Page 72 of End of the Sword


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“Your ring?” Rehan repeated.

Ace held her hand out as if she was also surprised that it wasn’t on her finger. “Oh,” she said hoarsely, “I took it off to wash my hands this morning and must have forgotten to put it back on.”

An awkward tension riddled the space between them. Margo looked from Ace to Rehan, her eyes wide as if she was watching some sort of drama play out. Rehan didn’t say anything else though as he turned back to his plate and ate in silence.

Suddenly her rumbling stomach and appetite had left. Ace picked up her fork and pushed food around her plate. Her lips were pouted as she kept looking for Shelby hoping he would swoop in and give her a reason to walk away.

Her heart stopped beating in her chest, her fork falling to a clatter on the plate. Margo looked up at Ace and followed her gaze to where Ace stared at a man who walked calmly up to the square.

“Who is that?” Margo asked. “I know he isn’t from Glatton, so he must have come with you.”

There was no crown on top of his head today but she knew exactly who he was. King Osiris had come to grace The City of Lost Witches.

Any sense of words was lost to her. A tremble much worse than the shivers the cold had given her shook through her limbs. Ace reached a hand around Margo and frantically tapped her fingers against Rehan’s shoulder.

“Hmmm?” He finally looked up.

“Rehan,” she gasped as she finally took a breath, “what is he doing here?”

The points of his ears were rounded and all too human looking, he didn’t smile to reveal the terrible teeth that were hiding behind such perfect lips. Onyx curls swept up his neck and strands ruffled as he walked with the sway that only a man born into royalty would have. His posture was perfect and his daring gaze swept through the square as if in search of someone too.

Was he looking for her and Rehan?

But his eyes moved right over them still searching until they locked on one person. Ace twisted in her seat watching with gnawing fear eating at her gut. The Fae king crossed the square unnoticed by anyone other than her, Rehan, and Margo.

Both she and Rehan were standing up out of their seats as the king came to a stop behind a woman. He tapped her impatiently on the shoulder. She turned and the plate she’d held in her hands dropped and shattered at their feet sending bits of food and glass scattering.

“What does he want with my mom—”

Osiris wrapped his fingers around Derfla’s throat, lifting her off the ground. When he snarled, the sound echoed through the entire square. The music had stopped and warlocks and witches alike all froze as they turned toward the scene. Ace swore she saw the flicker of his image change from human to Fae then back to human again.

“Where is my brother?!” Osiris screamed. Several flinched at the vicious sound of his voice. Did any of them know who he was? Did they know what they had hiding in this town?

A small silhouette darted forward toward the king. Only then did Ace and Rehan realize that Margo had slipped out between them. Ace lunged trying to catch her by the flowing material of her dress but the girl had moved too fast. Without any ounce of worry for herself, Margo slammed her closed fist into King Osiris’s side.

The Fae did not flinch. He turned to glare down at the girl who was only half his size. “I can crush her windpipes faster than you can stop me.”

Derfla was clawing at his hands, her feet kicking under her to find any sort of purchase. He was going to kill her. Osiris was going to kill her right in front of everyone including her daughter. Ace started forward but Rehan wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against him.

“No,” he said too quietly for anyone else to hear, “don’t get yourself killed too.”

She struggled against him. “Let me go. We can’t just stand here and watch this.”

His grip only tightened on her. “I’m afraid we have to.”

“Where is he?!” Spit flew from King Osiris’s mouth, rage staining his cheeks.

The crowd was silent, unsure of an answer. Magic glowed in the palms of a few witches who stood as if they’d be the ones to put a stop to it. All Osiris had to do was lift his hand and their bodies flung backwards going limp several yards away.

“Margo,” Ace hissed. “Margo come here.”

The girl stood in defiance at the king’s side. She’d mastered the same terrifying scowl Shelby could do and though her mother was turning purple and the king had already put an end to the few who tried to stand up against him, she held her ground.

“If you will not tell me, then I will make you.”

Derfla was dropped to the ground where she took in large wheezing lungfuls of air. Both of her hands were touching her throat, her knees buckling under her. As her body started to lower to the ground, Osiris wove his fingers into her hair and pulled her in front of him.

“Would you all like to see this Impelling everyone is so afraid of?” Osiris was still shouting nastily at the gathering. Not a single soul answered his question.

Derfla gasped as he yanked her against him and tilted her head to expose her neck. Rehan’s arms tightened around Ace as she tried to push off of him. “That’s Shelby’s mother! Let me go! Let me go!”

“I’m sorry. It’s for your own protection.” Rehan gritted through his teeth as he fought off her thrashing limbs and took every elbow to his gut and kick of her legs.

Ace felt useless as she watched. The sinking feeling in her gut only worsened as Margo let out a wild cry. Osiris buried his teeth into Derfla’s throat. Blood immediately oozed against her skin.

“Stop this!” Ace yelled through the sudden fear that spiked through the crowd.

When the king lifted his head, he smiled to reveal all of those crimson coated teeth. Then he bit into his own wrist and shoved the wound into Derfla’s mouth. The woman struggled against him, fighting the Fae’s blood that he smeared all over her face. Osiris held her tightly until the woman stopped struggling. Until her eyes went glassy and her arms hung limply at her sides.

“That’s better,” he purred, spinning her to face him. “Now. Show me where my brother is.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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