Chapter
Seven
Titus
The shock of the attack digs into me as a splinter dives under the nail.
Everett’s time-waving magic wants to keep me alive—to be a pair of tweezers that plucks out the annoyance; it’s like having an overprotective parent hovering over you.
Time slows now. I’m a lucky bastard because it’s only me in the time bubble again. My secret is still safe. Noise turns into a distant hum.
Is this arrow intended for Galen or me?
Is our queen an assassin?
With each breath I take, the arrow draws closer. I’m unsure how long the time-weaving will last. I take a fighting stance. I raise the sword that Galen gifted me.
The crowd reacts. The bubble begins to crack!
Oh shit! They see me raising my sword next to their king.
See the arrow!
Good, Galen spots it.
Snap! The bubble breaks right as I swing down, slicing the arrow in half. I lock eyes with the assassin.She’s already moving.
Screams erupt, guards shout. The hard stone floor collides with my chest as I’m tackled.
My fire magic roars against the assault. It slips into my palms, but two guards stomp on my hands. Pain explodes over my knuckles as three fingers break. The blood I just drank heals them.
“Stop!” Galen roars. “He saved me, you fool! Did you not see him cleave the arrow in two?”
Panic erupts. I’m used to shouts and chaos. My coiled muscles relax. My fire seeps back into my fingers.
“Bloody fucking heavens!” King Galen shouts.
Soldiers file into the party. My lips part, ready to confess. I slam my mouth shut. I don’t have solid facts. An accusation could cost me my life.
If Galen believes me, he’d have to kill the queen.
I need her to help me.
It may have been her twin.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Galen regards me, chin held high. That crown on his head makes me take a step back. “Did you see who it was?”he questions with an authority that makes me feel like a young boy again.
The intensity of the glare his eyes hold is hotter than the very flames I can produce. His question is a multi-faceted game, and depending on my answer, I’ll be granted life, death, or a chance to play again.
Shit!He knows it was the queen. He tilts his head as he places his palm on his sword. Answering him with the truth feels more dangerous than the arrow that was aimed at us.
Galen knows that Selene was trying to take my life.
Which means he could have stopped it. But he didn’t. Why?
I shake my head. “No, my king.”
