His body shakes, then stills. A howl sounds from somewhere both close by and far away, then drifts to silence.
The storm rests.
I breathe in a sigh of relief, collapsing my forehead on his shoulder. He’s safe—
“Kel! Watch out!”
Rosalina’s voice. But it’s too late. Rough hands snatch my shoulders, yanking me away from Ez. I growl and thrash. Two Spring soldiers hold me back. I could easily freeze their bones to brittle, but they’re still Ezryn’s men. “Let me go.”
The rest of the force surrounds Ezryn, weapons pointed at him. One steps forward, clinking manacles on his hands. “High Prince Ezryn, you are hereby under arrest for the breaking of our ancient creed and the murder of three members of the Spring Realm guard.”
“Stop!” Rosalina cries. She bolts out of the treeline, movements weak and stumbly. The princes follow, with Dayton being mostly supported on Farron’s shoulder.
I pull free of the guards and search for Kairyn. He’s standing motionless behind the soldiers.
“What is the meaning of this?” I run to him, grab his breastplate and pull us face to face. “Call them off.”
“There’s nothing I can do, Keldarion. You know it as well as I.” His voice is a deep rumble. “My brother’s face has been witnessed by others outside of kin or mate bond. This is the creed in Spring. Ezryn must accept the fate of his actions.”
“There has to be something you can do.”
“Look at him.” The owl’s helm drifts from me to Ezryn, kneeling quietly amidst the ring of soldiers. He allows himself to be jerked forward, for his arms to be bound behind his back. “Ezryn would never forgive us if we dishonored his own commitment to the creed.”
I snarl and shove Kairyn away.
Rosalina doesn’t stop running. She barrels into the nearest guard, pulling at his arm. “Stop it! Get away from him!”
The guard shakes her off, then pushes her to the ground. “Stay back or you’ll be next.”
Icy rage coils up my body, and I’ve crossed the space between them in less than a second. “Place a hand on her again and I will remove it.”
The guard sneers at me. “This doesn’t concern you, Winter Prince. These are matters of the Spring Realm.”
Rosalina clutches me. “Kel, we have to do something!”
At that moment, Dayton and Farron reach us. Their eyes are equally pleading. They’re going to follow my lead.
My chest heaves with breath as I shift my gaze from my mate to my brothers to Kairyn. Then finally, I look to Ez.
Our eyes lock and ever so slowly, he shakes his head.
Pain cuts through my heart. It would be so easy to dispatch each of these guards and rip off his binds.
It is so much harder to understand why I must let this happen.
I lace my fingers through Rosalina’s and step back. She turns her gaze toward me, her expression filled with questions. “Kel?”
“We can take them,” Dayton growls. “What are we waiting for?”
The guards drag Ezryn to his feet.
“Are we really not going to stop this?” Farron whispers.
“This is Ezryn’s will,” I respond. “His honor demands he answer for breaking the creed.”
Rosalina tears from my grip and runs to the line of the guards as they begin to march Ezryn through the grove.
“Ez,” she cries.
