Page 37 of Fate of the Fallen
His description filled my thoughts with vivid imagery and I fought to suppress it.
I needed to get my bearings so, first chance I got, I could run. Glancing around, I took in my surroundings, hoping to see something familiar, some indicator that I was still in Seaton Falls and only needed to find my way to an exit.
“Pardon me, Your Highness,” Maisy spoke up.
Before she could finish, Sebastian turned his head slowly as the corners of his mouth curved downward, giving way to a look of disgust when his eyes landed on her. In response, the witch lowered her gaze to the floor.
“What … is it, Maisy?” Sebastian spat, doing nothing to hide that her interruption was an unwelcomed one.
“I just wanted to point out that, while death and carnage certainly helped his process along, what tipped the boy over the edge was something far more interesting. Something I’m certain you’ll be eager to hear, especially seeing as how the other royals hoped to keep it secret,” she groveled.
My heart raced knowing what the witch, Maisy, intended to do. The secret she spoke of, the one she discovered by eavesdropping my conversation with Roz, couldnotbe shared. Especially not withthistyrant.
“Stop,” I choked out, barely able to speak with the hold Sebastian’s coven had on me. My plea was so weak, it went ignored.
Sebastian took slow steps in the opposite direction as the click of his soles and metal-tipped walking stick created an offbeat rhythm. He stopped with no more than a foot of space between him and Maisy. He was calm, his posture stiff, which made the sudden movement that came next even more jarring.
His thin fingers seized Maisy’s throat. If I hadn’t known his strength already, I would have now with how easily he lifted her from the ground. He held her there, dangling in the air expressionless as he spoke, unmoved by her nails tearing at the flesh of his hand as she fought to get free.
“Let me be abundantly clear on a few points,” he seethed, speaking the words through clenched teeth. “Thereareno other royals. There is but one Sovereign,” he declared as Maisy sputtered. “And secondly, there are no secrets among the Seaton Falls clan. I’ve made certain of that,” he added. “So spare me your lies.”
When he finished speaking, he dropped Maisy to the floor in a heap. She gasped, sputtering for air. Meanwhile, Sebastian pulled a black handkerchief from his lapel pocket to wipe his hands clean of her filth. Giving Maisy his back, he addressed Blaise.
“She’s of no use to me. Have her taken out back and executed.”
“Please, Your Highness!” Maisy begged. “After what I’ve done here today, bringing you such a special creature … please, have mercy.”
Silence filled the room and my stare was trained on Sebastian. For a moment, he ignored Maisy’s plea, but with a look of amusement set on his face, he turned and asked a question.
“Now, why … on Earth … would I do a silly thing like that?”
Maisy’s expression went blank and she had no response.
Sebastian paced while speaking. “From the moment I realized what Nicholas was, he was destined to end up right where he is now—in my possession, soon to be mine to control at will. With his help, Seaton Falls will be all but wiped off the map. And with that single act, the rest of the clans will fall in line once again and order will be restored.”
He laid eyes on Maisy again, adding more.
“You did nothing here today but save my men a trip to Seaton Falls. The Liberator would have been retrieved without your …help,” he concluded, reminding the witch of her place in this world. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s work to be done.”
“You’re mistaken,” Maisy called out when Sebastian had just begun to walk away.
From the sound of his heavy sigh, it was apparent he was over Maisy speaking out of turn. However, when she stood again, I guessed she didn’t care. I imagined staring death in the eye could have that effect, make someone bold when they otherwise ought not to be.
Without waiting for his father’s command, Blaise stepped forward, seizing Maisy by the arm. It took him and three other soldiers to move her even the few feet they managed, but when she spoke again, it was Sebastian who halted them.
“She’s not dead!” Maisy yelled out. “You mentioned Elise mourning her daughter’s death, but that’s not so,” she shared. “One might even guess Elise has cause to celebrate.”
I fought harder now, hoping I could stop Maisy from saying another word. If I couldn’t, if I failed …
“Evangeline is with child,” Maisy blurted, causing my heart to sink. “She and the dragon known as Reaper.”
My eyes slammed shut and I acknowledged the strange mix of emotions within me. The dark side that wished Evie dead, therealme who wanted nothing more than to protect her. As hard as it was to explain, it was ten times harder to understand.
“What did you just say?”
With Sebastian’s question, and the clear return of an inkling of leverage, Maisy shrugged away from Blaise and the soldiers.
“You heard correctly, Your Highness,” she reiterated. “And it wasthisevent that awakened the Liberator. It appears he thirstsnotfor the blood of the hybrid, but … for the one that grows within her.”