They were Keryna’s. He’d heard that bitch many times whispering in Renata’s ear that he was heartless and didn’t care about anyone. Not even Renata. That he’d been sent to the centaurs because their father knew he was incapable of compassion.
Renata had still been a colt at the time he’d been sent to Meara’s. She had no knowledge of why it’d happened. Especially since no one dared speak of that time once Dash had returned home and confronted his father.
Nor did Renata understand the contract the kingdoms had signed for peace. It was one that couldn’t be broken. Signed in blood on the flesh of anaþasweredemon.
So long as theaþaswerelived, Meara could only enter his kingdom by invitation.
But Dash hadn’t thought about that or the cause behind the words when they’d left Renata’s lips during their fight. His fury and pain had been too great.I will not allow you to lead my army for Lorens and his rebels. We are not Thassalian and I will not get involved in their politics. I’m not going to allow you to kill our warriors in a conflict that has nothing to with us or any unicorn. Nor will I invade another country because my fool-hearted sister thinks she knows better than a queen who’s ruled longer than you’ve been alive. You’re an idiot, Ren. Not a politician.
He’d known how sensitive she was to being called an idiot. It’d been their father’s favorite insult for her. All their lives, Dash had refrained from using it in any regard in her presence.
But she’d hit him below his belt, and he’d retaliated in kind.
And that insult had only fueled her more.You’re a coward, brother.The fury in her eyes would haunt him for eternity.Theybroke you in Meara’s court, and you’re too afraid to even cross her borders.
Those words had unlocked a door inside him that no one should have ever touched. When he’d returned home, it’d taken him years to calm down.
Not because he was broken. Rather Meara had awakened the demon inside him that he had yet to fully quell.
After Renata had spoken those hate-filled words, his rage had been such that he’d actually drawn his hand back to slap her for them. It was the only time in his life that he’d done such a thing, and it’d startled them both. But she’d plucked a nerve so raw that he still didn’t know how he’d found the strength not to strike her out of the feral rage she’d unleashed.
There was no cowardice in him from his time in Queen Meara’s court. Only a nightmare so brutal and lasting that, to this day, he couldn’t sleep through an entire night.
Couldn’t trust anyone at his back.
And his only fear came from that demon they’d freed and stoked deep inside his soul that he now kept caged. Fear of the times when something unleashed it... such as Renata’s hateful words.
Fear of whenever his control slipped because the demon side of him was so lethal, even he didn’t know exactly what it was capable of.
He’d lowered his arm and glared at her.Get out of my sight, Ren. And stay away from me until you learn to show me the respect I’ve earned. I have done nothing but shelter and protect you. And if that’s not enough for you, you know where the door is.
That had been the last time he’d seen her.
The last words spoken between them.
Just hours later, Keryna had come to him to tell him that Renata had left to join the centaur rebels. He’d been so pissed offthat he hadn’t even thought to gather his army or even an escort before he went after her. Hadn’t even thought to tell Ryper or Chrysis.
His only thought had been to get to Renata before something bad happened to her.
Instead of finding his sister so that he could verbally throttle her, he’d found her body, along with a tiny brownie who’d been watching over her remains.
Sobbing, the small, frail, winged creature had been sitting on the ground, tangled in her mane. Had it not been for the tears, with her brown hair and eyes, he’d have mistaken her for a butterfly or moth.
She’d cringed away from him when his shadow had fallen over her.
“I mean you no harm.” It’d been obvious that she hadn’t killed his sister. She was far too tiny to cut off a horn. “What happened?”
“T-t-t-they killed her.” She blew her nose into the gauze of her sleeve, then wiped her nose on the back of her tiny hand.
“Who?”
“H-h-h-humans.” She’d been so upset that all she could do was gesture at Renata’s head. “Said her h-horn was invaluable. Th-th-that they needed it. Why would they kill something so beautiful?”
“I don’t know.” He’d choked on his own tears. Changing into his own human body, he’d knelt beside his sister so that he could lay his head against her soft neck and hold her close.
“I-I tried to slow them down. I-I was too small. They didn’t even see me.”
Fury had blinded him as he fisted his hand in Renata’s bloodied mane. “Did they say where they were going?”
