AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I dropped to one knee and bowed my head. “I come as a friend to your court, and as your brother who loves you, and as the traitor’s son.” I took Arin’s crown from my bag and held it aloft, meeting his gaze. Gold and pearls sparkled. His eyes widened in disbelief. Now he had all four crowns, and all the power of a fallen god.
I’d given him the final piece of the puzzle. But his eyes narrowed on me.
It would take more than the crown of Love to convince my brother I loved him. It would take every trick, every misdirection, and every sleight of hand I knew. “All hail, the King of Pain, the King of all the shatterlands.”
CHAPTER48
Arin
I’d stayed awakeall night, waiting for Lark to walk through my chamber door with a tale of some misadventure he’d gotten tangled in. But as dawn approached, it was clear Lark was not coming back.
And Draven would pay for this betrayal.
The warlord had made himself scarce after the council meeting, and no matter where I’d searched, it had seemed as though he’d disappeared. I’d find him now.
I grasped a dagger from the training racks in the yard and with the court still sleeping, I hurried toward his room.
I should have cut his throat all the way the first time. None of this would have happened, and Lark would have been safe. I’d known then, how Draven was a liability. And he’d proven to be the worst of all my enemies. Razak hadn’t lied while looking into my eyes; Razak hadn’t bedded me while spilling my plans and secrets to our enemy.
If Draven had hurt Lark, Dallin help me, I’d cut him again from ear to ear.
I eased open Draven’s chamber door and skipped my gaze to the bed, where a sheet outlined his sleeping figure. He didn’t stir.
And to think I’d trusted him a second time? More the fool me. I crept in and stood over him. He slept at peace, knowing he’d traded Lark away.How could he?My fingers tightened on the dagger.How could he do this to me, to us?!I wanted him dead. I’d thought myself incapable of killing, but he’d driven me to this. I was not the same Prince of Love whose court had burned to ash. If Lark was gone, then I had nothing left.
I grasped his hair. His eyes snapped open. I pressed the blade to his neck. “Where is he?!”
Draven plunged a hand under his pillow, then brought out a knife and slashed it at my face. I lurched away, stumbling.The bastard!
“You think I sleep unprepared after last time?” he panted, snarling, and rising from the bed. “Gods damn you, Arin—”
“Where is he, Draven? What have you done?!” I lunged, thrusting the dagger. He brought his forearm up and my blade cut deep, zipping open his golden skin. Blood splashed up the wall. He howled and charged, slamming into me. His crushing embrace clamped my arms to my sides—trapped. I roared, thrashed, and sank my teeth into his shoulder. He flung me away, growling and gasping, then dabbed at the bloody bite mark. “Arin, stop. Listen—”
“To more of your lies? No. How could you!?”
“He wanted this.”
My vision turned red. “No!” I marched forward. “That’s the lie you tell yourself. Did you get a letter? Did Razak write you, demanding Lark’s return?”
“Like he didyou?”
I snarled. My letter was insignificant. “Answer the question!”
“Arin, just listen. I don’t know what you think, but the letter had nothing to do with this.”
“Youdidget a letter!” It was as I’d suspected. Razak had demanded Lark in exchange for Draven’s son. I raged and lunged. Draven reeled, tumbled across his bed, and scrambled off the other side. I skirted the bed and charged after him, cornering him.
“I don’t want to hurt you!” he snapped. “Arin, stop—”
I dove and thrust the dagger toward his throat. But his arm came up a second time, barring my strike, stopping it short. He grasped my wrist in his left hand, trying to lever me off. The tip of my blade hovered closer to his neck, so close that just a little more would see it pierce his skin. I surged, roared, and drove him against the bedside table. A lamp toppled off, smashing into pieces. He struggled, we wrestled, arms and hands, the knife poised between us. The blood from his bleeding arm greased his hold.
“Ihateyou.” I threw the words like knives and watched them strike at his heart, making his face fall.
I was too late. Lark was gone. Draven had taken him.Everythinghad been taken from me. Lark was all I’d had left. I’d kill Draven, and savor it. The lying, selfish, bastard. “He’s my everything. You took him!” I forced the words through clenched teeth.
Draven pushed back, muscles trembling, and began to inch me away.
“Damn you!” I’d kill him; he deserved to die, for Lark.
