Vann must sense my readiness to speak because he puts his hand on my leg, silencing me.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” she demands.
Thorne grins. “Killing me would be a mistake.”
She snarls, leaning forward and grabbing his hair.
“Why?”
“Because I have the key to your crown?” he taunts.
“What key?” she snarls. “I already have the artifact. I am the rightful leader of this kingdom.”
Thorne clicks his tongue. “Not without the throne. You need to change the magic back, don’t you?”
“What do you know, snake?”
“You must promise to keep me alive,” he responds. “A life for a kingdom. Small price to pay, don’t you think?”
Mrath looks down at him with as much loathing as I have ever seen capable. She sneers at his face, at his taunting smile.
Then she reaches into her belt, withdraws a knife, and uses the butt of it to hit his head, effectively knocking him out. I flinch as he crumples to the ground.
Is he dead?I wonder.
Not likely.
No one says anything as he is dragged away from the scene.
Mrath watches them go, then looks back at me. “Now that that is dealt with, it is time to handle one other issue. One of much grander scale. “
The room is silent, and I wonder why we still aren’t able to go home.
“You see, Arion is dead, but it seems his line is not.”
My brows draw together, and I am still shaken by her display with Thorne. I’d never seen this side of Mrath before. I’m still not understanding what she is implying, though Vann stiffens immediately. His grip on me turns iron-like.
“You, Arlet, did marry him. The bond between you was sealed well enough, even if that was short-lived. This alone I could forgive.” She pauses and Vann seems to turn to ice at my side. Even Lianagrows troubled. “But during our physicians’ review of you after the arena, we found something surprising.”
Still utterly confused, I wait for her to continue.
“Go on?” I say when she doesn’t immediately respond.
She stares at me long and hard.
“You carry Arion’s child.”
The words burn through me. My first instinct is to look at Vann, who appears like a stone statue at my side. His face is expressionless and hard.
“But that’s impossible?—”
“What is the point of your telling us this? Will you kill her? Or rid her of the child?”
Mrath glowers. “I cannot let an heir live while my own rule is still being established.”
They continue to volley arguments, but I simply cannot keep up.
Pregnant.