Page 100 of Black Crown

Draedyn faced west toward Azule. I didn’t know what he could hear, but my insides burst with joy with what I could see.

Lani’s golden net covered a massive army. Men spread over the entrance to his personal lands, covering the valley, a stunning beacon of armor, fluttering banners, and glinting spearheads.

The battering from my close encounters with recent walls did nothing to stop a wide grin from stretching across my face. Elation rose within me, forcing me to clamp my Phaetyn veil over the emotion as I struggled to hold back a shout of joy. They were here. My friends were here to fight.

The sight burned into my mind, and I blinked the tears from my eyes. A fist tightened in the area beneath my ribs; the fierce determination to see the battle through to the end grew and became acallingunlike any I’d felt before. The resolution flooded through me, filling my mind and body. I’d be fighting with them. Maybe not beside them, but I’d do whatever it took to help them.

My attention returned to the room’s only other occupant to see Draedyn’s gaze was no longer on the valley but on my face.

I raised my chin although my grin faded at the impassive expression before me.

“We are back to the start, daughter,” he said, his gaze narrowing.

I frowned despite myself, having fully expected to be flying off the edge of the cliff sans wings.

A cruel smile curved his lips. “I see I am not being persuasive enough.”

* * *

When I drankan entire bottle of honey syrup one time, I expected the backlash. I knew my mother would find the bottle eventually unless the world was upturned in the interim. I understood there would be repercussions, but the sweet taste, all to myself, was worth it.

When I’d killed my father’s Druman several hours ago, I’d known the act of defiance wouldn’t go unpunished.

And yet it had. The room had been cleared of bodies and scrubbed clean, although that didn’t completely remove the slight rustic tang of Druman blood in the air.

I cut into the morsel of roasted chicken on my plate after everyone was served, struggling to ignore the fierce glares aimed at me by the other female Drae. To them, my aunt and Draelyn were dead and gone. Two women they’d known for at least one hundred years. And while they were wrong about the former, they were right about Draelyn. Considering, I could handle a few glares. With how they were feeling, angry dark looks were pretty justified.

In fact, their attention was the least of my concerns. I was frantically working to figure out Draedyn’s next move. He’d killed Kamoi because he’d betrayedmeand the Phaetyn. He’d nearly torn Aunt Ryn apart because she’d acted against him. How much of my betrayal was he aware of?

I wasn’t lured into false hope by the delay between the deed and the reaction, but the dragging time slowly chipped away at my forced nonchalance. My sleep had been restless, and despite the time in my chamber, I still didn’t feel collected.

I closed my eyes against the Draes’ glares and studied the ring of my father’s power around my mind. My private bubble was there, the wisp of my Drae power safe within. I still had these things. I didn’t wish to use any of these untested defenses against Draedyn yet, but if whatever payback he was cooking up was more than I could bear, I hadsomething.

I hoped.

I took a deep breath, but my shifting attention snagged on the ring of Draedyn’s power as it began to pulse, the dark, emerald green contracting and expanding repetitively. But that wasn’t—

The sound of a chair scraping back brought my attention to the room, and I wrenched open my eyes to see the emperor on his feet, staring at me, his eyes wide. What the hay? I wasn’t doing anything.Drak, I hadn’t let something slip had I?

The barrier of power imprisoning my Drae energy steadily thinned and weakened. I doubled over as a wave of sadness and desperation flowed over me—my bond with Tyrrik hitting me for the umpteenth time that day.

I gasped, staring at my plate, but my attention was consumed by my need for my mate.

The doors of the dining room crashed open, and I glanced up to see Druman filing in. My eyes narrowed at the numbers,so manyof them, and I planned to kill all of them, if possible, before they got a chance to attack the army of my friends.

My mind and soul were swallowed by rich, onyx black, my senses bathed in the color and scent of my mate’s Drae power. When it ebbed, the ring around my mind disappeared, and I slammed back in my chair as the connection to my blue tendrils pummeled me, thrashing through my body, laying its claim with full force. I growled, my eyes narrowing into slits, and my talons sliced through the table as I struggled to control the shift.

I pushed back, stumbling to my feet, and whirled away from the audience, nearly falling flat on my face as a gentle onyx tendril stroked my awareness.

Tyrrik, I called, my ache for him swelling. I sobbed at the pain of our trembling bond.

My love, he answered.

I felt him then. The surroundings, everyone and everything, were forgotten as the Druman pouring through the doorway parted, and darkness flowed into the room.

My darkness.

Joy, relief, and excitement, all tinged with horror, caught in my throat. My battling emotions competed to make a sound, but I couldn’t wait. My heart pounded, brought to life, and I launched myself at Tyrrik. He sliced through the last Druman to get to me, their bodies falling to the ground as Tyrrik stepped forward. I jumped and locked my legs and arms around him, pressing my body against his. Shaking. Babbling incoherently. Pressing my nose to his neck to inhale his familiar pine and smoke scent.