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Valen Ferus’s dark eyes bled with hatred. “Hello, Bloodsinger. I don’t think we finished our conversations.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE SERPENT
Steel sliced over leather.I had my cutlass freed, but at my back, so did Celine, Sewell, and Tait. Valen merely rested his hands on the blacksteel heads of his axes, twin death tethered to his belt.
From the same room, another man emerged, dressed like a tall assassin. A woolen cowl bunched around his throat, thick belts that slimmed his waist, and the glitter of knives and daggers on each limb.
“Warrior.”
“Erik.” Stieg stepped between the tip of my sword and his king. “Put your blade away.”
“They are not here to kill you, King Erik,” Narza said, an eerie calmness to her voice.
“You were not there.” My gaze locked on the earth bender, unblinking. “I assure you, nothing would please him more.”
Valen stepped around Stieg, but he faced the royals—all lost in a sort of bewilderment.
Aleksi swallowed with effort. “Uncle.”
“Tor arrived at the fort,” Valen said stiffly. “Sol sent word to the North the instant you turned up alive. So, your father arrived at a fortdevoid of the son he believed was dead for weeks. I watched both your fathers mourn all over again.” The earth bender wheeled on the princess. “I saw your parents when they arrived. Two souls who’ve lost so many, I watched them lose their wits trying to get through the sea to a daughter they fear will go missing, much like mine. And you two.”
The twin princes stiffened, but held their tongues, respect for the earth bender shadowed on their faces.
“Your mother and father are some of the most resilient folk I’ve ever met.” Valen stepped close enough their noses nearly touched. “I never want to see the likes of them break the way they did when they arrived without their sons there to greet them.”
Silence thickened in the space. Ten breaths, even more, pressure dug into the pores on my skin, as though the agonizing remorse from every earth fae royal flowed through my veins. With a touch of caution, Tait and Celine lowered their blades and stepped beside Sewell.
I sheathed my sword, uncertain what moves to make.
At long last, when the walls felt as though they might crush us all, Aleksi dipped his chin and faced the earth bender. “Forgive us, Uncle. We freed the Ever King. This was not Bloodsinger’s doing. I know of the Ever. I know of this enemy, and we could not wait for the others to arrive. Wecould notwait for a council and strategy.”
“So, you thought it wise to manipulate my son into freeing a man who’s killed many of our people, who took a princess of the realms, and follow him without a word of goodbye.”
“I left a note,” Mira whispered.
“Ah, yes.” Valen scowled at her. “Exactly the thing every mother and father wants. A missive telling them they may never see their child again, tucked away—I might add—so it was not seen for nearly two days.”
Narza touched my arm. She tilted her head, mutely commanding I speak. What the hells was I supposed to say? I was not taking the time to return the royals to soothe the hearts of their families.
They made their choices, and I was going forward from here. Not back.
“Be angry if you wish, Earth Bender, but they weren’t wrong.” My voice was even, steady. Inside, I was flowing in heavy apprehension. “We would be days behind if I’d been left in that room while kings and queens counseled on how to execute me.”
Valen’s mouth tightened. Doubtless, he wanted to crush my skull under his boots.
“We aren’t saying you or anyone else did not want to begin the search, Uncle,” Aleksi said. “But it was taking time we did not have.”
“He knows.” Stieg sat on the edge of the bed, a misplaced smirk on his face. “It is why we are here with only two of us. We had to do the same.”
Mira arched a brow. “What do you mean?”
Valen’s features softened, still burdened, still furious, but there was a bit of a crack in the rage. “Were you all not listening? Every crown is at the fort. Do you think any of your parents would’ve stayed behind willingly?”
“You’ve now seen for yourself and might take my word with more ease,” Narza said. “Our ships simply cannot house full armiesandour crews.”
Jonas chuckled, tentative and strained, but slowly the prince’s flash of mischief returned to his eyes. “You snuck away? Elise will murder you.”
