Page 150 of Tale of the Heart Queen

“They’re killing her,” Tyr says from where he stands at the edge of the water.

He’s shirtless, wearing only his breeches. Now I see how pale he is, how much the lack of sunlight has stolen from him. Once strong and muscled, he’s now lean and rangy, like a rag doll that’s had all its stuffing removed.

I keep an eye on him from a short distance, not entirely trusting him to stay safe. I wake up in a cold sweat every night, sure he’s escaped his room and done the unthinkable. I’ve had everything he could use to hurt himself removed from his room, but I worry constantly.

He looks over at me. “They’re destroying the arks.” The sound carries over the crashing waves and the wind. He knows I’m there, always watching.

I dip my chin as Tyr opens his fist and stares at it.

He’s struggling with his magic. The arcturite stole it from him. Or rather, Atlas did. Atlas, who still languishes in his cell, raging at stone walls as his actions continue to haunt us all. I made the call regarding his execution days ago but can’t seem to bring myself to follow through on it. Soon, I will have no choice. I can’t continue delaying forever.

Nadir’s note also said they’d confirmed the best way to destroy the arks is with a strong blast of Aphelion Imperial magic, and that worries me too.

How will it affect Lor and Nadir’s plans if Tyr can’t summon enough power? What happens to Ouranos and to all of us? The rumblings in the earth are becoming more and more frequent. Another earthquake hit part of the coast yesterday and things are getting worse. At the same time, the temperature keeps climbing, and though we should be in the middle of winter, it feels like the height of summer.

“How long has he been standing there?” Erevan asks as he comes up beside me.

“An hour or so,” I say as lightning flashes again. “They’re destroying the arks.”

Erevan studies the sky with an unreadable expression on his face.

“How was Atlas?” I ask. Though I refused to visit him again, Erevan had some questions he wanted answered.

“The same,” he says, and I look over.

“Did you find anything out?”

He nods. “He gave me the names of those who helped him escape.”

“And?” I ask when he pauses.

Erevan folds his arms and rubs his face. “He confessed that his power doesn’t always work on the low fae.”

My breath exhales sharply in a puff of disbelief. Suddenly, so many things make sense. Atlas, who has always been so fucking insecure about his magic, has proven yet again he was always beyond hope.

“That’s why he did all this?”

“He was terrified of being discovered.”

I don’t know what to say. Atlas used the existing prejudice against the low fae and ensured their words and opinions would carry no weight, all to protect his fortress of lies and his ego.

I’ve been delaying the execution, but this revelation sweeps away the last shred of doubt I was holding on to just in case. There will be no redemption. There is no room to escape this anymore.

“Are you planning to keep watching him like this?” Erevan asks me a moment later, gesturing to Tyr.

I let out a sigh.

“What else should I do?”

He shakes his head.

“Erevan . . .” I look at him. “I know you don’t want to discuss this, but we must.”

He runs a hand over his head, his golden curls tossing in the wind.

“He wants to go. But he wants to destroy the ark first. He’s gotten it into his head that he has to see this done. He feels like he’s been useless for so long. This gives him the chance to do something. And he won’t descend until you’re ready.”

Erevan says nothing as he squints into the sun, his gaze sweeping over the churning blue ocean. More silver flashes over the sky, and if I listen carefully, I swear I can hear a scream.