He wanted to see her suffer and bleed. She would not give him the satisfaction.
Instead, she shot Thane a furtive nod. He blew out a breath, steeling himself. Without another glance in her direction, he made his move toward the throne. Lorcan didn’t even flinch, almost as if he’d been expecting it. He watched his old friend approach and stare up at him from the aisle below the dais. The very same spot Reyna where had watched Lorcan take the bloody throne that had ruined everything for all of them.
“Thane, myold friend, this is not your fight. Go away now.” He almost sounded like his old self, but Reyna knew better.
Thane glanced over his shoulder and shot her a frown.
“Go on,” she mouthed.
With a quick shake of his head, he turned back to the king. “I’m not just going to go away. It’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve seen you.”
He sneered. “What’s all this then?”
“It’sme,” Thane said, his back tensing as Lorcan threw his leg over the side of the throne and slammed it onto the ground. “Don’t you remember all those long days spent in the saddle when we tossed jokes back and forth? We travelled around the Air Court for weeks. What was the one about the barrel of Wood Whiskey and the bard?”
Lorcan chuckled, a bright spark of the real him shining through. “Oh, I remember that one. The bard sang any song, no matter how ridiculous, if someone paid him with a barrel of Wood Whiskey. Until he met his match. The Wood Whiskey-maker’s daughter.”
“That’s the one.” The tension in Thane’s shoulders relaxed. “And what about the time—”
“I have one,” Lorcan hissed, slamming his other foot onto the ground. “How about the time we trekked north so that you could claim yourself a princess bride? We stopped at an inn along the border, and we slaughtered every ice fae inside. What about that time, Thane? Do you remember what a grand old time that was?”
Thane went silent, and Reyna’s blood stilled in her veins.
Lorcan’s eyes flicked up to meet hers, and the smile on his face was as sharp as the shards of ice around her heart. “Don’t worry, Thane. Reyna already knows all about that. In fact, it’s why she agreed to marry you.”
“Lorcan, stop,” she found herself saying. “Don’t do it.”
She knew what he was doing. And she couldn’t bear for him to tell Thane the truth. He’d never forgive her for it. He’d never understand. He would hate her for it.
Lorcan laughed, a deep, booming sound that echoed through the empty hall. “Do you think your pleading will stop me? If anything, it makes me want to pull the wool off Thane’s eyes even more. I pity him, really. He’s rushing around, doing your every bidding, and he hasno ideawhat kind of fae you really are.”
Frowning, Thane turned toward her. “Reyna, what’s he talking about?”
Her heart thrummed in her ears, and she rubbed her sweat-drenched palms against her tunic. She’d have to tell him now. She wouldn’t give this cursed creature the pleasure of doing it first.
“Thane, I…” She blew out a hot breath. “I need you to know I deeply care about you now. You’re one of the best fae I know, and it means the world to me to have you fight by my side. However I felt about you then, it doesn’t apply now. Not even a little bit. We fought on opposite sides of a battlefield once, but you’re not my enemy. I was wrong.”
His skin had turned ashen as she rambled. “I need to know exactly what you’re trying to say to me.Now, Reyna.”
“I…” She shut her eyes. Gods, this was hard.
“Oh, just get on with it!” Lorcan’s voice boomed around her, and she flipped open her eyes just in time to see him rising from his throne. A dark cloak billowed around him, transforming him into a wraith. He clutched his dagger in one hand and reached for Thane with the other. “She plotted to kill you, idiot. Just like I’m going to kill you now.”
“Thane!” She screamed, whipping her sword from her scabbard and charging down the hall. “Watch out!”
Lorcan loomed over Thane. The air king whirled toward his attacker, dodging the blow just in time. He caught Lorcan’s wrist in his and held him back, his body shuddering from the effort.
Growling, Lorcan leaned down and spit into Thane’s eyes. A bloodcurdling shout exploded from the air king’s throat. Reyna skidded to a stop just beside them. But before she could rise to her feet, Lorcan slammed his blade against Thane’s throat.
“Don’t move,” he warned, his midnight eyes narrowed in her direction. “If you try to stop me, I’ll slice his neck wide open.”
Reyna froze, her heart in her throat. Thane’s eyes were twin moons, wide and terrified. “You don’t want to do this, Lorcan. This is Thane. Your brother. Your best friend.”
“He means nothing to me,” he hissed.
“You would never hurt him,” she pleaded with him. “Cursed or not, magic-influenced or not. You’ve always broken through every barrier in order to save his life. We know you’re in there, trapped. Just look at Thane and remember who you are.”
Lorcan went silent. He stared down at Thane, his expression blank. Thane stayed frozen to the spot, scarcely daring to breathe while the dagger dug into his neck.
