Eyden didn’t think he was. He brushed the back of Lora’s hand with his. He’d get them both away from Tarnan if necessary. Tarnan drinking Lora’s blood was more than concerning. It had definitely donesomething.It must have been Tarnan’s goal all along to start the merge between Lora and Karwyn.
Out of the corner of his eye, he kept track of Elyssa further off, kneeling by Amira’s side with Farren. Thankfully, the humans had come from the plaza, backing them up in their battle. Ilario and Varsha were fighting with them, shielding his sister and the princess with a determined fierceness.
“I don’t tell lies,” Tarnan replied stonily. His eyes were startling. They were as red as Lora’s blood had been. “You witnessed first-hand what happened to gullible Cirny here.” He pointed his chin at the corpse at his feet.
Fuck.
Tarnan had compelled her. His compulsion had been strong enough to force Cirny to take her own life. The only fae to possess such a power had been the Dark King. He had only been stopped once his power had been bound by magic. Had it extended to his heirs? Tarnan’s power must have been bound. Until now.
Lora’s blood.
“Variel Sartoya was your father?” Lora asked.
“He was. Harten Adelway made sure my entire family was killed—but not me.”
Eyden glanced at Lora, who was taking everything in. Her eyes had changed too. The first time he’d seen her in the palace, he’d been shocked by the intensity, by herfae-ness.Yet compared to now, it had been nothing. Lora’s irises were shining so brightly, he almost couldn’t look away. Whatever had happened in that ritual must have made her a level five.
Eyden could see the wheels turning behind her gaze. She was appalled. He was too, but not surprised. The history books all stated the same thing: Dark magic had destroyed the Sartoya family. It must have sounded better to King Harten Adelway than admitting he’d killed innocent children.
“How did you get away?” Eyden asked, stalling, trying to read what Tarnan had in mind for them.
Tarnan’s gaze darkened. “I was barely a year old when my father was slain. Saydren snuck me out just as Harten sent the rest of my family up in flames. He dropped me off at the Carnylen palace, and they were more than happy to take in an orphan after trying to conceive for almost a hundred and fifty years. I became the heir to two thrones, one in the public eye, one in secret.”
He’d hated Saydren with a passion ever since he’d taken Lora, but now he wanted nothing more than to rip him apart. It all led back to him. He was Tarnan’s spy. He’d set Liraen on this path of damnation.
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Lora stated, impatient as ever. “You needed my blood to unbind your power, didn’t you?”
“Indeed. No spell is without its loophole,” Tarnan added.
“You got what you wanted. Why are you still here?” Lora asked, her eyes narrowing at the empty vial in Tarnan’s hand.
Tarnan’s mouth curled upward on one side, his calm exterior never breaking. And why would it? He had the power to control every fae in this room. The Dark King’s power had only worked on fae, not humans. Tarnan’s must work the same. Even so, there was no reason for him to retreat. His compulsion might not be able to reach everyone, but it still made him all but invincible.
“I want to give Liraen what it deserves,” he said. “A new kind of high king, stronger and smarter than my father could have ever been. And it starts righthere.”
Eyden tensed. He knew where this was going. They had gotten rid of Karwyn, but the real evil was standing right in front of them—and he could command them to do anything. They needed to get the fuck out of here and regroup.
As his finger hooked around Lora’s, a familiar figure appeared in their corner.
Lora gave Eyden a quick glance.Not yet,her eyes said. She wanted to know more. Needed to.
Stepping forward, Saydren halted in front of Tarnan. “Your Majesty, it is done. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The border has fallen.”
Lora went rigid next to Eyden. He could hear her sharp intake of breath. The kind of horror Tarnan would inflict on the human world…
“We…the humans won’t submit to you. You can’t compel them. And you can’t force them into life contracts and enslave them. That goes against the treaty agreement.” Lora’s tone was deadly even as her voice trembled.
Tarnan stood still, unbothered. “Yes, that pesky agreement is the last thing in my way. How aboutyou get it for me?”
Eyden jerked his head to the side, catching Lora’s wide gaze. He should’ve already gotten her out of here. He grasped her hand, but Lora’s expression halted him as something seemed to click in her mind.
She turned back to Tarnan. “I don’t think so, but nice try.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Tarnan growled. His eyes turned to Eyden, then to the dagger in Lora’s hand. “Stab him. In the heart.”
Lora didn’t even flinch. She must have blocked him just as she’d blocked his own power once. And Rhay’s. And Karwyn’s. There was no doubt in his mind now that Lora had a second power, which meant she—just like the humans—couldn’t be compelled.
“Looks like your spell didn’t work as well as you thought,” Lora said, playing him.
