AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Razak frowned, lowered the stool, and spun to glare at me. “What is it with that song? Is it supposed to mean something? What?”
Arin’s shocked, haunted, and terrified eyes fixed on me too.
I spluttered. “My mother’s song…” Was she here now in spirit, if we had such things?
“So dramatic,” Razak growled. “But I’m bored, and Arin needs to die.”
I saw it happen as though in a dream, or a nightmare. But when nightmares end in horror, you wake up. Razak kicked the stool, Arin dropped, and there was no waking from this nightmare.
CHAPTER52
Arin
“The night is cold,and my heart is heavy with sorrow, but I know that someday we’ll be together, and I’ll wait for that tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what it meant when Lark sang, only that this couldn’t be our end. I hooked my fingers into the rope in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable.
I hadn’t felt the drop, just a vicious tug crushing my fingers to my throat.
I dangled, kicked, spun.Help, no…No, this couldn’t be my end. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.Please, anyone, someone…
Through blurred tears, I saw Lark rise.
He produced a dagger as though from thin air, like magic, and flung it toward me—the rope jolted, I dropped, but still dangled, still spun, still choked and cried and wheezed.
Razak whirled toward Lark. He missed Draven emerging from the trees behind him. I blinked, throat ablaze, tears streaming. Draven was here…Help, please…I can’t… hold… on…
Please… save me.
CHAPTER53
Lark
The daggerI’d stolen from Razak flew through the air, and its wicked edge sliced Arin’s rope—but not through it. It frayed, unwinding, and Arin dangled, boots thrashing, face a shocking purple and blue.
Draven was here—as we’d planned it, the song his trigger to emerge from hiding. And as I lunged for Arin, Razak turned on me. He raised his hand, fingers splayed, intent on tugging on my will, so sure in his powers, so blinded by his belief he was an unstoppable god.
Draven thrust a blade into Razak’s back, hooked an arm around Razak’s neck from behind, and squeezed.
The rest I didn’t see—only Arin, as his writhing slowed. I righted the stool under Arin’s boots, propping him up, but the rope had locked around his neck. I yanked on it, trying to pry it free, then stumbled on the stool, losing my footing. It happened so fast yet took a lifetime. He was dying, right in front of me, life fading from his bloodshot eyes. I stepped up again, clutched Arin to me with one arm, and tugged on the rope, easing its chokehold. “I’ve got you.” The rope’s corded length eased, and Arin gasped. “I’ve got you.”
He choked and wheezed, slumping into my arms.
“Breathe. I’ve got you.” I said it over and over, and once the noose had loosened enough, I looped it up over his head, freeing him. He flung his arms around me, toppling us off the stool and almost to the ground. But I had him and breathed him in, holding him close, steadying him on his feet. He panted and coughed, folded in my arms.
“What should I do with this piece of kareel shit?” Draven asked.
I almost didn’t care. I stroked Arin’s hair, snagging on dried blood where he’d been struck.Kill Razak.Draven had my brother pinned to the ground, under his knee. Razak spluttered, half-drowning in the bloody mud.
“Don’t kill him. We can’t kill him.” But I wanted to, for almost killing Arin. I wanted it so much I could taste it. But we needed the crown, we needed to know the other crowns were where he’d told me. His death would come, but not yet.
Draven grabbed Razak by the neck and yanked him backwards.“Where’s my son?!”
“Lark.” Arin scrunched my jacket in his fists, pulling my focus back to him.
“I’m here.”I’ll never leave you again.
He leaned back, still clutching me, and his face was pale, his freckles stark. And it was all I could do not to crush him close and never let go.
