Page 107 of Lethal Souls
“Your name,” Hassha demands again.
“Valden,” he replies.
“Who the fuck are you, Valden?” I ask, stepping forward.
His amused eyes swing to mine. “Cousin of the queen of Vanora.”
“Alora?” My brows draw together. “She’s never mentioned having a cousin. Why have I never seen you before?”
“She and I shared our…differences.” He rolls his eyes. “But we have put them aside to focus on the impending war. She told me about The Regals, and I didn’t believe her. I wanted to see them for myself.”
“You see now.” Korah meets at Hassha’s side with eyes just as fierce.
“I see indeed.” A faint smile graces his lips, despite the predicament he’s in.
“Caz!” Willow’s voice steals my attention. Behind me, I spot her near a boulder with the twins tucked under each of her arms. I jog across the beach to meet her.
“What happened?” I ask. They’re covered in sand from head to toe.
“That man landed, and his impact sent us flying,” Willow pants.
“Shit. Are they hurt? Girls?” I crouch to eyelevel with them. “Are you hurt?”
“No, we’re okay,” Minka answers.
I look at Maia, and she nods with damp eyes.
“Minka, Maia!” Hassha teleports across the beach and wrangles them into her arms. Then she drops to one knee to inspect them thoroughly. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, Mum,” the girls reply in unison.
Hassha sighs, reeling them in and cupping the backs of their heads.
I glance over my shoulder to see that Korah has taken control of the unknown man…who is still fucking smiling.
Once Hassha is satisfied with the wellbeing of her children, she turns to Korah and says, “Bring him to the campsite.”
SIXTY-SIX
WILLOW
I want to take a shower and wash this sand off me. I want to sleep and relax for a moment because it’s been a long couple of hours, but my curiosity burns way too much to even attempt.
Caz insists I return to the manor to wash and get some rest, but I want to know who this man is that just landed in Blackwater.
When he landed, I thought for sure he was targeting us. But then he took a look around, spotted us, and immediately apologized—right before Caz and the Kessel warriors appeared and attacked.
“I didn’t see you. I am terribly sorry,” the man had shouted in a thick, posh accent. I think he meant it.
All I cared about, though, was making sure the twins were safe. The last thing I wanted was for something to happen to them while they were on my watch. It would’ve proven again just how useless I am in this world…and how terrible of a mother I’ll become.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Caz says in a hushed tone to Hassha. “Alora has never spoken of a cousin. I need to contact her and confirm this.”
“If it helps, there is a reason Alora has never spoken about me,” Valden interrupts. He’s tied to a tree, bound by Korah’s magic, but he doesn’t put up a fight like before. “She’s just like my uncle that way. Her father. They don’t want to bring shame to the Vanorian Kingdom so they keep many of our family affairs private.”
“Why would she be keeping you private?” Caz demands.
“Because my mother was a part of the Turi Tribe.”