Page 223 of The Fallen Fae King

I step to one side.

Taran is tossed into the cell.

I glimpse his terrified face and then there is only the sound of Lanlin’s feral growling.

I listen dispassionately to Taran’s screams, as well as the sound of fangs and claws tearing the dragon apart.

It goes on for longer than I thought it was possible for Taran to live through such a savage mauling.

I wipe a splatter of blood off my cheek.

“Ready to fly to freedom, Bat?” I ask.

Slowly, Lanlin rises to his feet.

His shadows wrap around him. Blood soaks the front of his uniform. He tears his breastplate off, which marks him out with the dragons’ emblem, until he is bare chested.

Lanlin marches over to a warped lump of metal that I recognize as our melted crowns.

“Leave it,” I say. “I’ll make you a new crown.”

Lanlin glances at me. “You’ll make it…?”

“Where we’re going, I’ll be the ruler.”

He hesitates. “And where is that?”

My smile is ice-cold. “The Unseelie Kingdom.”

Lanlin prowls toward me. “Not without my twin.”

Elatha grips my forearm. “Thorn, we must go. Now.”

The fighting is growing louder, closer, more intense.

What do I say?

I can’t lie to Lanlin.

How can I give him false hope about his own twin?

Yet I only have a brief window of time to lead this rebellion in the heart of an enemy kingdom.

I have a single chance to save my entire court.

How the bloody hell do I choose between my people and keeping a secret that I know will shatter my fated mate?

I avoid Lanlin’s gaze. “I know where your brother is.”

It’s not a lie.

I do know where Lazarus is: His ash is scattered in the banquet hall, after Aurelius was tricked into drunkenly burning him.

Lanlin rushes to me, lit up with hope. “Then take me to him. By the Void, we can fight next to each other and save Laz. I will join you in this uprising. Then together we can escape with my twin.”

“Not yet.” I can hardly force myself to get out the words. “This uprising will fail if I don’t lead it, then Freya will be in danger. I swear that I will tell you about your brother, once she is safe.”

Lanlin’s expression clouds. “Swear that you will tell me about Laz. Swear that if I help you with this revolt, then you will help me to save him as well?”