Straight to the point. I appreciated that. Too many people wasted time with pleasantries when their lives hung in the balance.
Around the fire, my companions waited to see how I’d handle this moment. We’d discussed strategy, but ultimately the choice of how much truth to share was mine. Too little, and she’d never trust us enough to cooperate. Too much, and she’d realize exactly how dangerous this path was and try to run.
“The prophecy was right,” I said, watching her face for a reaction. “You’re going to destroy everything.”
Thane muttered something under his breath that might have been a prayer. Kael’s hand stayed near his weapons. Zephyr looked fascinated, as if watching a particularly interesting experiment unfold.
“What’s your name?” Thane asked.
The girl hesitated. She didn’t even trust us with that.
“Seris,” she said reluctantly.
Seris stared at me for a long moment. Then she laughed, a sound like breaking glass.
“Good,” she said. “This kingdom deserves to burn.”
The words caught even Kael off guard.
Her laughter stopped abruptly, her defenses snapping back into place. Her eyes kept darting toward the children, her wariness unrelenting. I could tell she wanted to run, but the children were anchoring her here. Even bound and having witnessed what we were capable of in that chamber, she was calculating escape.
I couldn’t decide if she was foolish or brave.
She tested her restraints. They held.
“Let me go,” she said, and there was enough venom in her voice to kill a man. “Let me go, or I’ll tear you apart.”
“With what?” I asked mildly. “Your magic is exhausted from the escape. The targeting sigils disrupted your natural channels. And you’re surrounded by five men who’ve been killing people professionally longer than you’ve been alive.”
She glared at me with hatred so pure it was almost beautiful.
Almost.
“Besides,” I continued, “you don’t actually want to leave. Because you want to know why we rescued you. Why we killed the king’s mages and burned his precious ritual chamber. Why we’re sitting in a forest discussing prophecies instead of running for the border.”
“I don’t care why you,”
“You want to know why the Shadow Prince himself came for a half-dead Fae girl in chains.”
That stopped her cold. She was too intelligent not to see the logic, too curious not to want answers, and too angry to admit I was right.
“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “Why?”
I smiled then, letting her see just enough of what lived behind my eyes to make her step back.
“Because you’re going to help me kill my father.”
CHAPTER 4
SERIS
Because you’re going to help me kill my father.
The Shadow’s words were the first my mind returned to as consciousness slowly crept back in. My eyes opened a few moments later.
It had been too long since I’d truly slept. Night after night, I endured torment and torture in that dark, humid prison. My body had grown accustomed to being on alert. At most, I managed a few restless hours each night.
The drug had finally forced my body into real sleep.
