”
Her voice lingers in the air, low and ominous, yet her beast stands before me, messing with my mind. Exhausted, I let my head fall, my filthy, matted hair draping over my face, shutting out her sharp gaze.
I sense her magic snaking through the air, then the sound of her footsteps drawing closer, slow and deliberate. Back in her human form, she crouches in front of me, close enough that I can feel the heat of her presence.
“See, I think that’s a lie. Which is interesting, since high fae are unable to lie. You still hold out hope that you will see your precious mate again. You don’t want to die.”
I lift my head just enough to meet her gaze, fighting to keep my expression blank. “Go thefuckaway.”
Yumekui’s lips curve, a flicker of dark amusement lighting her eyes. That wicked gleam—the one that promises she’s about to dig her claws into something painful—settles into her expression. “I just thought you’d like to know,” she purrs, every word soaked in satisfaction, “the former queen is being taken to the Bluffs for her rites.”
The words hit like a blow, and the dungeon around me shrinks, pressing in as my mind stumbles to catch up. I search her face,looking for a crack in that twisted smile, a sign she’s toying with me. But she isn’t lying. Lavina is dead.
When did . . . Everly’s words the day of the attack come rushing back.
Oh my god, Maxon, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see it coming and she, she . . .
My mind spins, grasping at fragments of memories, of Lavina’s fierce smile, her steady voice—a force that kept me grounded after the death of my parents. Now she is gone. A hollow ache claws at my chest. And Everly . . . She’s out there, facing this storm alone, forced to navigate betrayal, power struggles, and enemies closing in, all without me by her side. The thought coils tight in my gut, a searing resentment that burns hotter with every second I’m trapped in these cursed chains. I hate this—this helplessness, this cage, and most of all, the distance keeping me from protecting her.
“I can see you need time with your thoughts,” Yumekui snickers.
Chapter twenty
Everly
