“I’ll do as I please. This is my court. My kingdom!”
That’s it. We’re all going to die.
Suddenly, the entire room is enveloped in a blinding light. The glare lasts a few seconds, and when it dissipates, I have to blink a few times for my eyesight to adjust. King Ruel is here, accompanied by a female with strawberry blonde hair like his. She’s wearing gold armor that shines like the sun. They look so similar, they could be twins. That must be his sister, the queen of Vega Kingdom.
I notice then that the torturing of my friends has stopped.
King Ruel smiles. “Yourkingdom? Enjoy it while you can, my dear. Aquila won’t be yours for much longer.”
Queen Maewe laughs. “You are delusional, Ruel.” She turns to the female. “I can’t believe you let your brother sway you, Merissa. You know what he intends to do. If he succeeds, nothing will stop him from doing the same to you.”
Queen Merissa smirks. “I have no such fear. I am an honorable queen, and when the time comes, I’ll gladly step down and let my heir rise to the throne.”
Queen Maewe’s face twists in rage. “Your brother will never take what’s mine!”
The double doors open, and I brace for more soldiers to come in and turn this confrontation into a bloodbath. But soldiers aren’t the ones coming through the doors.
Queen Maewe gasps, and for the first time, she loses her bravado as she stares at someone I never thought I’d see again. I blink my eyes fast to make sure I’m not hallucinating. But no, he’s still there, standing tall and proud in full black armor, restored to his prime before the curse—before the disease that was driving him insane.
“No, it cannot be,” Queen Maewe murmurs as she takes a step back.
Uncle Raphael unsheathes his sword and points it at her. “Release them.”
Recovered from her initial shock, Queen Maewe’s nostrils flare. “How dare you give me orders? You’re nothing but a beast I created.”
“Youcreated?” He arches a brow. “Much like my new friends here, who your husband brought back to life?”
Four shadowbeasts enter the room and stand on either side of my uncle, who doesn’t seem bothered by their presence. He used to kill those monsters, for fuck’s sake. Nothing is making any sense, but I’m mighty glad that the odds seem to be turning in our favor. It’s about fucking time.
Queen Maewe can’t see the shadowbeasts, but she can sense the deep-rooted fear those monsters cause. If I wasn’t so banged up, I’d probably be gripped by panic too.
“You made a vow to release us,” Karl grits out. “You’re bound to it.”
The guards in the room shift where they stand. They know their swords aren’t a match against an enemy they can’t see.
Queen Maewe doesn’t say a word, but her eyes are calculating. I can almost see the gears in her head working furiously, thinking of a way she can get the upper hand. But when Queen Endaya rejoins the group, I notice a change in Queen Maewe’s expression. She knows she can’t win this confrontation.
“You’re free to go,” she finally says. “But this isn’t over.”
“Oh, we know, my dear,” King Ruel replies.
The bitch vanishes from the room, and I can finally breathe.
Fifty
MANU
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
Itry to get up, but I haven’t recovered from my head bashing against the wall. All I manage to do is sit up. Uncle Raphael walks over, then drops into a crouch in front of me. “Hey, sweetheart. How do you feel?”
“Like ass.” I laugh, but tears are already forming in my eyes. “How are you here?”
He cups my cheek, catching a single tear that escaped my eye with his thumb. “It’s a long story. Ready to go home?”
My stomach coils tightly, and my heart is as heavy as ever. I look over my uncle’s shoulder toward Karl. King Ruel is tending to him, and my guess is that he’s using his healing abilities. “I’ve failed. I was supposed to kill Queen Maewe and break the curse. How did you break yours?”
“What Maewe did to me was different. But don’t fret. We’ll find a way. Can you stand?”
