Queen of Stars and Shadows (Dark Fae Guardian #3)

Zyren

Chapter Nine

Zyren

S arielle’s gaze pierces me like a thousand golden arrows. So much pain and accusation in one look.

“Don’t look so surprised, Sarielle,” Jonavus says, stopping a couple feet away. “He’s my brother. Family always comes first.”

“Not before his wife ,” Sarielle hisses, her gaze darting between me and Jonavus.

“I’m not really certain your marriage is in fact binding,” Avonia says. “After all, your first husband is here, alive and well.”

“Because of necromancy.” Sarielle doesn’t look at Avonia, but looks at me, her gaze pleading. “He’s her slave, Zyren. Don’t listen to anything either of them say.”

My jaw tightens. They’d warned me about her, about her lies and deceit. She’s so very convincing… but then, they’d told me she would be.

“I know everything, Sarielle,” I say in a low growl. “They told me what you did. Your lies won’t work anymore. Just come quietly.”

The look on her face holds so much betrayal and rage that it feels like a physical slap. “I will not come quietly, and if you remembered anything, you’d certainly know that.”

Avonia makes a gesture of impatience with her hand and turns, striding back the way she’d come, Jonavus right behind her. I reach out before Sarielle can argue further and pick her up, hoisting her over my shoulder.

“Zyren!” she screams. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you!”

I ignore her shrieks, and when she starts pounding on my back with her fists, I ignore that, too. Off across the courtyard of the castle ruins, I see a nightmare flee skyward as Sarielle’s companions take out the last of their attackers. But they’re not the ones we came for, they mean nothing to our mission. I care not whether they survive or fall, as long as they don’t get in our way.

My recent memories are still lost to me, but as soon as I’d seen my brother in the forest, I’d known who he was. It was just the two of us after our younger brother died, and our parents a few years after that. He was all I had left by way of family, and family meant everything. Blood meant everything. So of course I’d agreed to help him on his mission, along with his companion.

“You have to believe me,” Sarielle sobs quietly, her body shivering against mine. “He’s not your brother anymore…”

“Quiet!” I snap.

“If you would just listen to me… hear me out…”

“I have no interest in anything you have to say.” She’s so convincing, the heartbreak in her voice so real. The crazy part is, even with everything my brother told me, part of me believes her. I don’t know why, but I do.

Which is why I have to stay strong. Drown out whatever lies she tries to tell me.

“Zyren—”

Whatever Sarielle is about to say is cut short by the blast of trumpets and the sound of galloping hoofbeats. My head whips toward the sound.

There, illuminated by moonlight, a battalion of riders gallops down the valley toward the castle.