Page 62 of Married By Treachery

“Which is precisely why I cannot let her go,” Edom said. “She is the only way I can get your attention.”

Raquel’s heart leapt at Edom’s little insinuation. Which was utterly ridiculous, considering he had a knife at her throat. But Jake didn’t deny it either, and that hope burned brighter.

“Another step and she dies,” Edom said.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would.”

“You know we need this.”

“Youneed this. I have no use for her. You stole my birthright, traitorous worm.”

Jake’s expression darkened, his body tensing. “You would destroy this kingdom and everything in it.”

Edom looked long at Jake. “And you would be the king of nothing.”

Raquel sensed Edom’s move the split second before it happened. Like a dream playing in slow motion, she watched, knowing what was coming but unable to move fast enough to stop it. She watched him pull back the knife, watched it arc down toward her chest. waiting and knowing it would cut right through her heart and spill her blood all over the tiles so that Jake could never use it.

So that Jake could never heal this land from its curse.

She tried to slip away, but she couldn’t move fast enough. The blade gleamed as it arched down, and down, and—

Jake appeared right in front of her, shoved her away, and the knife plunged into his chest instead.

22

Raquel gasped as Jake’s body absorbed the impact, and he stumbled back into her.

“You fool!” Edom crowed as he laughed.

Jake’s weight was too much for Raquel, and she collapsed beneath him just as something exploded through the window.

Giant wings flapped, and a horrible shriek echoed.

A Depraved.

What in the… what was a Depraved doing here?Now? Raquel’s attention was torn between this new horror and the man currently bleeding to death on top of her.

The Depraved landed on the floor, its wings arched behind it like some avenging demon, and Raquel’s eyes widened as she realized she knew it.

This was the Depraved from the forest. The smaller one that had stopped and looked at her as if…

It had recognized her.

And it was looking at her now.

Familiarity pricked at Raquel—something that went beyond the physical. It shone in the soul trapped behind those glassy black eyes, and a chill swept over Raquel, head to toe. She remembered something Jake had said about the mist, the curse.

It comes to claim all of us eventually.

Jake had not lied. Adinahadbeen alive when he’d last seen her. He just failed to mention he’d lost her to the curse.

“Adina…?” Raquel’s voice fell out at a whisper.

In answer, the small Depraved tipped its head and squawked like a bird of prey.

Which Edom seized as opportunity, sword in hand.

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