Page 106 of Queen of Thorns
Caelynn
“Here is your finaltest, Caelynn of the Shadow Court. If you agree to these terms, I will be your champion. I will fight against your monster.”
I swallow and stand up straight, shoulders back. “What are your terms?”
“I require a sacrifice.”
I suck in a breath.
“You offered me anything. Told me you didn’t care what happens to you. I require you to prove it. Promise me that you will freely offer me your life if I kill your monsters.”
“No!” Rev yells immediately.
I simply close my eyes. A wave of bone-deep sadness washes over me, but it’s followed by acceptance. I am not angry, not afraid. I feel only... defeat. “Okay.”
“No!” Rev grabs my upper arm forcing me to face him. “No, you can’t do this. I won’t let you. We can find another way. If this asshole won’t help us, we’ll... we’ll fight together and we’ll find a way.”
I nod, meeting his stare with a lackluster expression. “We’d fight,” I whisper. “ And we’d lose.”
“No,” he whispers, his voice breaking. “No, I refuse to believe that.”
“I can’t let us lose this fight. I would rather give my life here and now and know it can be done.”
His trembling fingers grip my chin. “No. Please Caelynn look at me.”
I see his dark eyes, the tears streaming from them, but I look no further. I can’t. I can’t bear to witness his pain.
I know without a doubt that I cannot live while those beasts do. And while Rev believes there is a way, I know there isn’t. This is it. This is the way. And if this is what the King of Light requires, I’ll give it.
A growl reverberates through the ground, and I step away from Rev. He reaches for me, but a solid wall of light blasts from the floor straight up into the sky.
“Caelynn!” he roars from the other side. He slams himself into the wall. His fists pounding so fiercely I feel each thud in my chest. He cries and roars and screams.
My gut twists violently as I turn my back on my mate to face a fate I expected for years. A fate that would have once been so easy to accept, welcome even. I suppose it’s not really a worthy sacrifice if it doesn’t cause pain.
And this is painful. So excruciating that for a moment, I can’t move. Every muscle clenches so hard my thighs begin cramping. My arms. My stomach. Debilitating pain ricochets through my chest. And I cry out, expressing the agony I feel inside and out. Like my very soul is ripping.
“Come,” the king says softly. “Leave him behind and we will complete your mission before I end you.”
Eyes closed, I lift my face to the sky.
It will destroy me.
The pain is still intense everywhere, but my mind begins to clear. This pain is awful, but Rev’s... his is worse. Can I really do that to him? Is that really right?
My stomach clenches again, and I remember the first test. My intuition told me what I was doing was wrong long before I realized. It knew I was hurting something precious to me.
And I feel that same thing now.
This... this isn’t right.
I take in a long breath and the cramping pain releases.
I turn back to face Rev. I can’t see him behind the wall of light, but I can hear his helpless cries, his fist pounding against magic he is no match for.
