“I’ve said that we will help anyone who suffers,” I explained, somehow managing to keep my voice steady despite the anger rising in my core.
“And when all our land is gone?” the pooka demanded with a roar, throwing his arms into the air, rallying those gathered behind him. “What then? The Queen has offered to intercede on our behalf. She’s promised to cure the blight!”
I bet she feckin’ did.
The blight would be easily remedied by the witch who created it.
The orange flames shuddered when the mob lifted their torches in a rousing cheer. Despite their cloaks and hoods, I managed to pick out a few faces I knew well. Men I had pardoned, some whose taxes had been forgiven, and one my brother had saved from execution in Airren. All it took was a little hardship to make them forget who had taken care of them over the last two centuries.
All it took was a wedding for them to rally against me.
“And what does the Queen want in return for her benevolence?” I asked.
The pooka sneered. “The Queen wants the heart of the human who has brought shame to our land.”
The crowd seemed to shift and sway in unison as empty hands filled with swords and daggers and axes.
Did they honestly think I would hand over my wife? Even if Keelynn’s death would save every single person on this island, I’d gladly sacrifice every last one of them for her.
“After all I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?” Boiling rage flooded my chest. For centuries, I’d given these people everything. And now that my curse was broken, now that I’d finally found happiness, they wanted to steal it away? The nerve. Thegall. “I’m giving you one chance to put down your weapons and return to your homes.”
My warning reverberated off the stone walls. Not one person had the good sense to flee.
“Rían?” I met my brother’s vicious grin. His eyebrows arched. I inhaled a deep breath and said, “Imprison them all.”
Surprise flickered across his features. “Imprison?”
I nodded. We already had a rebellion on our hands and didn’t need to make matters worse. As happy as it would have made me to impale every last one and hang their bodies from the castle walls, we were better than the Queen. These men would stand trial and face the consequences of their actions as was their right as citizens of Tearmann.
With a flick of Rían’s wrist, their weapons vanished. Another flick, and those at the front fell to their knees, grabbing their throats, their faces turning a wicked shade of blue.
“Rían…”
He rolled his eyes at the warning in my tone but flicked his wrist once more. Every single person in the courtyard vanished, and I swore I could hear their wails from the dungeons.
His eyes met mine, returned to their lighter hue. “When will we schedule the trials?”
No sense rushing. We were quite busy, after all. “Next month?”
His grin flashed in the night. “Perfect.”
37
AVEEN
My toes beganto cramp as I teetered on the rickety step stool I’d found abandoned in the corner. “I can’t see a blessed thing.” Who installed the windows in this tower, anyway? Giants? I’d already tried evanescing out of the locked tower but to no avail. Meaning Rían must’ve warded the place. Leave it to him to never forget a loophole.
Keelynn’s head fell back against the wall, her porcelain complexion rosy with irritation. “Then why do you keep looking?”
Good question. One I unfortunately didn’t have an answer to. “Perhaps if I get on my hands and knees, you could climb on my back?” She was a good bit taller than me and might have been able to see down into the courtyard from her tippy toes.
Although she smiled, she didn’t bother getting up. “Sit.” She patted the stones beside her. “They will let us out when it’s safe.”
She had a point. It wasn’t as if they would keep us locked up here forever. Although, after my conversation with Rían in the closet, perhaps he’d be happy not to have to face me for a day or two. I sank onto the hard stones and drew my knees to my chest, mirroring Keelynn’s position.
Shouting erupted from the courtyard, followed by stark silence. Keelynn’s wide gray eyes flew to mine. “What do you think they wanted?” she asked.
“To give you a wedding gift, obviously.”