In that moment, I truly believed him.
Time and time again, I had been shown I was all alone and the world I had been born into didn't care about me.
After my mother died, there was no one to protect me. My stepmother and stepsister had acted like I was a vile curse brought upon the family. The prince I was to marry wanted me only for my ability to produce heirs.
Why would it be any different now?
“That’s where you’re wrong,my king.”
The last two words dripped sarcasm, and I recognized the voice behind them.
Little Mouse.
Fate was reminding me I wasn't alone anymore. I was bound to two individuals who would give their life for me as I would for them, and both of them had burst through the doors in front of us.
They’re here for me.
Cedar looked pale and was limping as she walked down the aisle, and I was so overjoyed to see them, I didn't realize they were holding something.
Someone.
Someone I had thought of every waking moment since her death. The same someone that filled my dreams.
The ghost of the last descendant of Krae was between their arms. They had to hold her up as she dragged her feet along the long, bloodred carpet.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. My brother was two seconds away from killing me, but all I could think about was that my mother was alive.
She’s alive.
And then she looked up at me with those beautiful greenish-gray eyes I'd missed so much. I hadn’t realized I had forgottenthe color of her eyes until that very moment. She was skinny, looking as if she was only moments away from going crazed.
I wanted to rush to her. I wanted to hold her in my arms. Hug her. Apologize to her. More importantly, I just wanted to go near her so I could make sure she was really who I thought she was.
How, in this unbelievably cruel universe, did they deliver the one thing I had been missing?
But I used it for what it was.
A distraction.
Adrian had turned to look as well, so I used the moment to push the sword into his chest. When he inevitably caught it with the other hand, I used my foot to push him off the throne platform.
He landed with a thud, and Cedar sent out her magic around him, circling his body.
But it wouldn’t be enough. I could tell she was weakening as her magic flickered, so he was able to push out of it with ease. Vesper pushed my mom into Cedar’s arms and headed toward my brother, but he was too fast.
Evading her, he was in front of me in seconds.
I was prepared for it, though. I shoved the sword forward into his torso.
“I am calling a Roya?—”
His hand was suddenly around my mouth, and he was forcing me to the ground, even with the sword still shoved into his body.
“Let's not be hasty now, shall we?” he said, using his other hand to pull the sword out. It cut through his skin with a sickening squeal, and more of that disgusting blood fell all over me.
He let out a pained groan, but that was the only indication that he’d been stabbed right through the stomach.
“Unfortunately, I can't let you be some sacrificial lamb, no matter how much I want to fucking kill you right now,” he whispered. “They were kind enough to free your mother, so I need someone to take her place.”
