The night went by quickly.There was a jittery anticipation in the air around the palace for today’s event. The lords, along with Arianna, Lady Ivara, and me, gathered in the large council room for breakfast. Each of us chatted away, pretending that LordVito had never been part of our inner circle and that my minor mishap had never occurred.
Daelan finally joined us, bringing Sybil along with him, each of them wearing their uniforms. Daelan grabbed a plate, piling on food as Sybil sat beside him, her face pallid and withdrawn. Sybil took the plate Daelan passed her before making his own, though Sybil never brought the food to her mouth. Instead, she stared down at it, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
“Is there a problem?” I asked her, my eyes narrowing on her. Pushing my magic toward her, I attempted to sense her emotions, but was met with that fucking void hiding her sentiments from me. I swallowed back my growl as I watched her swallow thickly, her face paling under my glare. I was growing tired of not being able to read the emotions of her, Samian, Daelan, and Ivara.
“No,” Sybil murmured, picking up her fork and stabbing a piece of ham, cautiously bringing it to her mouth.
I watched as she slowly chewed the meat, waiting for her to swallow before moving my focus back to whatever Arianna was droning on about.
Hale entered the room once it was time for us to make our way to the royal box in the colosseum. My eyes tracked the sweat beading down his face as I passed him by. I released my magic, reaching out to him, but nothing stood out. Pushing my concern aside, I turned my attention to Samian, who stood by the doors, waiting for us to enter.
To save face with the public, I’d allowed him to accompany me during events as he did with the queen. The citizens of Volmire were used to seeing his prideful gaze standing quietly behind Cassia. Everyone knew she had adopted him as a child, and how much she enjoyed parading him around. Stepping up beside him, I threw him a glare. I could still smell Sybil on him, and my nose crinkled at the scent, but I ignored it—for now.
Stopping in the doorway, I turned to face Sybil and Daelan. “Sybil, as my grand paladin, you will lead this execution. Daelan will stand with you on the stage to make sure nothing goes awry.” Narrowing my eyes at her, I slightly lifted my chin. “Nothing will gowrong, correct?”
Sybil looked up at me, defiance filling her eyes. “I’ll do as you say,” she muttered, her voice strained and full of animosity.
“You'd better,” I warned. “Ifanythingshould happen, you will come to regret it and then some.”
I pushed my magic to her, hoping to get a sense of what she was feeling, but my attempt fell flat. My vexation flared, my head pulsing painfully from the use of my power. Sybil stood straighter, her hands curling into fists, but she remained silent as she glowered at me. Daelan tapped her shoulder, breaking the tense moment, and motioned for her to follow. I watched her leave, waiting until she turned down the hall to face Samian, who twisted his head away from the direction where she went.
“Why do you smell of her?” I asked quietly, my nostrils flaring with anger at the mental shield blocking his feelings from me.
“I’ve been helping her with her training to prepare for today,” Samian sneered. “I am her mentor after all, or have you forgotten that during your descent to madness?”
I growled, shoving him into the wall with my forearm. “Do I need to remind you of what happens when you get too close to what’s mine? Or was Aster not enough? Should I make Sybil scream, forcing you to watch as I have my fun?”
Samian bared his teeth, his face turning red, and his body shook. “You will do no such thing,” he seethed, pushing me away. “I haven’t touched her.” His hands were in tight fists, as if he were actively trying to stop himself from going further.
I clucked my tongue, ready to say more when that fucking voice cut me off, pain slicing through my mind at their words.“He’s lying. They’re all lying,” it cackled. “They are laughing at you, poor little half-seelie. Laughing at what you lost, what you will lose. They all know how the little halfling boy will fail.”
A snarl tore from me as I lunged at Samian, slamming him into the wall. Shards of ice floated around me, all pointing their sharp edges toward him. “You will stay away from her, or else I will end your life for good.”
Pushing back from him, the ice fell away, breaking as each of the fragments hit the ground. I took a deep breath, running my hand through my hair, fixing any strands that fell out of place. Stepping into the royal box, I walked to the edge, my hands gripping the railing tight. I cast my gaze to the crowd, surveying the mix of Volmire citizens and noble families all gathered to watch these rats die—a reminder of what awaited them if they were ever caught aiding those godsdamn vermin.
My gaze slid to where Sybil stood, Daelan standing beside her, leaning down to murmur something in her ear. My nose curled, but I shifted my eyes to each of the prisoners. Every one of them was crying, looking so forlorn as they stood in a line, their hands tied together, linking to the next person behind them. The crowd was mixed, with some yelling insults while others stood still, watching the scene unfold with trepidation. The families of noble birth chatted away, each looking unperturbed.
Clearing my throat, I used my magic to heighten my voice as a wave of silence washed over the crowd. “Thank you all for joining me today,” I said, pausing when the crowd cheered. “During our queen’s absence, times have been hard. The cities and villages are struggling, and the spirit among our people is waning. For far too long, we have allowed those who oppose us to rally, to attack, and to drag us further down. The Seelie Court has spent centuries pressuring us, cutting us off from vital resources, hoping to make us weak. They want to bring us down,to force us onto our knees, to squeeze out every ounce of pride in us to force us bow to their king and queen. But no longer! No longer will we allow them to push us toward the brink of defeat. We will rise against them and their soldiers!”
The crowd went wild, jeering and throwing rocks and produce toward the prisoners, and I took it all in. I breathed in the anger and distrust—the rage and fury at what their families were facing in the villages—and sent it back to them, amplifying their wrath and fear.
“Today, we are here to punish those found guilty of treason. These prisoners did not merely aid the rebellion; they openly sympathized with it and its supporters. They turned their back on our kingdom—turned their back on us—and we will not stand for it! Today, they will pay for that transgression. They will pay for it with death.”
The citizens roared, their feet stomping the ground in a symphony of chaos and mayhem.
Turning my gaze to Sybil, I raised my hand in the air; her face blanched, knowing what I was about to say next. “Lady Sybil, my grand paladin, you may proceed.”
Sybil blinked, her chest rising and falling quickly as she looked over to a grim-faced Daelan. He gave her a slight nod before they both moved, pulling the prisoners up to the executioner's block. The prisoners reluctantly moved forward as their silent tears flowed harder. I watched Sybil close her eyes while taking a steady breath. Her hands glowed with a bright light, slowly forming into a curved sword.
The blade fell to her side as she watched Daelan unlink the first prisoner and guide him to the wooden block, forcing him down onto his knees. Sybil raised her sword above her head, her eyes finding mine, hesitating.
My hands tightened on the rail as I snarled. “Do it.”
Sybil looked back at the prisoner, her face falling while whispering out an apology. As she swung the blade down, explosions ripped through the arena and stands, hurling me to the ground while screams erupted around us.
Chapter 39
Sybil
