Page 61 of The Crowned Queen

Kai winced. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I swear I didn’t know what they were planning.”

“You still did it.” Araya pushed herself up, ignoring the pain in her ribs. “Do you know what it feels like to have to obey him? What kinds of things do you think he orders me to do? I don’t⁠—”

She broke off with a harsh cough, her chest clenching. Pain flared, radiating through her bruised ribs with every spasm as she doubled forward, curling her arms around herself.

“Araya—” Kai leapt to his feet, his hands hovering uselessly over her like he wasn’t sure where he could touch her without hurting her worse. “I think we need a healer over here.”

Elise was there a moment later, her cool hands settling between Araya’s shoulder blades as she coughed. A faint pulse of stolen magic followed her touch—tracking the shallow hitch of Araya’s breath and the rough rasp in her lungs as she struggled to get enough air.

“I told you she wasn’t to strain herself,” the healer snapped, cutting Kai a sharp glare. “Her throat and ribs are still healing.”

“I’m sorry,” Kai said. He stood a few paces away, his hands still raised like he could do something to help. “I didn’t mean⁠—”

“Intent doesn’t matter to bruised ribs and crushed vocal cords.” Elise pressed a cup to Araya’s lips, slowly easing her back into an upright position. “Sip it slowly,” she cautioned.

The tea was so thick with honey that Araya nearly gagged on the first sip. But the lukewarm liquid coated her throat, easing the raw burn with every careful swallow.

“Thank you,” Araya rasped when she could finally draw a full breath without coughing.

“Less talking,” Elise ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. For a heartbeat she looked so much like Serafina—unyielding, fiercely protective—that tears stung Araya’s eyes. “And you—” she looked at Kai, her eyes narrowing. “She’s here to recover. Not to ease your conscience. If you threaten her healing again, I will remove you, no matter who your friends are.”

“Understood,” Kai said quietly. He didn’t meet her eyes this time. “I’ll save you the trouble.”

Araya closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, unwilling to watch the man she’d once considered a friend walk away. He had done this to her. And maybe they would have done it anyway if he’d refused—but he hadn’t. He’d chosen to follow orders. To tear open her soul and offer it up to Jaxon on a silver platter.

He wouldn’t find any forgiveness from her for that. Not now. Not ever.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

They set a relentless pace after the close call at Faerwyn.

The crowds thinned out the closer they came to their destination, though they still passed far too many people. But no one stopped them. This close to Elvanfal, even the Arcanum soldiers were more interested in reaching a more hospitable destination than they were in questioning a merchant hauling his cart of fae leftovers.

Still, Loren couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when Finn finally turned the cart off the road well past midday. The overgrown track was barely more than a footpath, cutting through scrubby brush and stunted trees that did little to shield them from sight. They kept going until the cart finally lurched to a stop, one wheel sunk axle-deep in a rut hidden beneath the leaf litter.

“That’s it for the cart, then,” Finn said. “Everyone off.”

Loren stripped off the iron manacles, leaving them behind as he climbed down off the cart. He sucked in his first full breath in days, relishing the feeling of his magic rising to the surface of his skin. The shadows spread out around him, stretching long tendrils across the barren ground as if they too were luxuriating in being freed from their cramped confines.

Together, they pried back the boards concealing the hidden compartment under the cart. Six stuffed packs waited inside, along with their weapons. Loren picked up his borrowed sword, another weight lifting off his chest as he strapped it around his waist.

“We’ll leave the cart here,” Finn said. “Soldiers might find it eventually, but we should be long gone by then.”

“No more cart to pull,” Brynn cooed to their horse, petting his nose as Naeva worked to distribute their supplies across his back. “It’s much better to carry Serafina, yes? She’s much lighter than that beastly contraption.”

Caela frowned, shouldering her own pack. “The horse won’t draw too much attention?”

“It’s a risk we have to take.” Finn boosted Serafina up, his hand lingering on her calf as she settled. “Once we’re under the cover of the forest we shouldn’t have too much trouble.”

“This isn’t the forest?” Caela frowned, glancing around at the scrubby trees and tangled undergrowth that surrounded them.

Despite everything, Finn’s mouth twitched. “You grew up in a city,” he pointed out. “Have you ever even seen a tree?”

Caela shot Finn a dark look. “I’ve seen trees,” she huffed.

Finn just grinned and shook his head. “Let’s go,” he said. “I want to be under cover by sunrise.”