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Lorcan had just time enough to shout before his throat was ripped out.
I screamed.
Gurgling, hacking, spurting blood, Lorcan thudded on the ground and Alisdair pounced on him—ripping him apart.
Arin turned and ran on legs too short to take him far. Three bounds, and Alisdair was on him.
Something flew through the air, smacking me across my screeching mouth. I looked down on the bleeding remains of a foot.
“Ahhh!”
Slapping it off, I ran.
I bolted out the side door, skidding out into a plain, stone hallway. Blast of cold air smacked me in the back, turning me around to two wide-open doors leading outside to town. I took off sprinting.
It was my sad tale that I was accustomed to violence, sickness, and death. I’d watched many a kind, older woman fall prey to the wasting sickness. I’d been attacked many times forthe little I had, and survived. I’d also seen the remains of people who were attacked for what they had, and didn’t survive.
I’d seen it all... but I’d never seen that.
I burst outside, and searing, mind-numbing pain exploded in my right leg.
“Ah!” I cried. Seizing up, it dropped me flat on my face, bouncing my skull off the icy stone. I slid across the ground—dazed and in pain.
“That was your worst escape attempt yet.”
My insides curdled.
“How is it you’re not learning from your previous?” Alisdair picked me up one-handed, and held me out dangling in front of him like a cat by the scruff. He was covered in blood. And me, upside down and eye level with my own knees, I realized I was too. “You cannot outrun me, little queen. Especially not when covered in sacred, magic runes promising that during the day, your place is beside me.”
I glared, burning him where he stood. “That was awful. They came to you for help, and you killed them for no reason. You’re a monster, and I hate you. Every day for as long as I live, I willhate you!”
“Aww,” he mocked, setting my teeth on edge. “Do you promise?”
Alisdair waved his hand, and a glowing, beautiful starflower appeared between his fingers. He tucked it behind my ear. “And I promise you, my wife, my queen, to be worthy of it.”
He carried me back into the throne room. Yes, carried.
Ignoring my kicking and shouting, he dragged me inside like a sack of oranges and deposited me back on my throne.
“As I was saying,” Alisdair growled. Below us, servants scurried to clean the remains of the crocodile faeriken. “I will have no more of these territory disputes. No more killing andhoarding of food. If you are unable to live and work together civilly, then you will die brutally!
“Now who else wishes to test my patience?” he roared.
Half the people in line ran for the door, trampling each other in the melee. The brave few who remained moved up to receive their wisdom, but none from me.
I didn’t speak for the rest of the morning, but inside, I thought of nothing but my mother. All these years, enduring a cruel, heartless, selfish man for our sakes.
I never understood her more.
“AWAY,” ALISDAIR BARKEDafter what felt like hours.
There were still dozens more faeriken to be seen, but that didn’t stop him snatching my hand and dragging me out the door.
Temper bursting in my chest, I lunged forward and sunk my teeth in his hand.
“Argh!” Roaring, he whirled on me, fangs growing in the blink of my eye.
I smashed my nose on his and growled right back. “I can do it too, Lord Shitsoul. That’s the last time you drag or carry me anywhere. You wanted a pretend queen for your paper throne, so start treating me like one!”
