Page 99 of Uncrowned

“Penelope Taylor. She—You’re… the masked captor?”

“We got into an argument. She ran back to her house. The SLB was waiting for her, Theodore. They took her.”

“You had her for four months. Did you really kill her parents?”

My face hardened.

“Her dad was an abusive piece of shit. Her mother wasn’t any better. I’d kill them again if I had the chance, only the second time, I’d take my time and drag it out so I could actually enjoy it. If you would have seen how injured she was when I took her, you would have done the same thing.”

“I would have killed them?”

A smile tugged at my mouth. “Have you ever loved someone before, Theo?”

“… I thought I did once.”

“There’s no thinking when you lose yourself as deeply as I have. Love has the ability to make monsters of us all. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Penelope. Nothing. Which is why I’m trusting and telling you all of this. I need your help. And I need it now. King Lawrence wants what’s mine. He hasn’t acted on Penelope yet, but he has in the past. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his move. When he does, it’ll be too late for us. I won’t let him have her, and I can’t afford to die before I have an heir. Work with me. Help me.”

Theodore searched my face, but I saw the spark of something—need.

“Tell me everything you know. It’ll take me a little time, but I’ll find her. I won’t stop until I do. I give you my word.”

“I need more than your word. I need you as mine. I need you as part of The Order. It’s a simple yes or no. Who is your king? Does your loyalty lie with the Evans’? Or back with me?”

Theo’s eyes lowered to the floor, only to lift to look towards the door he’d come in. He took in the upside-down crown. Multiple expressions crossed his face. When he looked back at me, the hesitation was gone.

“I’ve heard the stories my ancestors have passed down. I know the truth. I belong at your side. We were never traitors. I choose you.”

I reached out, holding to his shoulder. “Correct answer. Welcome back. It’s time for you to get to work. I’ll have you dropped off with a list of my instructions. We’re going to find her, and we’re going to bring her home.”

Blood wasn’t about good or evil. It wasn’t honored because of religion. We didn’t use it in ceremony because we enjoyed the act. Blood was life. Blood was power. It symbolized what bound us all together—and what would set the kingdom right again.

For one to understand the true significance of sacrifice, they needed to believe the return was worth the cost.

A virgin for the rise of a king?

The Order knew one person, or even a hundred, didn’t compare to the wellbeing of millions.

Sacrifice…

It was the language of kings.

A connection to source.

Tonight, it would remember its blood, and the path back to the Crown would open. This time would work. It had to.

Hundreds of candles filled the Ritual Room, casting shadows with every sway and bend of the flames. Hooded robes circled around the Masterson crest, keeping their heads bowed towards the lion carved in stone. Centered in the middle was me and the empty shackles bolted to the floor.

As I stood, staring down at what used to be a sense of pride, all I felt now was a burning fury. This is what we’d come to. This was the result of a friendship broken by greed. Families—not just mine—wanting nothing more than justice. Revenge.

“Before our betrayal, the Crown was ruled by blood.” I paused, taking in the Masters that were looking at me through the hoods. “The kingdom knew its rightful line. But the throne was stolen from us. Tonight, we honor the blood that has been spilled, and we return blood to the Crown.”

Doors opened in the back of the room. Cries were immediate. A scream sounded, dying off as a nude blonde was led forward by two guards. Her feet tried to plant, but she couldn’t get footing as the guards forced her in my direction.

“Please. Please! I-I don’t want—Help! Please, help me!”

A hum of the chant started low, increasing in volume as the slave’s head jerked back and forth. A sea of Masters parted, allowing her through, only to immediately close rank.

“Blood remembers what was lost,