Crown of Blood and Ruin: A dark fairy tale romance (The Broken Kingdoms Book 3)

At my back, Valen shouted commands. It was his way to keep his head, I’d learned. Barking orders when I had few doubts his body hummed in nerves and rage. The only way to sate the bloodlust would be murdering every one of the Ravens in front of me.

At the end of the bridge the captain stood like a stone. He held out one hand for me; muscles in his jaw pulsed. I refused his assistance from the bridge, and walked past with my chin lifted, eyes on my father.

The only break in my focus came as I strode past Sol.

Our eyes met. He resembled Valen now that his face was filled out and color had returned to his skin. The differences were in the eyes. Valen’s were like black skies, and Sol’s were blue, like the deepest part of the ocean.

“Elise.”

I turned away from the Sun Prince and met my father’s glare. “You have me. What is the message?”

“No message,” he said. “I merely wanted to see your eyes, to know for certain you had not been mesmerized by the fae.”

“I assure you I am more clear-headed than I have ever been.”

My father’s face twitched. “I will remind you, daughter, that you are vowed to Jarl Magnus. Anything you plan to do regarding the fae is void. The gods will not honor it.”

I laughed. It couldn’t be helped. He was utterly ridiculous. “The gods? You think the gods honor a vow that was done by force? I wore bleeding chains on my ankles, Daj. You think the gods smiled upon you when you allowed Jarl to slaughter my mother?” I stepped closer, my voice low. “You’re a coward.”

He raised a hand to strike me but stumbled when the ground shook.

“Lay a hand on her, and it will be the last thing you do,” Valen shouted. Leif Lysander pointed his rage across the canyon, then took a few breaths, composing himself.

“You will not succeed, Elise,” my father said. “You do not know the secrets of Ravenspire.”

He believed every word, and it sent a cold shock of fear down my spine. I hid it well. “I don’t fear you.”

“You should.” My father dipped his head alongside my face. “You know I will not allow you to return to him, right? He will not be fast enough to kill us all.”

I scoffed. “Yes. I knew the moment I stepped here I would not be allowed to leave. But I do have a compromise. I will leave peacefully; I will not fight. I will tell Valen to stand down if you allow the Sun Prince to speak to his consort.”

I looked over my shoulder. Sol didn’t turn to me, but he dropped his chin to his chest, and closed his eyes.

“Allow this for me, Daj. Let me stand with the Sun Prince as he, at least, gets a chance to bid farewell.”

My father’s face contorted in confusion, perhaps a bit of shock. It took several long moments before he gave a curt nod. “If you try anything, I’ll cut him until his blood stains the grass.”

My father flicked his hand, excusing me, and left me to the captain of the unit. The Sun Prince was pulled to his feet, and we stood in silence as the Ravens backed away.

“You are brave, My Queen,” Sol whispered.

“I am not a queen. I am your brother’s consort.”

“For now.” Sol’s grin was as mischievous as Valen’s.

“Torsten needs you,” I told him softly. “Speak to him.”

Sol swallowed with effort and looked across the canyon. “What an odd request for a queen to make. Give me a moment to speak to those I love, but no request for yourself.”

I didn’t correct him on my title again, simply lowered my voice. “My hope is together we might think of a plan. I’ve read your mother’s journals, and from her word you rival your brother in cunning.”

Sol smiled, and it was a marvel to see him so alive. So changed since the curled, lifeless form in the dungeons of Ravenspire. “Rival him? My Queen, a lesson you should learn now is I best Valen in everything.”

“Ah, how wonderful. Another sharp-tongued Ferus.”

Sol chuckled, then sobered as he took a step toward the edge. Across the space, Ettans and Night Folk stared in silence. Halvar and Tor both stood beside Valen. Not one of them moved. I wasn’t sure they even breathed.

Sol cleared his throat. “I’ve been given a gift from the Lady Elise.” He paused, fists clenched, the pain in his heart on display for all. “Tor, I-I thought you were dead. They have kept me alive, locked in a state of madness, and I cared little thinking you were gone. Until I saw you. Now, I live for you. I live for a moment when there will be no chains, no space between us.”

Tor dropped his bow and stepped as far to the ledge of his plot of stone as possible. He hammered a fist over his chest. “I lost you once. It will not happen again.”

“No.” Sol grinned. “It won’t. I vow to keep living if you vow the same.”

Tor shouted his frustration and paced. “Today. I will not leave you here, Sol.”

A flicker of sadness crossed the Sun Prince’s face. “I wish it more than anything. But I do not believe that is what fate has in store.”

“I don’t give a damn about fate.”

Sol ignored Tor’s insistence and smiled. “As if no time has passed, I love you. Even more than I did if it is possible.”

“Sol—”

“I have a request, Tor. Please.” Sol pointed at Valen. “Try not to kill him. We both know how irritating he can be. And Hal, I expect you to do the same.”

Halvar had no crass remark. Truth be told he looked ready to break as he pounded a fist over his chest.

Sol looked to his brother, voice rough. “The Ferus line is strong. It is needed by these Raven sods. I may not have had my mind, but I always had ears. I trust you are being a wise king, little brother.”

“Keeping it warm until you wear the crown.”

Sol scoffed but didn’t correct him. “Be wise now and listen. You should know, I dream of the day the blood of the first, the middle, and the last will once more be reunited.” Valen stiffened. I didn’t understand and had no time to ask before Sol went on. “Be ready to bend, Valen.”

A prickle of unease ran up my arms. Valen dropped an axe. Tor tensed. Sol was planning something, and he was coming for me.

“My Queen,” he whispered. “Make the title official.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sol glanced at nearby Ravens, a touch of caution to his voice. “Your title is needed. I can’t explain more. Listen and repeat to Valen the things I’m about to say exactly as I say them. Tell Valen she is being used. Has been used all this time. Tell him to find her. Then, tell them to come home to visit me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“And neither can they.” He gestured to the approaching Ravens. My father suspected something as well. He commanded the guards to seize us again.

“I am proud to meet another sister,” Sol whispered, a sly grin on his lips. “Elise.”

“What?”

The Sun Prince dipped his mouth close to my ear. “Run.”

The next steps came in a blur. Sol shoved me toward the ledge. He raised his palms the same as Valen always did.

“Tor, burn them with me!” he cried.

All at once, skeins of thick, wretched black pooled around the Sun Prince. A great cascade of blight chased me toward the edge. Time slowed. Shouts rang out. I heard my father demand Sol be taken alive, heard commands to retrieve me.

“Jump, Elise! Now!” Sol shouted.

He pushed more of his poisonous fury at my back. I had no choice but to rush to the ledge. All around dark shadows of blight readied to devour me.

I jumped.

Wind whipped against my face. Did I scream? I didn’t know. My stomach shot to my chest as I plummeted through the air. As if every movement raced in my sight, I watched the black wall of dark fury meet a blue, fiery wall and surround the remaining Ravens trapped on Valen’s towers of stone. A deafening boom roared over the forest when they collided. And nothing but ashes remained of those warriors trapped between the two furies.

My thoughts were muddled.

Why did Sol tell me to jump if I was to deliver a message? Would Valen keep his head and be king if he watched me die? Or would he give in to rage and bloodlust, becoming the Wraith once again?

I closed my eyes, bracing for the sharp points of the rocks below when something rough coiled around my wrist. Then another around my waist, slowing my fall. Roots tangled beneath me, around me, across the canyon weaving a makeshift web beneath my body.

In the next heartbeat, arms surrounded me. Valen fell with me, one hand keeping me close, the other controlling the earth until all at once we stopped.

I cried out at the jolt of pain when the roots and muddy threads broke the fall, giving enough to soften the blow, but by morning we would be bruised and battered.

The net bounced slightly, and the weight in the middle rolled me to the center. Into the arms of the Night Prince.

Valen trembled as he smashed me to his chest. Heat from fury evaporated off his damp skin. His breaths were heavy, matching mine. I shook away the stun and curled my arms around his neck, holding him like every moment might be our last. My face burrowed against his neck, and I breathed all of him. The spice of his skin, the hint of earth and soil, the strange burn of fury I could practically taste.

“Did you do this?” I whispered. “You bend more than rock.”

“Anything . . . in the earth,” he said through heavy gasps as he caught his breath. His lips pressed firmly against my forehead. “Never, never, do that again.”

I smiled against his skin, holding him tighter, longer.

I didn’t know how long we held each other, trading kisses, touching as if we might disappear, but when we abandoned Valen’s fury net and used his magic to climb our way out, Ravenspire was gone.

My father was gone.

So, to my dismay, was the Sun Prince.