Page 15 of Night Meets the Elf Queen

“You kept him alive for a reason. Think of it,” Thane said. “It’s all lies. You are a goddess and queen. No one can take that from you.”

But they weren’t lies. And theycouldtake it from her. The truth hurt worse than any lie. She couldn’t stop herself as she flew at him, as her blade arched through the air.

Thane was suddenly in front of her, holding her blade wielding arm. He pushed against her and forced her to step back. “He knows things that could be crucial to us winning this war.”

“Let go of me,” she growled. She didn’t see the male she once loved right now, she only saw the prick who stood in her way. She was tempted to drive her knee into his groin.

“Kill him.” Varlett added fuel to the fire.

“Think for a moment. He knows where the Sword of Truth is.”

“Kill him,” Varlett said again.

Thane snapped his head in her direction. “Shut up! This has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me.”

“Let go of me,” Valeen jerked.

Thane gripped her forearm tighter. “When you gain composure, I will.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. Youwillrelease me, Thane.”

They stared into each other’s faces, a battle of wills. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a dark shadow moving closer—Hel. “You have three seconds before this turns into something more than it needs to be, cousin. Let her go.”All Mother,if Thane were anyone else Hel would have lost it by now. He would have snapped his neck.

Thane was the first to break eye contact and slowly his fingers uncurled. Valeen jerked away. Without looking at the others, she turned and dropped off the edge of the ravine and onto the ground. Smoke from a fire rolled out of the only walls left standing. It was her former throne room. She recognized the placement of it.

“Valeen, wait!” Presco shouted down at her. With shadow trailing behind her, she ignored him. Midnight lilies popped and blossomed along her path. She had one thing on her mind and nothing would interfere.

Someone had to pay for this.

Something had to take the brunt of the sorrow keeping her from falling to the ground and never getting up.

“Wait for us!” Piper added. “You don’t know what’s in there!”

Her boots crunched over pebbles and stone, pieces that were once her home. A gentle wind carried the smell of burning wood and… flesh. Whoever was inside those walls roasted meat. Asecond pair of steps joined hers until a dark cloak appeared in her side view.

“You scared the shit out of your sister.” Hel sounded irritated. “She doesn’t know who to trust right now and you were about to fight War, someone you told her shecouldtrust.”

She marched on, gripping Zythara tighter. Why did he have to be right?

“What are you planning to do now? There is nothing to take back. Let it be.”

She snarled at him. “It’s ourhome!” She took off into a sprint, bounding up the large stones toward the black hole that led inside her old throne room. The cries and hollers of what sounded like wild animals drifted out. Before she could step through the dark threshold, she was grabbed and shoved against the wall.

Hel gripped her arms, keeping her pinned. He was deadly calm and fiercely strong. “Get yourself together right now. There are at least a hundred goblins in there, maybe more and who knows what else. Now, I will go in there with you and kill anything that moves but get your emotions under control. You never go into a fight with blind rage, it leaves you open to danger all around. You know better. That’s how you die.”

“I am not afraid.”

“Like that wasn’t obvious, but you should be cautious.”

“I don’t fear goblins, and I certainly don’t fear the dark.” Her heart pounded and her breath came sharp and uneven. Sometimes the most serene people snapped when pushed, and she was far from that. She was a night terror, born in darkness before there was ever light.

“Listen, little rabbit.”

“Don’tcall me that.”

“Little rabbit.” He drug his tongue across his lower lip, egging her on.

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