The emperor makes gurgling sounds, blood dripping from his mouth and the wound in his neck. He’s struggling, his movements stiff and awkward. His eyes search the room wildly, like he’s looking for something or waiting for someone to help him.
I stand and move a little closer to where the others are watching the emperor. “He’s dying.”
The emperor falls to his knees. His skin is gray, his eyes wild and bulging. I don’t think he’s going to survive, even if we remove that knife.
“What did you do?” Caiden asks. “Why isn’t he healing?”
Ludis laughs, then looks at Caiden. “You wanted this. Don’t even pretend like you didn’t.”
Caiden lowers his weapon. Brevan follows his lead.
Ludis rubs his throat, then turns his attention to me. “You don’t happen to have another one of those knives, do you, Tay?”
As insane as he is, I believe that he wants the emperor dead just as much as I do. Numbly, I reach into my other pocket and hand the weapon to Ludis.
“Cheers,” he says, holding up the knife like he’s making a toast. Then he thrusts my second knife into the emperor’s back.
I hold my breath, and then I see it. The light fading from the emperor’s eyes. His jaw goes slack, his breath rattles. Ludis kicks him to the ground. The emperor spasms, then stills.
“Long live the emperor,” Ludis says.
“Is he dead?” Caiden asks.
“Yes,” I say before Ludis can answer. “The knives had relics in them.”
Brevan and Caiden both turn to me with looks of surprise.
Ludis smirks. “That’s my girl.”
“I am not your girl,” I snap. “And you are a liar. You set this whole thing up? Even me? How long were you planning this?”
“He’s really dead,” Caiden says.
“Yes, he’s fucking dead,” I say. “And apparently, my ex-boyfriend who asked me to spy for him is a godsdamned exiled prince.”
“Ex-boyfriend?” Brevan asks.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Caiden hisses. “My father is dead, and you’re worried about a woman?”
I step over the dead emperor and stop right in front of Lee or Ludis or whatever the fuck his name is. “You told me he”—I point at Brevan—“killed my brothers.”
“Sorry about that,” he says. “Needed someone to blame and he does have a reputation.”
My face feels hot. “Who killed them, Lee?”
“They’re dead. Does it really matter?” he asks.
“Who. Killed. Them?” I demand.
“Fine. Alright, I killed them. Are you happy? I knew you wouldn’t do the job unless it was personal.”
Rage seethes and twists, and I feel something dark stirring within me. “You took everything from me!” I let the anger come, let it drive me forward. “How could you do that?”
“What the fuck?” Caiden says from behind me.
“He should be dead!” Ludis says.
I turn, and I’m face-to-face with the emperor. His vacant eyes stare at me, and his body is oddly slack.
