“You did this,” I hissed at Mazin. If I didn’t know him so well, I wouldn’t have noticed the flinch that crossed his features almost imperceptibly. Dark shock shot through me at that flinch, at those confirmed suspicions. But his face gave nothing more away.
“Dani, don’t make this difficult. Don’t fight and you won’t get hurt.”
“Don’t fight?”I laughed, the sound manic, panic spilling from my mouth.
My laugh echoed off the palace ceilings like the sickening crack of bones. “You don’t know me at all if you can say that.” I turned to the guards. “Go ahead, try to arrest me. See what happens.”
“Dani.” Mazin’s voice was sharper now, urgent and low. “Don’t do this.”
“Don’t tell me what to do ever again.” I lifted my sword over my head, preparing myself. “You mean nothing to me now. And it will be a pleasure to cut you down.”
“Dani, stop. You’ll die.” His voice was low, but I knew his game now.
“I’ll die anyway once the emperor gets a hold of me.” I took a step forward. “I might as well go out fighting.”
I moved forward at the guards flanking me, hoping to cut through them first and carve a path for myself. But Mazin’s inaction ended as soon as I moved. He spun around me, unsheathing his own blade.
My breath caught in my chest, and I narrowed my eyes. “Are you actually going to go up against me, Maz? You’ll lose.”
But before he could respond, Darbaran rushed at me and I whirled to face him. Out of the corner of my eye Mazin stepped behind me.
I couldn’t fight them both.
I inhaled, centering myself before battle. Is this how I would die? Being stabbed in the back by my ex-lover?
The glint of Mazin’s sword reflected off the window behind me and I turned.
I would be damned if he didn’t look me in the eye when he cut me down.
But he was holding his sword backward, the hilt facing me. I frowned, taking a step back, confusion warring with the rage of his betrayal. Until I realized what he was about to do.
No.
I opened my mouth to scream, the sound catching in my throat. I raised my own sword up, but it was too late.
He brought the hilt down against the back of my head.
I plunged into darkness, my legs giving way as I dropped like a stone to the floor.
Forty-six
“Get out of my way.”
“Dani—”
My face was my own again, and he knew who I was. But my name on his lips brought back memories I wanted buried. The way his voice dipped low at the end, remembering the feeling of his fingers brushing across my shoulder when he whispered it in my ear.
“You don’t get to call me that, not anymore.”
“What should I call you, then? Sanaya?”
My head shot up. He knew.
He took a step toward me, as if he couldn’t imagine me hurting him, as if I didn’t hold my dead father’s sword in my hand ready to slice his throat.
I lifted my sword high. He continued walking, his steps methodical and slow, his own sword still sheathed. He made no attempt to draw it.
“Thohfsa told you who I was?”
