Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“The king?” Xiao Dan demanded.
Rei stepped aside and motioned to the king’s corpse several meters away. “Dead, and we’ve got the bloodstone for Yichen.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Rei turned toward Trin who had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword in its sheath at his side. “Trin, where do you stand now? Mother—”
“You’re asking a lot of me, Your Highness,” Trin sneered. “Killing Ash wasn’t much of a bridge to burn for either of us since we were at the top of his list. However, Belladonna is still my mother, and I might have a few other options that need to be considered.”
“Nothing she offers you will be as good as the deal I’m handing you,” Rei replied in an almost growl. Yichen could feel his mate’s frustration in the stiff way he held his body.
“Plus, you know you can’t trust her,” Yichen shouted. “How many of her other children has she helped Ash to hunt down? She just rid herself of a mate. Do you really think she wants to share power with her son?”
Rei glanced over his shoulder at Yichen and flashed him a half smile before returning his glare to Trin. “It’s not hard to see where my loyalties lie, dear brother of mine. Our paths are headed in vastly different directions as long as you allow them to.”
Trin grunted, his hand relaxing on his sword. “I’ll think about it.”
Aire crossed to Trin’s side and leaned close to his right side. “We should get moving. We don’t know what spies might be lurking in the area.”
But it was already too late.
The trees shifted and the torchlight danced wildly as if a sudden breeze had swept through the field, but the wind hadn’t stirred and the ground had stopped rumbling. No, someone else was coming to join their party. Yichen could feel it from too many years being exposed to the fae.
“Yichen?” Xiao Dan inquired.
“Just…just stay back. Over there,” he stammered as he motioned for Xiao Dan and Xiang to retreat to where they had entered the clearing close to the river. With his other hand, he grabbed Rei’s wrist, wanting to pull the elf with him, but deep in his gut, he knew that Rei wasn’t moving an inch. Not until he faced her.
Seconds ticked by and no one spoke. Yichen began to wonder if anyone was breathing when a shaft of white appeared between the trees, growing larger as it approached. At last, a white unicorn slipped between two large maples filled with bright-red leaves as if it were the middle of autumn rather than summer. Riding sidesaddle on the unicorn’s back was Queen Belladonna of the fae. She was dressed in shining silver-and-white armor, her platinum-blond hair pouring over her shoulders in elegant waves.
There was no missing that she was Rei’s mother. They shared the same eyes and the same full mouth that twisted into that same adorable smirk that Yichen loved on Rei’s lips but hated on that woman’s face. She was ethereally lovely, and Yichen hated her for it. Not just because someone so evil shouldn’t be beautiful—but rather, it felt like she’d stolen Rei’s beauty. No one was supposed to be as beautiful as his mate.
Behind her marched a second army of silver-clad elves with pikes and swords, ready to protect their queen. One stepped forward and grabbed the unicorn’s reins, holding the queen’s steed steady so she could lightly jump to the ground.
She seemed to ignore the crowd completely as she strolled over to the body of her dead husband. Her face remained expressionless as she stared at him. For all Yichen could tell, she had the same emotional response of someone walking past a piece of trash they glimpsed in the gutter. With a casual wave of her hand, she ordered, “Burn him and collect the ashes. I might think of something interesting to do with them.”
With her former husband dealt with at last, she turned her attention to the gathering of people in the circle. Her eyes briefly skimmed over Trin, who immediately dropped to one knee along with Aire at his side.
“Your Majesty,” he said, his tone overflowing with respect as he bowed his head to her.
But she didn’t acknowledge him. No, the bitch had eyes only for Rei. Yichen’s heart softened a little toward the bastard son of the queen. Yichen might have been born the legitimate child of a king, but he knew what it was like to seek the approval of a parent and constantly feel like he was coming up short.
“Wistari—”
“Don’t,” Rei barked, cutting her off before she could rattle off his entire name. “Just…don’t. I don’t want to hear it, and I definitely don’t want to see you.”
Her warm expression didn’t waver one single bit as she stared at him. “Even though you rejected my offer, you still came through and got rid of your father for me. Always so thoughtful.”