“And now the queen will knowexactlywho and what she is dealing with,” I announced as I craned my neck to face them. My heart stuttered when the grins on their faces matched my own.
Nox let out a few chirps of approval to the words, the tune of them echoing through the endless fields and the clearing clouds of smoke as he sent us soaring through the sky and headed back home.
Chapter seven
Kellan
I stood at theedge of our camp in what could only be described as horror as I watched the wyvern swallow the prince whole, spraying his blood across everything in sight.
A roar of wrath tore through my throat as I watched the future of everything I had ever worked for evaporate before my very eyes.
I was tasked with ensuring the prince survived the attack, and he very much didnot. If only he had stayed put and out of sight like he was told, but no. He had to go and run off and then try to fight Elianna himself as if she wasn’t one of the most well-trained, fiercest warriors I had ever had the pleasure of battling alongside and now against.
I watched the entire gods-damn thing and never thought she would kill him. She was toying with him. I could tell by her stance. I didn’t think she would have it in her to kill her own brother, but I never took the gods-damn beast into consideration.
Now, here I stood atop the embers and ash of what remained of our base, destroyed by the very person we came here to end. I watched as she and the others climbedatop the wyvern’s back and flew off into the distance, disappearing between the cover of the clouds.
The ground was scorched—littered with broken weapons, shattered armor, and charred corpses.
I blew out a breath of frustration as pure, utter panic took over me for the first time in my life. The queen would have my head on a spike for this and perch it atop the castle’s battlement.
Where the fuck was Callius? Hopefully, among the melted bodies, but I knew I wasn’t that gods-damn lucky.
I locked eyes with William a few yards away as I made my way through the burning field—at leastsomeoneof use survived. I went to stalk over to him when Callius appeared from behind one of the half-disintegrated wagons.
“Adler,” he barked. “Here. Now.”
Anger lingered in his tone, but it paled when compared to what it would have sounded like if he had become aware of the prince’s fate.
I pivoted away from William and aimed toward my predecessor instead. I went to open my mouth to speak as I reached him, but he cut me off.
“Where is the prince, Kellan?” he asked through his teeth. My eyes widened as I refused to break his stare. He reached out and grabbed each of my shoulders, shaking me violently. “Where the fuck is Kai?!” he roared and then threw my body several feet from him.
Without hesitation or a single sensible thought running through my mind, I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at Callius as I found my footing.
“Don’t you fucking touch me,” I said to him. My eyes searched the area, and I was relieved none of the soldiers were around this end of the camp to witness what was occurring.
Callius’ face morphed instantly. What once appeared as anger turned into crippling fear. “Where is he? …Where ismy son?!” he bellowed, worry and agony seeping through each word.
My brows lifted in confusion. “I’m sorry?” My head twisted to the side in curiosity.
“Kai,” he choked out. “Where is he, Adler?” The lines of his face etched deeper into his features as grief cloaked him.
I slowly lowered my blade to the ground as I stared at him in disbelief. “No. That part I heard. I meant the other part…”
Callius’ eyes flared, realizing what he had just revealed, assumedly by mistake.
“Callius, what do you mean yourson?” I demanded as I lifted my blade slightly to have it at the ready if needed.
His spine straightened, and any sense of the mourning “father” instantly vanished from his features as his gaze fixated on me, calculating his next move as he remained silent.
“Kai is dead, Callius…” I began, and I watched his body jolt as if he had taken a dagger to the chest. “Exactly how long have you been occupying the queen’s bed?” I taunted him, making no attempt to hide the amusement slowly crawling up my features.
His face twisted into a scowl made of nightmares and ruin as he finally spoke. “Since before you were even a thought in this realm.” He paused, and his eyes roamed overme as I remained in my stance. “And now you know too much.” The second the last word left him, he charged at me.
Without hesitation, I lifted my blade and drove it into his gut as I dodged his attack. Everything around me slowed as I plunged the sword deeper into him until the hilt reached his body, and the blade was straight through the other side, dripping with his blood. His expression dropped as shock consumed the both of us. My eyes narrowed in on his as he stared at me, dumbfounded.
“And now you will join him,” I said, and I ripped the blade from him.
