Nodding to him, I begin to move quietly around the circle of the clearing.
“We’re King Killian’s soldiers!” the attacker shouts. His voice is bold and echoes through the devouring woods.
The piece of shit is proud.
No matter how this ends, the ground will be soaked with blood.
The soldier continues his loud, belligerent declarations as I draw closer. “Who thefuckdo you think you are? The Valtieres have reigned over Nocturna for centuries! You can’t end our allegiance with some sudden order.”
Saela is standing very still. I’m surprised she’s not trembling. She must have that Sturmfrost steel in her, too.
“We left the front, and we’re traveling to Rabenfrost to support our king. Findingyouwas a fortunate coincidence.” He smirks.
Killian must have more military support than we’d anticipated. These fucking idiots. They’re allowing themselves to be tricked and lied to.
“I’m almost on him,” I tell Meryn.“Keep him distracted.”
She straightens a bit at the sound of my voice in her mind. Her silver hair looks nearly blue in the low light of the clearing.“Don’t kill them. Please. They’re my citizens, too.”
“Are you kidding me, princess?”
“Please,” she begs. I see her eyes search the forest, looking for me, pleading.
I shake my head but keep moving. I’ll make no promises. I’m nearing the soldier now, and Meryn’s in full view.
“Give me a few minutes to change your mind.” Meryn looks back to the soldier, her voice steady. “I understand why you don’t trust me and why you don’t want to fight for me yet. But Iamthe rightful queen. If you let my sister go, if you take time to have a conversation with me, I believe I can sway you to my cause. No one needs to get hurt here today.”
He just laughs spitefully. “We won’t bow to anymad bitch.” There are murmurs of agreement whispering from the woods around us.
Ah, so that’s what this is, then. Their opposition isn’t just about loyalty to Killian, and they’re not just rejecting Meryn’s claim.
They’re rejecting the very notion of a woman ruling, exposing the festering misogyny in this kingdom.
Meryn’s gaze hardens, and the shade in the clearing suddenly expands in a way that has nothing to do with the lowering sun. This fucker might not know what that means, but I do.
Finally, our queen is properly pissed.
Her anger lights a fire in my gut.
“Give in to it,” I say without thinking.“Use shadebending, and end them.”
She blinks, her lips thinning.“I can’t. I can’t! I might hurt you all, too. And I don’t want Saela to see me like that.”
Another man speaks from the soldiers’ side. I can’t make him out, but his voice is crackly. “It doesn’t matter how powerful you think you are, you psycho bitch. You’re outnumbered.”
That’sit. No one talks to her that way.
But before I can move, the woods themselves fully dim as if someone has dragged the sun from the sky.
The look in Meryn’s eyes has become deadly. She’s no longer seeking peace. There’s a vicious, hungry edge to her now that makes my blood heat.
She’s so fucking gorgeous when she’s mad.
“I think you meant, Your Royal Psycho Bitch Highness.” The sharpness in her voice could slice the thickest of skins.
“We done here?” I ask her.
“Finish them,” she responds.“I’ll protect Saela.”
