Page 62 of Tale of the Heart Queen

Zerra laughs, and the sound is like knives plunging into my ears.

“Come now. Surely you know better than that?”

I roar and run for her, not sure what I plan to do, but I need to do something. I slam into her, but it’s like running into an iron pillar. She tosses me aside, and I fly across the room, hitting the far wall as my head snaps against it.

I drop to the floor, groaning and clutching the back of my head, trying to catch my breath. A smear of blood coats the wall where cracks spiderweb out. She’s watching me, not a hair out of place, and I leap up, prepared to attack again, when I’m seized around each arm by two pairs of iron hands.

Tia and Diana have me in their grip, and apparently they possess the same unnatural strength as their goddess. I fight and struggle against their hold, but I’m like a small child fighting two grown warriors despite being physically larger than all of them.

“Let me go!” I scream. The mirror lies at Zerra’s feet, and I see flashes of Lor, still running. “Lor!”

“Take him away,” Zerra says. “I grow tired of your theatrics, Herric. You may come out when you can behave.”

“Help her!” I roar. “Lor! Lor! I love you!”

But it’s no use. I’m dragged out of the room and returned to my prison yet again.

CHAPTER 24

LOR

SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF ALLUVION

Paralyzed, I stand transfixed by the Aurora King’s magic, watching his ribbons of light ripple across the sky.

It’s a message and a warning. I will not escape him again.

I plunge into the trees, running blindly, my arms and face scraped raw by tangles of vines and branches. I feel nothing as blood trickles into my mouth and into my eyes. I wipe it away, and I continue running. My only mission is to get away. Every time I escape, I only make him angrier and angrier.

I understand because that’s how I would feel, and the Aurora King and I have something in common: We’ll stop at nothing to get what we want.

As I weave through the bushes, I keep one ear peeled for sounds of pursuit. I can’t use my magic—at least not the useful and destructive kind—or it will immediately give away my position.

“Zerra,” I whisper. “I have the ark. Find me. Come and get it and return my mate.”

I repeat the words on a loop to give me something to focus on while hoping she finally hears me. Part of me suspects she’s toying with me right now. Some deep premonition tells me she’s enjoying watching me run for my life.

That’s when an idea occurs to me. It’s a risky move and probably the worst plan I’ve ever had, but when have I ever let that stop me?

If Zerra won’t come to me, then I’ll force her out.

I slow to a walk, surveying my surroundings. A distant rustle and crack signal that Rion’s men are nearby. Sounds come from every direction, and it’s clear that without my magic, I can’t outrun them. I can stay hidden for a while, but sooner or later, they will find me. I could blast them away, but more will follow. So many more. I’m vastly outnumbered, and the Aurora King isn’t the kind of man to make the same mistake for a third time.

But I can’t make my plan look too obvious, or they’ll suspect I’m up to something.

Slowly, I angle my trajectory, estimating that if I keep on this path, I’ll bisect theirs at a distant point. It will look like I’m too scared to think straight and just don’t know what I’m doing. I hope. I jog through the trees, and there’s no faking the ragged breaths scraping from my throat. I’m exhausted and on the verge of collapse.

“Zerra, where the fuck are you?” I try again. “Please don’t make me do this.”

The sounds of Rion’s guards grow louder as they crash through the bushes like a herd of hippos. They’re so confident about my capture, they’re not even attempting stealth.

Now it’s time for the incredibly stupid part of my plan. I have to let them see me.

A branch lies across my path, and I wince as I bring my foot down on top. The crack echoes through the forest like a lightning strike a split second before a voice shouts, “There she is!”

I twist in the opposite direction, running as fast as I can, weaving through the trees as I hear them gaining on me, narrowing my window of safety.

Rocks and branches stab and sting my bare soles, but I feel none of it. Adrenaline floods my limbs, keeping me upright, but it won’t last long. I’ve been running for hours, and my strength is long gone. Dozens of soldiers surround me, filtering out like mist until I spot their black uniforms in every direction. They’re closing in on me like I’m an injured deer, and I hope I’ve played this correctly.