Page 126 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals
But sleep is a bad idea right now.
“Max,” Kaden calls, face directly in front of me. I jerk back in surprise. “I need you to hold on.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Zeke asks, crowding my side. His covered face hovers over mine and I flinch.
“She used too much magic. Her body is shuttingdown.”
More Dark Fae swarm into the crowd, the raiders falling quicker. Blood sprays into the air, a fine sheen that turns the air pink. I almost laugh at how easily the guards are able to rid us of the attack.
Where were they when the raiders first arrived?
Grabbing my chin, Kaden forces me to stare at him. “Hang on, Max. You have to hold on.”
I don’t want to. It hurts too much to look at his handsome face, to know he took my choice and owns me now. That there isnoescape.
A little of my fight resurfaces. Like Hell will I stay hispet.
“It’s almost over,” he says carefully, thumb rubbing my lip as if to soothe. “I promise.”
A roar sounds behind us as Wulf stands on his hind legs, white fur painted red. His snout is long and black, with bits of flesh stuck between his teeth.
In front of him is not who I expected.
“The king,” I whisper, tongue heavy. It’s hard to speak, but I’m able to weakly lift my finger.
Kaden hears me though, and he with his captain, turn to face the gates.
King Griffin sits on his horse, but it’s not the white horses of his palace, nor is he in the blue colors his lands favors. No. He wears red.
Like the Crimson soldiers.
“He’s—”
“He leads them,” Kaden growls, tightening his hold on my elbow. He adjusts me to block my body, Zeke calling for more guards. “King Griffin is behind this.Allof this.”
Why does it sound as if he expected it?
When I look away from the king, I see the fighting has slowed to a near trickle. The raiders are all holding a blade, either to someone’s neck or plunged into a dead body.
Dark Fae surround the heir, watching their enemy warily, swords held high.
Fee and Reid come up behind me as Fee’s apple scent surrounds me and Reid’s hand falls to my arm.
It soothes me, their support. It shouldn’t but it does, and I soak it up.
Now, if only I could find the Hadeon.
“Heir Kaden,” Griffin calls, smiling wide. He pays no attention to Wulf who is almost equal to him, ready to bite his head off. “I didn’t expect you here. I would have thought you’d leave the volunteers to their death days ago. You must really want this peace.”
Kaden growls, “There is no peace between us, Griffin. You’ve deceived us.”
Scanning the faces in the crowd, I notice no Human lords remain. It’s only shifters, Dark Fae and the Crimson threat.
Griffin sacrificed his lords for this moment. Why?
“Is that any different than what you did to me?”
Kaden raises an eyebrow but remains quiet. He doesn’t deny the accusation so, obviously he came to the talks under a different guise.
