“Come, Elowen,” Guardian Alleron called. “Don’t make a scene.”
Just hearing his voice not only made my skin crawl, but it also caused fear to cascade through me because his voice wasback. Somehow, the courts had either broken through Jax’s Ironcrest magic, or Jax had been forced to remove it.
Not moving, I glued my feet to the floor, and my mind raced.
Breathing heavily, I finally said, “I would like to submit a plea to the courts for my freedom. I willnotgo with this male again. I’m now twenty-eight summers old, I’ve mastered my magic, and I’m no longer a danger to the public. I can prove that.”
A soft huff came from my guardian, but Junior Justice Seewald sighed. “Very well, but such things take time. You may fill out a form to have your case brought before a King or Queen Justice.” She gave the kingsfae in the corner a wave of her hand. “Please escort her to the necessary desk to fill out the requirements.”
My guardian watched me with narrowed eyes. Annoyance emanated from him, like a swarm of stinging nettle insects, ready to descend upon me and sting every inch of my skin until my lungs seized and my heart stopped. But I ignored him. I had to. I couldn’t fathom a life with him again. I could barely look at him without wanting to claw his eyes out.
Following the kingsfae, I strode past my guardian without saying a word.
With another huff, he followed.
But with each step I took, all I could think about was Jax. He was still being detained. My heart hammered as I contemplated why my guardian was free, but Jax wasn’t.
Leaning forward, I asked quietly to the kingsfae, “Is Prince Adarian being charged with something?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Indeed. He’s been charged with the crimes of the Dark Raider.”
My heart stopped.
My feet froze in place.
No, no, no.I’d misunderstood. That couldn’t possibly be true.
The kingsfae turned to face me when he realized I’d stopped. Standing a few paces away, he crossed his arms and eyed me skeptically. “Did you know he was the Dark Raider?”
“No, because he’s not!” The shout slipped past my lips before I could stop myself.
The kingsfae grumbled. “Watch your tone.”
“He’ll be hanged for what he did, Elowen,” my guardian said from behind me, and the smug tone of his voice was like needles along my skin. “It’s best you accept that now and remember your place in this realm.”
I swung around to face him as heat blasted through my cheeks, and my hands curled into fists. “But he’snotthe Dark Raider.”
A look of pity filled the kingsfae’s face who stood behind my guardian. “It’s best to forget all about him,” he said gently. “All of the prince’s crimes are being uncovered as we speak. Now, carry on to the entryway. You’ll be with your true guardian until the courts deem otherwise.”
His words penetrated the panic coasting through me like a burn. Stinging and scorching fear coated every inch of my skin. This couldn’t be happening. None of this could be real.
Yet when they all looked at me expectantly, reality crashed upon me like a hammer.
I didn’t know how I turned or walked. But somehow, I began to move as if invisible hands prodded me. But it felt as though a haze drifted around me, lifting me of its own accord. I no longer felt attached to my body. My legs moved automatically, one step in front of the other, but inside, my heart was shattering.
They were charging Jax with crimes as the Dark Raider. He would be hanged. Executed. And if he’d been identified as the Dark Raider, then all of his friends had likely also been accused of being his accomplices.
“And what of the others?” My voice sounded small. Broken. “What’s to happen to his friends?”
We reached the main entrance, and the kingsfae gave me an irritated look. “They’ve all been charged. Court records have shown that all of them were gone during the Dark Raider’s raids, so unless their magistrates are able to prove otherwise, every single one of them will be hanged.”
I ground to a stop, my breath seizing in my chest.
Guardian Alleron grabbed my elbow from behind, his fingers digging into my flesh. “Enough of this, Elowen. You’re coming home with me, where you belong.”
I whipped my arm free, my lorafin magic crackling inside me. “Don’t touch me!”
The kingsfae quickly moved in. “If you cause a scene here, it won’t end well for you. Do what your guardian says and go home.”
