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‘It wasn’t her fault, father!’ Nymlaris stepped forward this time.

Areanel’s heart throbbed. Nymlaris. Selfish and conceited Nymlaris urged their father on her behalf. But why? Compassion? Regret? Or worse, pity?

‘No?’ Aerileas glared at his son, then swung his cold gaze to Areanel. ‘If it wasn’t your fault, Selyë, then whose?’ he directed the question towards her. ‘Well, what shall it be, then? Who should I punish for this incompetence?’

Areanel forced her eyes to remain on her father, refusing to glance at her brothers. She would not answer. No matter how strained their relationship had grown, she would never blame Elmrynn. After a long moment, Areanel watched as Aerileas raised a hand and waved it forward.

The clanking of armour told her that a member of the Soldazt had moved from their position. Bracing herself, Areanel expected a blow to follow. But it didn’t come.

Instead, the sound of groaning filled the quiet air, and her head whipped to the side as the Soldazt pressed his hand into Sevain’s injured shoulder. The dried blood stain on the bandage bloomed with a fresh coat of red.

What would happen if the Soldazt went too far? Sevain wouldn’t be able to handle it.

A child of light will die by fate’s hand.

Fear gripped her in its relentless claws. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward and kill the Soldazt, but she knew it wasn’t their fault. It was her father’s. He was the one to order this.

The Soldazt did not lessen his grip, keeping the young prince in place, and tension grew as the minutes ticked by. Areanel knew what her father wanted—to see which one of them would break first. To him, this was nothing more than a game.

Aerileas made another motion with his hand, and the Soldazt pushed Sevain forward until he toppled to the floor, this time pressing his boot onto the wound on his upper thigh. The Soldazt pushed until Sevain yelped, writhing in pain. Blood soaked the bandage, not a speck of cream to be seen.

Sevain, kind, gentle Sevain, screamed, and hot, uncontrollable tears streaked his paling face. Areanel’s heart clenched.

‘Enough.’ She could not take it. Areanel would no longer allow Aerileas to hurt her brothers—especially not innocent, naïve Sevain. ‘I have the most senior position amongst my brothers. I gave the orders.’ It was easy enough to lie. ‘They were just following my lead.’

Areanel did not dare spare her brothers a glance, even when Elmrynn’s feet shifted uncomfortably, or when she heard the rustle of clothes as Nymlaris again placed a hand on Percival’s shoulder.

Clearing her throat, Areanel balled her fists. ‘I take full responsibility for what happened, Father,’ she said. Her gums hurt from how hard she was grinding her teeth.

Rage simmered, and though she tried to reach for that destructive power she knew lay within her, a wall blocked her from her that raging blue flame. She wanted to crush the Soldazt for laying a hand on her brother, but without her power, she stood no chance.

She had tried once and had failed spectacularly.

‘Rea!’ Again, Percival tried to interject on her behalf.

Aerileas’s gaze turned to the youngest prince before swinging back to Areanel when she repeated, louder, ‘I take full responsibility for mine and my brothers’ actions!’

It was silent for a moment before Aerileas spoke again. ‘Very well, then, you shall face the punishment alone.’ He turned to his guards and ordered, ‘Soldazt!’

In an instant, the Soldazt that had pinned Sevain down retreated, positioning himself behind the princes along with another of Aerileas’s guards: a deterrent. Should Areanel run or fight back, her brothers would suffer.

Moving in synchrony, the Soldazts’ steps felt like a death knell. Areanel’s breath turned shaky as that familiar sense of fear and dread again begged her to run.

Unsheathing the two crescent blades at her hips, Areanel dropped her weapons to the floor.

Chapter 25

Areanel

Fighting back wasn’t an option that Areanel could entertain. It would have made the punishment far more severe.

This was a show of power. An assurance of subservience.

Her father wanted to remind Areanel and her brothers of what would happen if they did not follow his orders. But, by the way Aerileas looked down at her, vengeance in his gaze, Areanel knew that this was also so much more. He wanted to beat her because she had hurt his pride. She had bruised his ego when she had used his own methods to manipulate him and the Council into doing her bidding.

This was retribution.

Areanel forced her breath to remain steady even when her heart jumped at the sound of boots hitting stone. Steps echoed off the walls as two Soldazt came to stand on either side of her, each taking an arm, grip painful and unrelenting.