Page 70 of Of Kings and Thieves

Kolvar, however, remained calm and stoic, his expression betraying nothing. All the while, I fought the fear clawing at my chest, trying to keep it from showing on my face.

As Moredanea’s cold gaze settled on me again, her eyes widened ever so slightly, a cruel smile blooming on her face. “I’m happy you survived, siren. The prince’s lover. I’ve heard about you.”

A surge of dread washed over me as I realized she had figured out my connection to Col, though I didn’t know how.

“I can’t wait to show you to Andris,” she purred, her gaze never leaving mine.

I glared back at her, channeling every ounce of anger I could summon. But while Moredanea preened, I noticed something odd about the walls surrounding us—faint, almost imperceptible markings that seemed to form a pattern. Scratch marks, like those that had been in the tile section.

Kolvar must have caught the look on my face, and his eyes widened as he too recognized the telltale signs. The walls were rigged with hidden triggers, waiting to unleash a volley of bolts or arrows.

Samara? Col’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He sounded weak.

Col! Do they still have the alicorn horn?

I don’t know. I’ve been kept in a room all night.

My mind raced with thoughts of what Moredanea would do if she got her hands on me. Neither she nor The Harrow would have qualms about using me to force Col into submission, but if I could buy some time...

“Fuck,” I muttered.

I steeled myself for whatever consequences followed. I knew there was a chance that I would be sealing my fate, but if it meant saving the others, I was willing to take that risk. The thought of Col’s anguish tore at my heart, but I couldn’t let everyone get captured.

“Run,” I whispered to Kolvar, and then I lunged for Moredanea.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t have time to react before I tackled her. We fell, her furious eyes locked on mine as we landed on the stone tiles, her staff rolling away. Guards grabbed me, trying to rip me off their mistress.

The ground shuddered as several sections gave way, and they released their hold. I rolled away, feeling the whisper of bolts glide past my hair. A few found their mark, and several guards screamed as they fell.

These tiles were bigger than the previous ones, and as they crumbled, the walls lost their support. The sound of stone grinding against stone filled the air, accompanied by an ominous crack as the ceiling began to give way. Dust and debris rained down upon us, choking the air and filling our lungs.

Seeing the others pull each other out of the way of the collapsing floor, I launched myself at Moredanea again. She stepped out of the way. But I had already unsheathed my dagger and flung it at her. She shrieked and turned on me, her eyes blazing with fury as I recovered and launched myself on top of her.

“Fuck you!” I bellowed, my voice strained with the effort of holding Moredanea back. She flung me off, the force so great that she must have used magic. I smashed against a wall, my breath knocked out of me. The cave-in was imminent, and every second counted. Every second I kept Moredanea’s attention was a moment the others could use to their advantage. Dirty and with blood running down her face, she bore down on me, grabbing my shirt and yanking me to my feet.

The cavern groaned as stones crashed down around us, the world collapsing into darkness.

“Samara!” Scarlet screamed, her voice muffled by the cave-in.

Samara! Col’s voice echoed through the chaos, a desperate cry of fear for me.

In that instant, time slowed to a crawl. The roar of the falling stones filled my ears as Moredanea held me against the crumbling wall, our eyes locked in a battle of wills. Through the haze of dust and debris, I saw her lips curl. With a flick of her wrist, a wave of dark energy surged around us.

The power radiating from her filled the air with a charge that set my nerves on fire. As the stones rained down upon us, the crushing weight of the earth began to relent under her magic. A sudden burst of force repelled the rubble, sending it flying away from us. My heart pounded wildly, a mix of awe and terror coursing through me at the display of Moredanea’s raw power.

“Did you think you could kill me so easily?” she seethed, her eyes burning with rage.

“Seemed worth a shot,” I replied, surprising even myself with the snark in my voice.

Moredanea’s expression darkened further, her grip tightening on my arm. “You insolent little half-breed,” she growled. “I should crush you where you stand.”

“Go ahead!”

“Unfortunately for you, you are more useful to me alive than dead… for now.”

A shiver ran down my spine, but I glared at her as her cold hands gripped my arms like they were made of steel. If Moredanea thought she could control me through fear, she was mistaken. I’d faced my demons before—both figuratively and literally—and survived. One more wouldn’t break me.

As the last of the rubble settled around us, I realized with a sinking feeling that Moredanea had saved not only herself but also the guards who had evaded the trap. Too bad I hadn’t killed them, but I hoped Scarlet and the others were safely on the other side of the cave-in, where at least they could look for a way out.

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