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The queen grumbled, nodding to the guard. Otar walked towards us. I went to meet him, but Erendrial stopped me.
“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me,” I said to him. I walked over to Otar. “The keys,” I demanded to the guard. He threw them on the floor. I released the cuffs on Otar and looked at him. “Thank you for what you did.”
“I had no choice in the matter, though I did enjoy it thoroughly. I’m curious though, why did you not give away my secret?” asked Otar.
“Just because I know your secret doesn’t mean it’s mine to give away.”
He smiled at me, genuinely for the first time.
“Would you consider coming with me?” I asked.
“I don’t have a choice,” he said.
“Well, I am giving you one now,” I replied.
He tilted his head to the side. “I guess your wicked mind is better than the other prison I was in. I will come with you, wicked princess,” he said, smiling at me.
“Thank you, but you can’t kill anyone unless I give you permission. Or hurt anyone,” I added.
“Where did the wicked girl go who dreamed of me tearing out the king’s throat?” He laughed, moving behind me.
I never spoke to anyone about the methods in which I envisioned the king dying. Was he in my head? Could he read my mind? I stood up, staring down the queen. My gaze turned to Gaelin. I wanted more than anything to talk to him in private one last time, but I knew there wasn’t time. I turned away from my shining knight.
Erendrial led Otar and I into the protective circle. I looked around at the dark alfar that had bowed a knee to me. I still didn’t believe this was happening. This had to be some sick joke.
“Oh,” said Erendrial, turning back to face the queen one more time. “One more thing,” he said with a bitter tone. He snapped his fingers in the air, twisting his wrist in a quick motion.
An arrow shot from one of his warriors, landing on Daealla’s chest, on the right side, below her collar bone. She gasped as the alfar around her took a step towards us. She pulled the sizzling marker from her chest, revealing a ulyrium stamp at the end of the arrow. Her skin was branded with a crescent moon that held a nine-pointed star inside the outline. I touched my necklace.
“The Drezmore sigil. I thought it only fitting, since you thought it was okay to brand our princess with yours.”
“I didn’t know she was your princess,” she snarled under her breath.
“Well, now you will never forget, will you?” said Erendrial.
I smiled, taking a moment of happiness out of her pain.
Erendrial turned towards me, reaching for my arms. I stepped away, still scared of him. He laughed. “Princess,” he whispered tenderly, “you have nothing to fear. I am going to mist you out of the castle. You may feel a bit dizzy, but it will pass. I just need for you to hold on, so I don’t drop you in the middle of the light guard.”
“Otar, follow us, please,” I said before Erendrial wrapped his arms around me. I reached around his broad frame, unable to clasp my hands together. I slowly placed the side of my cheek on his chest, smelling the faint scent of oranges and whiskey. His grip tightened as I closed my eyes, readying myself for anything.
I felt the air around me thin as my body felt like it was being pulled apart at every seam. I gritted my teeth at the feeling, holding onto him for dear life. In another moment we were outside in a field beyond the light court’s borders. I felt dizzy and sick, letting go of him and falling to the ground. He laughed at me, walking towards me to offer a hand. Everything was spinning. He caught my arm, pulling me to my feet.
“Deep breaths; it will pass,” he instructed.
I pulled away from him, readying myself for the other shoe to drop. “What joke is this? What are you going to do with me?” I asked.
He shook his head, closing the distance between us. “This isn’t a joke, Genevieve. You are the princess and heir to the Kingdom of Doonak.”
“Why leave me in there then? Why let them use me like they did?” I demanded.
“Your father will explain all of that to you when we arrive at the dark court.”
“No, tell me now or I will have Otar kill me. I refuse to leave one court only to be tortured and abuse in another,” I snapped.
He looked at me curiously. “You control the creature?”
“Yes.”