My father’s plan was about to be derailed by whatever Edmund was about to propose. Everything had been proceeding exactly as intended until both Reve’s and Samara’s unexpected returns threw our plans into chaos. And I knew what my father would have done in this situation.
But I wasn’t him. I couldn’t shut off my humanity or my feelings for Samara and neutralize her. The idea sent bile creeping up my throat.
Edmund finally looked at me, and the look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. “Due to the negligence of the Luna family, we have been subjected to horrors and tyrannical rule. Reve Luna could have stopped this once he came into full power, but he abandoned Inferna.”
Many council members were nodding their heads in agreement, and I clenched my fists.
“Someone needs to be held accountable, and seeing as Reve left his position to his sister… all in favor of holding Samara Luna responsible for the atrocities at the hands of Lilith, say ‘I.’”
A chorus of ten other voices agreed, a sickening harmony of condemnation that reverberated through the council chamber. These were the same men who had bowed to Lilith for centuries, who had never once stood against her tyranny, now falling over themselves to punish Samara for crimes she never committed.
Ten voices against mine. The math was brutally simple. The outcome was predetermined from the moment Edmund had spoken.
Nicolas took a step forward, his body tensing like he was about to pounce, but I shook my head in warning.
Edmund’s face lit up with triumphant malice. “Very well.Take her and anyone who tries to stop our decision to the dungeon.”
Guards flooded the chamber, and Nicolas and Amari immediately closed ranks around Samara. Three against ten guards and ten council members. The odds were not in our favor.
“This is madness!” I placed myself between Samara and Edmund. “She’s committed no crime against Inferna!”
Edmund’s smile widened. “Her family committed treason. Someone must pay the price.”
I snarled, my fangs descending. “You’ll pay for this, Edmund.”
The guards advanced with metal cuffs that gleamed with enchantments designed to suppress power. Before Amari could react, two guards tackled him from behind, snapping the cuffs around his wrists. The sudden restriction of his power visibly pained him, his body convulsing.
Nicolas shifted in a blur of movement, his squirrel darting between the legs of the guards, racing for the door. A lion shifter broke away from the group, transforming mid-leap as he pursued Nicolas down the corridor.
I lunged toward Samara, determined to get her out, but three guards intercepted me. I threw the first against the wall with enough force to crack the stone. The second received an elbow to the throat that dropped him instantly.
“Val!” Samara’s cry pierced through the chaos. Two guards had her by the arms, dragging her toward the door.
Rage clouded my vision. I tore through another guard, my movements becoming increasingly frenzied and less controlled. I needed to reach her. I couldn’t let them take her.
“Enough of this.” Edmund’s voice came from behind me.
I sensed the movement too late. Something hard connected with the back of my skull, sending white-hot painexploding through my head. I staggered, my vision tunneling.
As I fell to my knees, the last thing I saw was Samara struggling against her captors, her purple hair coming loose, and Amari being dragged alongside her, his eyes meeting mine with a silent promise of retribution.
Then darkness claimed me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KAGE
Iflinched at the sound of claws scraping against marble, pressing myself deeper into the shadows as Nico darted past my hiding place. The large lion shifter followed seconds later, its massive paws big enough to kill the squirrel with one swipe.
The chaos from inside the council chambers was loud, and I crept to the door like I wasn’t currently invisible. I wished I could have been inside during the meetings, but with so many powerful demons, most would sense my presence.
“Take them to the dungeon.” Edmund kicked Val, who was passed out on the floor. “And make sure to throw this one.”
“What do you want us to do with the squirrel once we catch him, sir?”
Edmund’s lip curled up enough to flash a fang. “It’s been a while since I could indulge in a squirrel’s blood. Bring him to me if he isn’t eaten whole.”
I’d always hated that man. When he hadn’t been kissing Lilith’s ass to stay on her good side, he’d ordered countlessdeaths of those he deemed beneath him. One thing became certain: I had to save Nico.
