Page 167 of Fate of the Sun King

“You monster!” I scream, feeling the hot rush of tears that mixes with the rain coating my face. “I’ll never forgive you for any of this! You tormented us! You held us prisoner! You fucking piece of shit! I will destroy you if it’s the last thing I fucking do!”

I punch him in the nose so hard I hear the crunch of bone, before blood gushes down his face in a river of crimson, stained with all of our sins.

“You’ll pay for this,” Atlas hisses through a mouthful of blood. “You’re going to regret this, Gabriel.”

Even now, he thinks he can control me.

“You think I care? What do I have left to lose, Atlas?”

Finally, I’m hauled off him by two other warders, who have to restrain me from attacking again.

“Arrest him!” I shout. “He’s a traitor to Aphelion!”

The guards circle him as Atlas scrambles back, fear finally settling in his eyes.

Apricia is still screeching, and the crowd has lost control. Dimly, I become aware of the scent of burning, the haze of smoke hovering in the air. Worlds collapsing and screams echoing as the rain continues to punish us from the skies.

I wonder briefly where Lor and Nadir are. Did all of this provide the distraction they needed?

My thoughts are cut off when a resounding shatter blasts through the crowd. The entire roof of the Sun Palace explodes, glass flying in every direction. I realize it’s the dome over the throne room. The sky fills with forks of bright crimson lightning, mixing with the white jagged streaks of the storm. It crackles and dances, and the sight is so staggering that it stills everyone into silence.

As I watch more lightning crackle overhead, I understand this must be Lor.

I’ve heard stories of the Heart Queen’s magic.

And here she is, returned after almost three hundred years.

I’m not sure why that brings me as much comfort as it does.

My throat knots up. Lor did what she needed. I’m weirdly proud of her.

The lightning cuts off a moment later, and it takes several seconds for everyone to come back to themselves.

Atlas’s gaze drifts from the sky and over to me. He lies on the ground where I knocked him down, blood covering the front of his golden jacket.

“Gabe,” he says, his eyes filling with tears, but he will not manipulate me this time. I’m done swallowing the prickled fruit of his lies.

I stand over him, and his expression crumples with resignation.

“This is over, Atlas,” I say, touching the tip of my sword to his throat.

“Long live the true king.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

LOR

“Lor.” A voice whispers to me, and my eyes peel open. The light is bright yet soft, like it’s being filtered through frosted windowpanes. “Lor. Wake up.”

I groan as I shift, my body tight and achy. I’m lying on a hard floor, and my eyes shift up as someone enters my view and a soft hand gently touches my cheek.

I try to focus, but whoever it is flickers in and out, shifting from the form of a woman with dark hair and pale skin to become a man with a shaved head and an olive complexion. It’s too many people all blurring together, and my head spins as my axis tips sideways.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” the figure says with a voice that ripples in a dozen octaves—high and low, soft and strong. “Let us help you up.”

They take my arm and tow me into a seated position.

“Who are you? Where am I?”