Page 211 of Scourged

To the dais with its six mock thrones that somehow still stood. To the six lords who were hunched and hiding behind their chairs, just now emerging, eyes wide at the carnage.

Kol’s smirk morphed into a hungry grin. “My Lord Laurent!”

Andrian wavered as his father hesitantly stepped around his chair, an uncharacteristic panic visible in his golden eyes.

“It is so very good to see you! And in the flesh, this time. I always knew we’d see the day.” Kol was the image of courtly charm, yet something dangerous danced in his eyes. “All of our carefully laid plans, executed almost to perfection. But tell me …” Kol tapped a finger to his chin. “Why was I not told that my dearreykrwas unbonded? I lost a perfectly good vessel—and soldier—all because that littlebitchof a moon goddess couldburn me out.” He snarled his last words, the suns in his eyes flashing.

But Andrian’s world felt colder than ice.

Colder than it had been as he’d watched Mariah fly away from him. Colder than those weeks when she’d refused to be near him because of the trauma and pain his body caused her. When he’d been imprisoned in his mind, unable to recall any memories beyond flashes of nightmares woven with his past.

Imprisoned, by …

Julian Laurent sank to his knee and bowed his head. “Your Holiness,” he began. “I—I did not realize whether he had bonded to the whore queen was important to you?—”

“Importantto me?” Kol snarled. Shadows lashed out, gripping Julian by the throat. The lord’s eyes bulged in terror, clawing at the rope of darkness.

“If you had given him to me after he was bonded, as we hadagreed, I could have returned before the season changed to spring. I could have used their little bond tobreakher from the inside out.”

Julian’s eyes darted to Andrian. “He is here now, Your Holiness,” he spluttered. “You can take him again,usehim again. It’s not too late.”

“Snivelingfool.” Kol released Julian, the lord falling forward with coughing chokes. “Don’t you see? She not only burned out my presence; she scorched myessence.The very piece of him that made him useful.” Kol turned his sneer to Andrian. His face softened a fraction, even as his words fell upon Andrian like stones into water.

He’d always known his shadows were a curse.

His father slowly rose to his knees, throat red.

“What are you talking about?” Andrian said with deadly softness, his quiet rage and dread and fear wrapping around him, consuming him.

Kol’s mouth twitched with the beginning of a smirk. “So many shocks for you today. I’ll answer your questions, but tell me, did Lord Laurent ever tell you to withhold the bond from your dear little queen? I saw so many interesting things in your mind, but I think I’d like to know the truth.”

But Andrian had no interest in answering Kol’s questions. “It was you,” he murmured, almost to himself. His shadows, though he hated it, danced with his rage.

“It was you in my mind,” he said louder. “You forced me tohurther.”

Kol shrugged. “Notexactlyme, but close enough, I suppose. Everything you did was on the order of our dear Royal friends here, not me. I only wanted our queen broken, so she would shift and my prison would be broken. Though I hear you struggled quite a bit against it, especially when she was involved.” He frowned. “How curious. Or, perhaps, not curious at all.”

Andrian decided then that he would kill this god. No matter if it was impossible, he would find a way.

With a snarl, he lashed his shadows out, his aim for Kol’s neck true.

But shadows far more ancient swatted him easily away. His magic dissipated like smoke, vanishing into the air.

Kol tsked. “Now, there is no need for that. I understand you’re upset, but we’re simply wasting time here. You can’t hurt me, and you know it.” His glowing eyes crackled. “Answer my question, Andrian. Did Lord Laurent tell you not to bond with the queen?”

Andrian hesitated, darting his father a glance. Still on his knees, golden hair disheveled, face twisted into terror.

Before he knew what he was doing, Andrian nodded.

Kol sighed. “How disappointing.” He snapped his fingers, and two demons emerged from the rubble, serrated claws stilldripping. “Take him to the dungeons. Until I decide what to do with him.”

The demons obliged, gripping Julian between them and hauling him to standing. The lord didn’t speak, his face too blanched with terror. A pair ofdeistaircuffs were clamped around his wrists, even though the fire had long since left his eyes.

“And send word to Antoris,” Kol called after the demons. “I’d like the Laurent heir to join us here. I don’t like that his father has kept him out of the fold.”

“No,”Andrian growled, but it was hollow with his defeat and rage.

The dark god smiled. “Oh? Feeling protective? You never have before. I’ve seen your memories, remember?”