Page 110 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“I know I’m not going to.” Lie. “But I want to be prepared just in case something happens. Please?”

“Do you know how to use it?” he asks.

“Yes, I do. I’ve cooked before.”

He gives me a knowing look. “Cooking and killing someone is very different.”

“I’ve envisioned stabbing someone while I was cutting meat or vegetables,” I mutter. “I know it’s different. And I know that I have to aim for a vital part, my father made sure I knew what they were.”

Kieran runs his hands down the back of my head. “I don’t want to give it to you, but I will.”

“Thank you.”

I pull away from Kieran, and the dagger magically appears in his hand.

“We will get you a sleeve to put it in so you don’t harm yourself when you are carrying it,” Kieran tells me. “Now, how about we go enjoy some lunch.”

“Do you think this will work?” I ask as my palms get sweaty the more we walk in the forest.

“Yes, I think it will,” Kieran replies. “This was the last known place they saw her and I have no doubt she is still near.”

“But what if she doesn’t come because you are with me?” I can’t help but ask.

“She will come, don’t worry.”

I look around, but the forest is empty… quiet.

“I don’t think she’s coming,” I mumble. “Maybe we should just go back to the palace.”

I want to be anywhere but here. I need to be anywhere but here.

“You’re going to be okay. I’m not going to allow anything to happen to you,” Kieran says as we stop walking.

My hand holds the dagger as my eyes sweep across the forest, trying to find out where Avira is.

“Kier—”

The words fall from my lips as Avira stands right in front of us both.

“I thought you would never show up,” she says as she cocks her head to the side. “Do you know how many times I tried to get the guard’s attention?”

Before I can utter a word, Fae males surround Avira, grabbing her arms and placing some metal cuffs around her wrists.

“You won’t be able to cast any spells while these are on you,” Kieran announces.

“This seems too easy,” I mumble to myself.

“We cast some spells earlier that didn’t allow her to leave the forest,” Kieran tells me. “We knew she was in here, but not where. Avira has never been the brightest witch, have you?”

“She was always the dumb one.” Elias chuckles. “Lazy.”

“So don’t worry,” Kieran says.

I don’t know if I can do this, I mumble through the bond. I know I need to kill her but seeing her now… I don’t know if I can do it.

Then let’s do it together. We’ll both hold the dagger, my hand over yours. You can look away, he replies and then grabs my hand.

“Any last words?” Kieran asks.

“I should have killed you all in the beginning,” she spat. “I should have killed every single one of you with my bare hands.”

“Sadly, you weren’t smart enough to think ahead. Did you ever think the day would come when the spell was broken?” Kieran taunts her.

“No.”

“I hope wherever you go when you die is painful,” Kieran says.

Before Avira can say anything, Kieran lifts my hand in the air and plunges it into her heart. I stare in horror as blood pools out of the wound when Kieran yanks the knife out of her.

I continue to stare at her as the guards let her go and her body falls to the ground. I killed her.

I killed Avira.

Tears pool in my eyes, and I drop the dagger, looking at my hand.

“Shh, you’re okay,” Kieran whispers as he pulls me into his embrace. “Everything is going to be okay.”