Page 76 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

“I told him I loved him,” she said in a monotone, refusing to let the images of Loche’s disgusted face surface.

A muffled cough made her whirl around, and her brows knitted when Merrick’s face drained of blood as he stared back at her.

Mind spinning, she stepped toward him, but Merrick’s features quickly slipped into his usual mask, and he waved her away.

Her frown deepened as he instead stalked up to her father and Raine and grabbed the glass in Raine’s hand to drain it.

Lessia looked on as he threw his head back, more realizations slamming into her.

That’s why Rioner had been so adamant Loche had something to do with the strange things happening, even when she told him he didn’t…

That’s why he’d needed eyes on him from the inside.

That’s why… he’d sent her.

A half-Fae.

As a test.

She bit back a growl.

No one hated anyone as much as Lessia hated the king then.

A loathing swept through her like poison—filling every nerve and vein.

“So.” Merrick’s tongue darted out to lick a stray drop off his lips as he slapped the glass back into Raine’s hand. “Rioner believes Loche is about to dethrone him. What has he planned to do about it?”

Her father’s eyes narrowed as he sliced them between her and Merrick before responding, “Rioner doesn’t believe he can kill him himself—not with how the curse was outlined. So, he’s made a deal with the Oakgards’ Fae. They have sent some soldiers to help quash the rebels who plan to attack Vastala. And once that’s done, and Loche and his men are still occupied with what we expect to be a fragile aftermath of the rebel attacks in Ellow, he will provide Vastala soldiers to take Ellow for their own.”

“Amazing!” Kerym clapped his hands as a wicked smirk lifted his lips. “So there is no chance of us succeeding in saving Havlands, then? Thank the gods. I’ve tired of this world anyway. Perhaps I might finally find rest.”

A smile pulled at Raine’s features as well. “When you put it that way… this might be more interesting than I thought.”

Lessia’s nostrils flared as her eyes flitted between the two grinning Fae, then to Merrick, who’d grabbed another glass to down it.

The fucking gods.

Always the damned gods.

They’d done nothing more than wreak havoc.

“There must be something we can do!” Lessia snarled. “Stupid fate cannot be the reason Ellow is destroyed. Loche doesn’t have any interest in taking Rioner down. Even if Rioner is a stubborn bastard, we must be able to convince him!”

They would have to.

Amalise was in Ellow.

And so were the children.

The children she had brought over from what now seemed to be the safe isle.

Her father shot her a sorrow-filled look. “Rioner will not listen. I’ve tried. Some of his other council members have even tried to calm him. He believes he is protecting his people. And… what if he is right? The curse does speak to our people being disbanded.”

Lessia snorted.

Protecting his people…

There was no way.

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