Immediately upon untying Sin, a vicious snarl left her as she tackled Gideon to the ground.
“Gods dammit, Sin!” Gideon snapped before attempting to hit her over the head with his fist.
Sin caught it instantly, ready for it. But her strength did not match Gideon’s, a trained warrior.
In a flash of light, Sin was knocked unconscious, but it wasn’t he who did it.
“Shit,” Jocelyn muttered, her footsteps sounding further and further away with each second.
A shadow fell over them—a silhouette framed by the pale moonlight. Gideon looked up, blinking through the haze of pain, and froze.
There she stood, her eyes glinting like steel that matched his, fury etched across her features. “This prison is taken. Cage your beast elsewhere.”
Her gaze dropped, locking on his face, recognition dawning with a mix of shock and something almost like sorrow.
With barely more than a whisper, Gideon breathed, “Mother.”
Sin
Asearing pain tore through Sin’s skull, throbbed through her body during the last of its fae healing. It intensified with the blinding flashes of light.
Her world spun, noises coming in and out—fragments of tense voices echoing as if in a deep cave.
A masculine voice—Gideon’s, she realized with relief—swore, and then footsteps pounded towards her. Relief, over.
She tried to move, but her healing limbs felt like lead. Were these people really supposed to be her allies?
“Stop,” an assertive, older, feminine voice cut through the chaos.
“You don’t understand,” Gideon’s voice sounded as he neared. Sin barely had the strength to lift her trembling hand in defense.
“I understand that if you lay a hand on her, you’ll be getting a beating from me.” She stepped forward menacingly, her eyes narrowing into a glare. “Now back off.”
Angy, lighter footsteps neared her quickly. Sin fought the pain of the brightness as she opened her eyes, splashes of color blurring in her vision—shapes shifting into focus. A distorted silhouette loomed above her, slowly sharpening as Sin blinked.
The world around her blurred, and for a split second, her vision tunneled on the face above her. Those eyes—Max’s eyes. The resemblance was uncanny, cruel even.
Sin fought back tears, inhaling deeply as they took each other in.
The woman snorted. “By the recognition and longing on your face, which of my sons are you in love with?” The queen’s tone was sharp, almost mocking, and Sin felt a rush of heat rise to her cheeks.
“Maximus,” Sin breathed.
“Sin,” Gideon said warily. “This is my mother, Queen Ecythis.”
Sin swallowed hard as she struggled to curtsy, never having been taught how. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”
The queen nodded. “Why are you here, and why were you acting like a feral animal before?”
Sin gave the others a withering look, newly furious over what they had done. Jocelyn had practically been hiding behind Gideon’s shadow. Sin put together she must not have been out for long, then.
“We’ve come to take you back,” Gideon said, straightening up as if steeling himself, his eyes briefly flicking towards the queen for confirmation. “The raven has flown, and your people are answering the call they’ve waited years for. Maximus ensured it. By this time tomorrow, the kingdom will be yours, awaiting its rightful ruler.”
Each sentence had the Queen’s jaw drop further and further. She shook off her stupor. " well unless one of you can break me out of here the point is moot.”
Jocelyn swallowed hard before she spoke, her eyes downcast. “We may have a solution for that.”
for the first time since Sin had been awake. Queen Ecythis stared down at Jocelyn hard. “I remember you,” she said.
