We’d already passed through two. Who lived here before the Tempests? And why the fuck did they need four godsdamned kitchens?
Slate tugged me forward, feeling me flag behind. “Come on, Princess. Just a little bit further.”
Beads of sweat dripped from my temple, and I felt myself going limp, but my Guardian wouldn’t allow my exhaustion to win out.
“Nope. You’re not giving up just yet. Come on, think of it like the laps I used to make you run when you started out,” he said, flashing his dimpled grin.
“Oh, yeah. Such fond memories…” I drawled, elbowing him in the side.
Slate chuckled but drew me forward once more. After what I believed would be an endless maze of kitchen bonanza, we finally stepped outside onto cobblestones in an alley. No one was present, but at last, we made it to the courtyard, sporting a giant, ornate, nonfunctional fountain.
“The gates are just up ahead. That’s what Brecken said, right?” Onyx said, turning to Cotton.
“Brecken? You met Brecken?” I asked, confused.
Onyx wasn’t able to answer because he and Cotton had slammed to a stop. A cloud of shadows swirled before them. When they cleared, my heart sank.
“Chrome…”
“Should’ve known you’d try to flee.” Chrome’s shoulders shook, his eyes nearly black in rage. There was no trace of the real him.
He was here to stop his property from being stolen. And I’d led my Guardian and friends straight to their deaths.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cotton
“Ifeel like I’ve stepped into a portal to the past right now,” Chrome mused. “Been a while since we’ve all been together in one place.” Shadows unfurled from his body in the form of inky black ribbons.
What the fuck had happened to him?
On instinct, I reached for the Eternal Sword’s hilt sheathed at my side.
Onyx lowered into a defensive stance beside me, and I sensed Slate moving from my back to stand between Chrome and us.
“Chrome,” Slate warned. “Don’t.”
My old friend scrutinized his former partner, never having appeared more bored in his life. “It’s not me you need to worry about.”
I pinched my brows together as my heart rate spiked. Seconds later, King Forest rounded the building to the left of the courtyard, casually swaggering toward us in his typical arrogant form. It had been months since I last saw him, and my body’s reaction had not changed. Except this time, I was filledwith such a murderous rage toward the piece of shit that I nearly lunged for him without a thought.
Onyx brushed his shoulder against mine, casting me a look that said, “Keep your cool.”
As the king approached, he lifted his chin, taking in the four of us. “Ah, the traitors have returned to me, I see.”
When he spotted Slate, his jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. “You’re supposed to be dead.” And then he spotted Onyx. “As are you. I’m sure your father will be thrilled to hear.”
Forest pivoted his stare to me. “Well, Cotton. I suppose I didn’t get my point across to you when I removed your tongue. That’s what happens when my kindness is taken for weakness.”
I lunged forward, ready to drive this sword through his eyes. A hand slapped me in the chest, halting my movement.
“Keep your head, Cotton,” Onyx murmured beside me.
Forest laughed, then settled his gaze on Gray. “Ah, my insolent daughter. The biggest disappointment and worst decision I’ve ever made. Nice to see that you’ve recovered well from your…operation.”
Gray, even in her weakened state, stood firm in the presence of her father. “I can’t wait to fucking kill you.”
“You’ve tried and failed. Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised that you couldn’t follow through,” the king droned on, clearly enjoying the fact that he had the upper hand.
