Page 43 of The Stolen Throne

“I will not stray far. I promise.”

“Very well,” he huffs out, mumbling, “the others are going to kill me.”

I snuggle into him, wrapping my arms around him. He’s stiff for a moment before he relaxes, then embraces me. “They won’t kill you,” I say with a yawn.

“You do not know your worth, Little Raven. We would all kill for you.”

I yawn again, closing my eyes. “If you say so.”

23

Shit. Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, SHIT! I fucked up. Oh… I really fucked up. There was one rule. One fucking rule. And as long as I agreed to that rule, I was allowed to join the others on the battlefield. Stick to one of the guys at all times like glue, and do not find myself alone. Easy, right?

Well, I somehow found myself smack in the middle of the battle with not a single one of my men in sight. Shit. I frantically look around, hoping to spot them, as I continue to fend off the king’s men. I am not strong enough to cut them down to defend the land.

Blood and gore surround me no matter which way I turn. I need to remember that these are no longer the people of my kingdom. Most of them have been turned into the undead that the king uses to do his bidding and invade lands. There are a few who are still alive, but they have been corrupted by the king’s propaganda. With promises of power they will never gain clouding their mind.

I finally see one of the guys. Kas. Kas! Of all of the guys to find, of course, it had to be him. He is going to be so mad.

A glint out of the corner of my eye forces me to turn and block a sword coming down on me fast. I’m so distracted by trying to push him away that I don't notice the male who sneaks up behind me. I let out a screech as my hair is snatched in someone’s fist. I try to swing around, but a large arm encircles me as my hair is tugged harder.

The male behind me yells, “Halt!”

The undead instantly pause around us. A cold chill rushes down my spine at how quickly they obeyed. Is he somehow in control of the undead? He yells again, “I have the princess! Let us return to the king!”

A voice rings out among the horde of soldiers. “Unhand her now.”

No. No! Of all of the guys to find me like this it had to be him? Where did he come from? I’d only seen Kas. I want to scream Dax don't make yourself known!

My hair is yanked again, and I struggle against the asshole holding me. He growls in my ear, “Settle, Princess. The king never said we had to bring you back alive.”

My eyes widen, and I see Dax move into view. All I can do is silently beg him to shut up. His father doesn’t know he is trying to take the throne. I watch as he marches through the soldiers, his armor glistening red. His eyes meet mine briefly, then shift to the man holding me. “Release the girl, now.”

The man behind me chuckles darkly. “What makes you think you can give me orders?”

I silently plead for Dax to look at me. Please. Please look at me. Don't tell him who you are. Don't do it for me. But he ignores me and says, “I am Prince Dax of the Kingdom Wylan, son of King Balor. I am your Prince! Now, release the girl.”

I feel the man shift behind me, and I can only imagine him cocking his head to the side when he asks, “Is that so?” He lets out a bellowing laugh before he replies, “Traitor to the king. Kill him.”

Everything happens between one blink and the next. With unnatural speed, an undead man steps up behind Dax and spears him straight through the abdomen.

I can't stop the scream that erupts from me as I watch blood seep from the wound. He coughs, a spray of red coating his lips and chin. His eyes meet mine, and he gives me a sad smile. “Don't worry, Little Raven. I'll find you again.”

I shake my head as I scream and writhe in the man’s grasp, but he drags me away. Away from the man now dying because of me. The man I once thought was nothing but a villainous prince. All I can do is watch as the undead, unconcerned with Dax’s army, trail behind us as I'm carried away. Through the gaps in bodies, I see the others close in around Dax.

They quickly grab him and rush back to the castle. I catch a brief look from Kas when he looks over his shoulder in my direction. I can see it, the indecisive look in his eyes as he debates whether to come after me or stay with Dax.

I shake my head as tears fall from my eyes. I know he can’t hear my whispered words, but I hope he understands anyway. “Go. Save him.”

His eyes narrow, but he gives me a sharp nod, then disappears from view as bodies close in. I’m thrown over someone’s shoulder and carried off like a sack of potatoes. I don’t fight, what would be the point? I can’t fight off all these men. And the only men who could, are too busy trying to save Dax.

My head bounces, and I close my eyes as my tears slide into my hair from being carried upside down. My nose is now clogged, so I have to breathe through my mouth. The man holding me slaps my thigh, growling, “Stop blubbering, it's irritating.”

The tears won’t stop, though. No matter how hard I bite my lip, I can’t force the pain to override my need to cry. The tears won’t stop.

I’m flipped upright again and thrown into a carriage, my head painfully smacking against the floor. But even that pain doesn’t override the crater in my chest. The door is slammed shut behind me, and I hear the man complaining. “I hate crying women.”

Safe within the confines of the carriage, I break. There’s no longer any point in trying to hold in my cries. So… I let it go. I sob and sob as I curl into a ball. Sobbing to the point of hiccupping, I scream, “I hate you!”

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