Forcing herself to show no reaction, Keryna saw the bounty sheet that she’d commissioned to disseminate throughout all the kingdoms except Licordia and Pagos.
Thathad been her plan. Keep Dash on the run outside of Licordia, chasing after Renata’s wand that was in her possession. She was hoping he wouldn’t return before she cast the spell.
Or if he did return before it was cast, she wanted him to be weak.
Then, she’d be able to kill him with Renata’s horn.
When he least expected it. If someone else had killed him before he returned home, that would have worked, too. Either way, she would have been regent or queen, depending on what Lorens had wanted.
She’d hoped to keep the news of Dash’s absence from the unicorns since she didn’t want them to be aware of the fact thattheir king had left. Had it reached them, though, she’d had a few concocted lies. She’d just needed a couple of weeks to put it all into action.
Just a few days more. That was all that stood between her and her dreams.
Why couldn’t the imp have followed her wellthoughtout plan?
And why did Lorens have to get himself killed? Moron!
“So...” Meara leaned closer to her. “You knew about this one.”
Keryna clenched her teeth. So much for thinking she could keep her features unreadable. Meara had an uncanny knack for seeing through her façade and knowing the thoughts in her head. It was truly eerie. No wonder Dash had feared her so.
The queen handed the wanted poster to Kronnel. “Didyouknow about this, general?”
Kronnel read it and as he did so, he turned red in the face. “What!Who would dare put up such money for our High King? Tell me the kingdoms!”
Meara smirked. “So, no. The general wasn’t part of the coup.” Laughing, she turned a small circle. “Well, isn’t this delicious? I always thought I’d have to sacrifice at least three quarters of my army to kill off theaþaswerewho bore our treaty. Turns out, I just had to wait for his idiot sister to die and then I’d be invited to invade his court. I should have murdered Renata years ago. How wonderful that you found the loophole I’ve always wanted.”
“No one invited you,” Kronnel growled.
She tsked at the old unicorn. “Technically, you’re right.” She jerked her chin at Keryna. “The invitation was for my horrid half-brother and his centaur forces to come take this throne. I’m just accepting on his behalf. Hence my loophole. How beautiful that I didn’t have to breach my contract with Dash.” This time, she clapped her hands up in the air.
Two members of her guard came forward to lay a decapitated head on the floor at Keryna’s feet.
Her stomach lurched, especially at the expression of pain and horror that was permanently etched into Lorens’s face.
“Don’t worry, dear. Your death will be much slower and much, much more painful. Because there’s a lot more I need to know fromyou.”
Adsel jerked his chin toward Kronnel and Anyana. “What about these two, my queen?”
Pursing her lips, she turned toward them. “I don’t know yet. Round up all the advisors and put them someplace relatively safe and miserable until I decide what their fates will be.”
Chapter 13
Dash sighed wearily as he sat before a blazing fire. While it’d been warm earlier, there was a chill in the air now that night had fallen.
What really sickened him was the knowledge as to why his sister had been killed.
Not because she was mad at him and had run away in a fit of rage after their fight and was overtaken by some random trophy hunter or bandit. She’d been killed for her horn because of a greedy piece of shit who wanted to sell the ability to assassinate him.
Pain washed through him anew. Gods, if he could just take back that one last moment.
The things he’d said to her...
He hadn’t meant them. He’d just been so mad at her for not listening to him. And he was desperate to believe that the harsh words she’d spoken to him had been just as meaningless.
You’re a heartless bastard, Dash. No wonder Father sent you away from us.You don’t care about anyone except yourself, and you never will!
Nothing in his life had ever cut him as deeply as her words that night. Never in their lives had she spoken to him that way. Because they weren’t her words.
