LOGINI still knew every word.“Mom.” Max’s hand tightened on my arm. “Drop it. Look at me.”I looked at him.He had dirt on his face and his lip was split and his eyes were wide and scared and absolutely certain, all at once. He looked eleven years old and he looked forty, and I loved him so much in that
Natalia’s POVI fought like hell.My arm shook from the strength it took not to let that blade drive down toward Andrei’s chest. Max’s screams faded into the distance. The knife hovered six inches above Andrei’s chest, getting closer with each second.I had both hands wrapped around the handle now,
Natalia’s POVIt all happened so fast—a flash of movement at the edge of the platform, a small hooded figure vaulting up the steps, and then the knife coming down in a quick, hard arc that made the blade catch the red light overhead.Andrei threw himself sideways just before the knife collided with
I straightened up. My heart was pounding. I looked around the room and for a single, disorienting moment, I had no idea where I was. The black stone walls, the red sky beyond the window, the dead air of this place—none of it felt right. None of it felt like mine. I felt like a man who had woken up m
Andrei’s POVThe collar of my shirt was pissing me off.I had fastened it twice already and it still insisted on sitting crooked, pulling too tight on the left side. I undid it a third time and redid it, slower, watching my hands in the mirror rather than my own face. My reflection had been botherin
Natalia’s POVHe didn’t hesitate.The moment I swung the rod toward him, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist like a vise. My arm wrenched sideways, and I felt the bones grind together under his grip, and the rod fell. It clattered somewhere on the stone floor, rolling away into the darkness
The King crossed the distance between us in two strides. He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me off the ground, sliding my back against the pillar. I clawed at his hand, but my fingers were numb and useless.“Clever,” he hissed. “Very clever. But not clever enough.”He slammed me into the stone f
Natalia’s POVThe poisoned water burned going down my throat. I took the smallest sip I could manage without looking suspicious, then lowered the cup and forced myself to smile.“To our future,” I whispered.The King drained his cup in one long swallow, then set it down on the table. He reached for
“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered into my hair. “When you fell, I thought—”“I know. I’m sorry.” I pulled back to look at him. “Are you okay? Grace said the fumes messed with your head.”“I’m fine now. It took a while for my head to clear, but I’m better.” He cupped my face in his hands. “Are y
Before I could completely fathom it, the ring stopped glowing again and the image vanished completely this time. I was myself once more, my baby looked like a baby again, and my head was spinning even worse now. The effort had drained me. I slumped back against the bed, completely exhausted now.So







