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We climbed the hill, to the dreaded tree with its gnarled, reaching branches. I stopped, frozen in place. This couldn’t be happening. Not yet. I wasn’t ready. This wasn’t the plan. Not here, not yet. Not Arin, swinging there.
“Move!” Razak shoved me in the back. I stumbled forward, and Arin lifted his head.
Not dead, not yet.
The rope lay loose around his neck.
“So you see, Zayan, we think alike. I’d reached the same conclusion as you. Taking Arin was the perfect play. Extract Arin, and it all falls.” Razak rested his boot on Arin’s stool and tipped it back. Arin’s boots slipped, the rope creaked, his chin jerked upright. No, not again, not like my mother, not like this, not Arin, my sunshine and honey prince, not him,never him.
I lurched. “No!”
The toes of Arin’s boots skimmed the tipped stool as he tried to hold himself aloft. He gurgled, choking.
Razak smirked over his shoulder and brought the stool back down. Arin stumbled but stayed upright, gasping.
“And there we have the truth of it,” my brother said. “The fucking truth of it all.”
My breath came in jagged gulps. Rain hammered, soaking me through, blurring my sight. “Arin?”
“Don’t let him ruin you,” Arin croaked and panted, tears of rain wetting his face. “Whatever becomes of me, don’t let this define you. You’re so much better than him.”
“Shut up!” Razak snapped. “Or I’ll kick the stool away now. Did you truly think I’d fall for your lies, Zayan? I know you. I know your mind like I know my own. Are you so blinded by love that you could not see how obvious you were? Lies are the only weapon you have, dear brother.”
“Razak, you fiend!” Arin snarled. “Leave him. Rip my will away and be done with it.”
“No, that would be too quiet a death for you, Prince of Hearts. I’m going to watch you thrash on the end of that rope and watch Zayan’s love die with you.”
“Please…” I staggered forward, splashing through mud and puddles. “Razak, no, don’t do this. I’ll do anything.”
“It’s a little late for that.” Razak’s backhanded slap whipped my head around. I reeled and dropped to my knees in the mud. Fire rushed up my face. “You are nothing compared to me! This is my court, my crown, my fucking reign, and you are a whore, bought with coin, a nothing boy I dug out of the dirt. How dare you think to fool me!” His cold hands locked around my throat and rattled me to my core.“How dare you. I will fucking kill you here, like I promised. Kill you and fuck you and cut you to pieces!”
“Razak, stop! Damn you, stop!” Arin cried. “Leave him, please. Lark, no...”
Razak twitched at the name and struck me again. White spots floated between us and the thudding in my chest filled my head. Blood swam in my mouth. His fingers clamped on again and squeezed, turning all the air in my lungs to fire. I gasped, heaving, and dug my nails into his hand.
“No, Lark, no!”
Razak leaned in, his snarling, hideous face my whole world. “You will never be free of me. Do you understand? Pain is all you will know. You will beg me for death, and I will never relent. You will never leave that room.”
“Stop!”
I’ll wait for that tomorrow…
“Do you understand me, brother?!”
I managed a small nod, and he tore his hand away. Air poured down my throat, into my lungs, and immediately spluttered back up again. Choking, I coughed and heaved on my hands and knees in the mud.
“Dearest Arin.” Razak turned toward the tree. “It was always going to come to this.”
Arin spat, striking Razak’s cheek. “You’re not even a true blood Prince of Pain. Your mother was from my court, and you’re half Love. Zayan has more claim to that crown than you!”
My brother wiped his cheek clean. “Such fire. I see why Zayan is fascinated by you. Truly. But my father was weak, and whoever he chose to fuck is of no concern of mine. It ends here, as it was always going to. Because we all know, when it comes to love, there are no happy endings.”
Horror turned Arin’s face white. “Wait, no—wait!”
Razak propped his boot on the edge of the stool. “Goodbye, Arin. And rest assured knowing Zayan’s life will be torture, since he’s known love and had it torn away. The worst pain of all.”
On my hands and knees, I croaked out the words to my mother’s song under the same tree she’d died hanging from.“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.”
