Page 159 of The Fallen Fae King

Aurelius would never expect me to. He’d understand, right?

I once believed that if I ran to the Golden Dragon, then he would save Lazarus and me. Because of that dream, Lazarus gave himself up to this captivity.

This is my fault.

I twist around, searching through the tight crush of whooping and howling vampires again.

“Your Majesty.” Yara struggles through the crush, dragging Ahm by the hand.

He is limping but doing his best to keep up and not slow his nestmate down.

Yara’s mouth is stained scarlet with blood that isn’t her own.

I clutch them both to my chest, startling them. “My dears, you’re well.”

Yara pulls back, dragging me with her as frantically as she is Ahm.

I slip my arm around Ahm’s shoulders, helping him to stumble on faster.

“No stairs?” Yara’s lips tighten with concern.

“Not yet.” I turn yet another corner into a dark corridor.

No stairs.

“We did it though. You did it, Your Majesty. You’re amazing.” Ahm’s eyes are bright with joy. “We escaped. I bit that vile guard who enjoyed whipping Laz. We got our revenge. We’ll be safe and free. And now we can⁠—”

Suddenly, I hear what sounds like a low groan above my head of stone grinding against stone.

Startled, I glance upwards.

Then I scream, as a giant silver net falls from the roof.

I throw myself over Ahm and Yara to protect them.

My back sizzles with a delicate pattern of burns.

The net captures every one of the escaped vampires, trapping them.

I howl with pain and desperation.

This was a trap.

We never escaped. Taran planned this.

The corridor is filled with screams and groans.

My Eternals’ cries hurt more than the silver because these superficial burns will heal but knowing that I have failed the Bloods will always remain with me.

I struggle, but the net must be weighted because I can’t shove it off me.

When I hear footsteps near my head, I raise my gaze with difficulty to see the black robes of one of the assassins.

“Hope,” Taran sneers. “Give it and then take it away. Vicious taught me that trick. Hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Eat burning poison.” I should have realized that this was a trick. Yet Taran’s deliberate provocation about the coronation pushed me to take the risk. “That was only my first attempt. You shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

“Hmm, really?” Taran leans over me; his shadow swallows me. “Tell me, does it hurt more to know that in three nights our King will be crowned Emperor over your kingdom? Or that your Omega and Blood Lover will be married as consorts to him.”