AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 55
Bree
Bree awoke,surrounded by three Dark Fae males. They had stayed by her side all night. She knew it as fact, deep within her bones. Taveon was beside her in the bed, Rafe had taken a spot on the floor, and Dagen was in the spare bed. With a sigh, she twisted to stare at Prince Taveon’s face. Something strange had happened between them the night before when he’d given her every single part of hissoul.
It was all fuzzy now, like parts of a dream that drifted away from her mind the longer and longer she stayed awake. She wanted to reach out and grasp onto those memories, but she couldn’t. They slid through her fingers likeputty.
But no matter. She was alive, and they were alive, and everything would be okaynow.
Taveon’s eyes cracked open, as if he could sense her staring at him. Hell, he probably could. They were linked inexplicably now. She could even feel the pounding of his heart in his chest and the way it picked up speed when his eyes met hers. He reached out a hand and caressed her cheek. She couldn’t help but shudder inresponse.
“You are okay,” hesaid.
“Thanks to you.” Her heart throbbed. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t listened to me screaming foryou.”
“I heard you, Bree. I heard it all deep in mygut.”
And had he heard everything else? There were so many emotions churning through her. How much did he know? How much did hesuspect?
“I healed because of you. Because of your gift,” she whispered, knowing that Lord Dagen was still in the room. “You risked everyone findingout.”
His jaw clenched at that. “Only Lord Dagen saw the truth. We can come up with another explanation for theCourt.”
She blinked at him. “This is Lord Dagen we’re talking about. He’ll probably call everyone into the Great Hall so he can make a big announcement aboutit.”
“I do not think so,” Taveon saidquietly.
A horn sounded in the distant, a familiar sound that made Bree’s skin crawl. She popped up out of bed, striding to the window to scan the castle grounds. Fae were streaming through the streets and the courtyards, all flowing in the same direction. They were all headed to the fightingpit.
“I don’t understand,” Bree whispered as she twisted to face the Prince. “Why is the battle continuing after I was just attacked in my room by one of thechampions?”
“The battle continues because it must,” Dagen’s voice spoke up from behind Bree, his tone grave and dark. “And we did not tell anyone you survived. We wanted to ensure you made it through the night. Anken’s champion will be fighting someone else today. Everyone believes you aredead.”
Bree fisted her hands. “Well, time to go and stop them. Anken was behind all of the attacks. He’s been after the crown all thistime.”
Taveon and Rafe exchanged a glance. They did not look surprised. And that was when it hit Bree. They already knew. Taveon had heard the truth in her mind. They’d likely discussed the situation all night while she’d been sleeping andhealing.
“Bree.” Rafe eased out of the bed and was by her side in an instant, his hand on her elbow. “You do not need to continue with this. We can hide you away until it isover.”
She blinked at him. “Are you serious? I’m indestructible now. There’s absolutely no reason for me to sit in this room and pretend to be dead. They cannot kill me, and I can be discrete about the whole immortality thing. I can pretend that my own shapeshifting powers heal me too fast for any fatal wounds to stick. Besides, I don’t think I can stand the idea of that asshole thinking he got the better of me. Ofallof us. It’s time to show the Wilde Fae exactly what they’re dealingwith.”
* * *
Bree strodeinto the arena with her head held high. Every eye in the fighting pit turned her way, and murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Anken gaped at her from across the pit, and then he slammed his fist hard against his champion’s head. Bree winced. As much as she hated her opponent, she definitely hated Ankenmore.
Dagen followed just behind her, holding up his hands as he strode to the little platform near the edge of the arena. The crowd’s murmurs fell into a hush, and he shouted for all the fae to hearhim.
“Prince Taveon’s champion was attacked in her quarters last night by Anken’s champion. He thought her dead, but he was wrong. She still lives.” More murmuring spread through the crowd, and Dagen silenced them with a clap of his hands. “The council deems Anken the loser of this battle. Not only from yesterday’s clear win by Bree but by breaking the rules of the fight. He has lost his honor and his place here at the Battle for the Crown. I would say it is time for him to leave, but he is not quite as lucky as that. He is the fae behind all the attacks on our Courts these past weeks. Guards, take himandhis champion to thedungeons.”
The crowd began to shout. And, to Bree’s relief, it wasn’t at Taveon or Dagen or Bree. It was at Anken and his champion. Anken growled and thumped his champion on the head once more before he turned on his feet and ran. Two seconds later, the guards had surrounded him, and he was in chains within the nextmoment.
Bree stood tall and took up her spot on the red mark. Since Anken was now eliminated, it would now be her turn to face the next contender for thethrone.
But no one stepped up to the mark. The crowd fell silent as they all waited, eyes staring hard at the empty space where a contender and his champion should stand. Dagen frowned and turned toward Taveon and Rafe, who were standing just off to the side behind Bree. They shrugged, frowningback.
Bree couldn’t help but think that this was an ominous turn of events. There had been at least a dozen champions who had arrived the day before. Half had fallen in the battles but half remained, including Bree. There should be at least six or so ready to fight this day. Six who would try to prevent the Prince from ascending thethrone.
Branok suddenly appeared behind Taveon. He motioned to the Prince and whispered something too low for Bree to hear, even through their bond. Prince Taveon’s eyebrow shot to the top of his forehead, and his entire body tensed, even while sweet relief poured through theirbond.
