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“We need to move,” I informed the others. “Now. It was Keres.”
Kristof didn’t wait or ask questions, grabbing me and flying down the stairs with me and in the direction I went.
Others knew something was going on, and people were gathered where we stopped.
“Don’t touch the blood. It’s Erebus’s champion,” I warned people before focusing on Tian. “Can you track this?”
He nodded and sighed. Good.
“You had the element of surprise and a clean shot, right?” Vitor checked. “Why did you not take her head?”
I snorted, but then Kristof was curious as well. I smiled at him. “What would you do if someone shot at me?” I nodded when understanding filled his eyes. “I assumed one of the two men with her were her nobles and older. They moved in front of her to block her from the bullet, covering her head and starting to move down.”
“You didn’t aim for a kill shot to make sure you got a shot instead,” Joi muttered. “Very smart, Princess.”
“Aether gave me the chance and I wasn’t going to waste it. He moved to block her and his body was bigger.” I pointed to the blood. “Except he kept his stance wide and she’s about my size. I aimed for her thigh and it went right between his legs since he was taller. If I aimed for something vital, I would have hit him.”
“We need everyone with the best noses to scent this before it rains or has a chance to disappear,” Tian said firmly. “They will be on guard after she was shot. I will follow and see if it’s the same trajectory, but I won’t go all of the way. I can later or—”
“I agree and trust you, Tian. Take Vitor as well and do what you think is best. You need to get back on the buddy system too.” I made it clear from my eyes that this wasn’t open for debate. I was relieved when he agreed.
Kristof told everyone to keep this quiet and those not involved needed to return to their posts.
“I have something I need to do and I hope you’ll support me,” I told him quietly.
He gave me a worried look but then nodded. “Of course.”
We went back to the castle, but I didn’t go to my tower, heading for the armory instead. I grabbed a handgun, loaded it… And made my way to the dungeon.
“I’m not sure you should handle this tonight,” Kristof worried.
“I think having multiple days of their ghosts instead of both on one that I can move on from will be harder on me,” I countered.
“You were already thinking of doing this,” he muttered, looking relieved when I nodded.
“Aether made it clear that he’s something to be used against me. I don’t care about him, but we share the same blood. She was worried about—I want this over and both bodies burned.”
“Dear Goddess, what is Erebus plotting now?”
“I don’t know, but we’re smarter than any give us credit for. We need to keep being smart.” I opened the door to the dungeon and walked inside.
“Our mother kills herself and you only come now, Viola?” Emil bitched.
I raised the gun and aimed at him. “Inez. I am Inez. That is the name Aether gave me. That is who I am, and you people are nothing to me.”
Fear flashed in his eyes before rage. “You will never know a day of peace if you do this. People will hear of it and revolt and—”
Kristof snorted. “No, they won’t. We’ve already informed our allies, and every noble of this coven wants you both dead for betraying our princess. There are so many sins on you besides what you did to Inez that it sickens us. You killed your own father and confessed to it. No one will disagree with the decision.”
Good to know, but I had one important thing to add.
“I’m the princess of a coven being built from the ground up. Ethically. During the fucking apocalypse while being Aether’s champion who Erebus wants to die. I’ve long since accepted that I won’t know a day of peace for the rest of my life.”
And then I pulled the trigger.
The End
