Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“They’ll be here soon,” Pretha says. “General Hargova wouldn’t forsake you.”
Finn shakes his head. “Too late is still too late—whether it’s a minute or a century. We go.”
“What about your court?” Pretha asks.
“We will do our best without the throne,” Finn says.
The pain in his eyes is a punch to the chest. Finn and his people have probably been at the Court of the Moon since the day I killed Mordeus. Without the crown, Finn’s rule would’ve been no more legitimate than the false king’s. As long as I wore the crown, no one else could lay claim to the throne, but now Sebastian has the crown because of me, which means that Finn will never sit on the Throne of Shadows.
Somehow, despite everything he did to deceive me, I still believe Finn would make a good king.
“Pretha, the battle has been lost, but we will not lose the war.”
Tears stream down Pretha’s face, and my heart twists for the wretched grief I see there. She lost her husband—Finn’s brother—to this fight, and now, because of me, it was all for nothing.
“We haven’t lost forever,” Finn says, forcing himself to straighten. “Just for now.”
“It’s too much.” She hangs her head.
“Finn.” Kane pushes into the throne room and takes a spot at Pretha’s side. Once, his red-on-black eyes terrified me, but then I got to know him and the rest of Finn’s merry band of misfits. His people became my friends. Or at least I thought they were friends. It turns out they had their own agenda. Just like Sebastian.
“We’re leaving,” Finn tells Kane. “I was just telling Pretha.”
Kane shakes his head. “We might not need to. There’s been a disturbance at the Golden Palace.”
Finn arches a brow, waiting.
“Abriella,” Pretha says, smiling. “Please tell me she put that iron blade into Sebastian’s heart where it belongs.”
Kane winks at her, as if she’s just said something suggestive. “Unfortunately, not that, but I like the way you think.”
“The news?” Finn asks.
“The princess woke and didn’t take too kindly to her dear prince’s manipulations.”
They’re still calling me princess, even now. Though I supposed I proved them right when I chose to bond with Sebastian, despite their warnings. I’m a fool.
“What did she do?” Finn asks.
Kane’s face twists into a wicked grin. “She threw the whole palace into darkness. Half his men were caged in by her power, and no one could get to them or see anything as Abriella left the castle.”
Pretha smiles slowly. “Good girl,” she murmurs.
Jalek grunts. “If she were so smart, she wouldn’t have bonded with the boy to begin with.”
“There’s nothing we can do about that now,” Finn says, keeping his eyes on Kane. “What does this have to do with Sebastian taking the throne?”
Kane’s smile grows. “My sources tell me he’s refusing to do the coronation without her. He wants to wait until she returns—to prove his devotion to her.”
“Returns?” Pretha scoffs and wipes her cheeks dry. “As if she’s out for a stroll and not somewhere raging about his betrayal?”
Lark smiles up at her mother. “He can’t take the throne. It won’t have him.”
All eyes in the room go to Lark, and Pretha scoops her daughter into her arms. “Tell me what you mean by that, baby.”
“Lark . . .” Finn steps forward, then stumbles back again, steadying himself on the wall.
Kane lunges for him, catching him before he can fall. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s sick,” Pretha says.
Kane shakes his head. “That doesn’t make sense. The curse is broken. I feel better than I have in years. You should too.”
Finn draws in a deep breath. “I’ll be fine.” He turns to Pretha. “Send someone to the house and search it for any sign that Abriella’s looking for us. If she shows up there, give her whatever she needs.”
“Why?” Jalek asks. “The princess doesn’t have the crown anymore. She’s nothing to us.”
Finn spins on him, eyes narrowed, and Jalek straightens and retreats a step, contrition on his face.
“Pardon me, Your Highness.” Jalek bows his head.
She’s nothing to us.
Jalek’s right. Now that Sebastian has the crown, I’m nothing to anyone, and hearing it stated so plainly leaves me feeling hollow.
“Lark,” Finn says, stepping toward her with more success this time. “Why won’t the throne have Prince Ronan?”
“Queen Mab made the throne with her very magic. Magic isn’t free. There are rules,” Lark says. “Sebastian isn’t following them.”
Pretha and Finn exchange a look.
“What rules?” Kane asks.
“Mab’s rules. She’s been protecting her throne all this time.” Lark smiles. “Sebastian can’t take it without Abriella’s power.”
“I don’t understand.” Pretha shakes her head. “Abriella already gave Sebastian the crown when she bonded with him.”
Lark rests her cheek on her mother’s chest. “I know. She didn’t want to die,” she whispers.
“It’s okay.” Pretha strokes her hair. “Abriella’s okay now.”
“I told her she’d lose everything,” Lark says, her eyes fluttering closed at her mother’s soothing touch. “She didn’t want to be queen, but I told her it was okay because she’d lose everything.”