Being surrounded by people who betrayed me has me sending out pleas to Fates that I can leave without my handsdripping with blood. I’ll have to ask Khatri to speed up punishing every last one before I lose my patience and do it myself.
Turning the corner, Khatri steps aside so I can see who he shoved into our worst cell. Whoever it is, they’ve managed to aggravate Khatri, which is a hardship in itself because the man is always sozen.
A disbelieving grunt escapes me when I take in the two figures uncomfortably sitting on the long concrete bench in the middle of the cell. The sound snaps them out of their pity. They both immediately stand to dust their outrageously expensive clothes before approaching the bars.
“Anxo, how dare your guards treat us like lowly delinquents. I am the queen on Conquer for Fate’s sake. Get me out of this filthy cage, this instance.”
The audacity isastonishing.My parentsare in adungeon cell. A cell allotted explicitly to the traitors who intended harm to the kingdom and my mate.
The mysterious puppeteers who were always a step ahead of me are finally within reach. The masterminds who tipped off our enemies about our locations and caused significant harm to my family more than once. The reason behind those traitors blabbing about being loyal to the ring, even when they were planning to assassinate my mate.
“Captured them a mile south of the cabin where the Princess is.” Khatri takes a step back to keep his control when my mother meets my gaze without a hint of guilt or shame.
I don’t swallow my scoff filled with disgust. It didn’t take me long to accept their betrayal because when it comes to my parents, I always expect disappointment.
Why would the people who repeatedly harmed their own child for entertainment hesitate before issuing a death sentence for someone they didn’t even bother to know?
“Ask this man to get us out son,” my father orders me. On what ground, I have no idea.
Son. Shaking my head free of their past betrayals, I remind myself that I’m not here as their son. That boy died a long time ago; they made sure of that. Tonight, I’m standing in front of the two people responsible for causing so much pain and hurt to my family.
All I want before I bury them here tonight is to know the reason behind their deception. Looking into the eyes of the people I refuse to consider family any longer, I ask, “Your faithful followers were already doing your work for you, so why risk exposing yourself by going after my mate?”
“I don’t… What are you talking about… We never—”
I cut off my father before he can spit out more nonsense. “Lie, and I’ll leave you here to rot for eternity.”
Snarling, my mother leaves her husband behind to be closer to the enchanted bars, making sure not to touch them.Kiara Alarie— always the one in charge.I hate that I get that from her. The need to always be a step ahead, to make sure I’m capable of anything and everything for the ones I love.
The only difference between us is that while every awful thing I’ve done was for my family and my people, she plays with lives and ruins people for sport. To serve no one but herself.
My father—Luke pulls his mate back but before he can convince Kiara to shut up, Khatri decides to goad her.
“I think we should leave Horseman. Look at her, she’s obviously not smart enough for a coup like that.”
“I agree. Why else would she be stupid enough to go after Nevaeh?”
“Because nobody came back! So many devotees yet I was forced to pick up the slack.” Pacing back and forth, she pulls on her hair in frustration.
“It was hard enough to get that witch inside the first time. I had to plan the perfect place and the precise time when Dean wasn’t around, but what did that incompetent bitch do? She let those two just stroll out of there! She ruined everything and still had the nerve to beg for my help.”
No, no, no. No way.
There’s no waymy motherdid that.
I was expecting her to be cruel and hurl out loathing curses for me and my mate, but in her incensed madness, she has revealed her biggest sin.
Shewas the one. The one who caused my mate and brother to suffer in those dungeons for a decade. She kept them away from their families in a place where they were beaten to the inch of death for years.She caused that.
My own mother is a woman heartless enough that she didn’t hesitate before sending twokidsto their deaths, and for what?
From the corner of my eye, I see Khatri tense before he lunges at the cell, but I stop him at the last second. My veins turn to ice and freeze in place, just like my father, who fails to stop his mate from saying too much.
My body fills with dread, and one thought keeps running in my head over and over again. How will I ever face my sweetheart knowing my mother is the cause of her every nightmare?
“Why?” my voice was void of any emotion.
Whatever little love I had for them, whatever respect I couldn’t shake because, in the end, they were my parents, evaporated into thin air with her confession.
