Page 19 of Chosen By the Fae King

“Get away from there,” Lorne barked as he grabbed Sofiya's arm, pulling her away from the fray.

I was surprised to see the worry in his charcoal eyes, even as he maintained his tough exterior.

“Lorne. Sire,” I corrected, “please don't hurt her.”

I watched Lorne handle Sofiya with surprising gentleness. He pointed to an area out of the way and she obediently jogged over to it.

“Stay out of this, Aeryn,” Lorne snapped, his gaze narrowing as he turned his attention back to the fight. “You've caused enough trouble already.”

“Me?” I scoffed, feeling a flash of anger despite the fear that still coursed through me. “I didn't start this.”

Dori conjured a murky, misshapen orb.

Zoriyah finally got with the program and clapped to get her associate's attention. “Don't do it, Dori,” she cautioned. “You'll be finished here.”

Dori threw it directly at Mirrelle's chest and Zoriyah shouted.

A piercing scream filled the air. My blood ran cold as I watched Dori–not Mirrelle–crumple to the ground, face down. A pool of crimson spread onto the rug beneath her. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she clung to life.

Liam rolled Dori onto her back. I covered my mouth. Several others wretched.

The water fae's torso had an open cavity. Where her heart should have been was nothing more than sludge and viscera.

Dori had thrown an actual killing spell. There was no coming back from that.

“Guards!” Lorne shouted and a group of them rushed into the room.

They grabbed Mirrelle, whose angry tears mixed with blood as they ran down her face. She struggled against their grip, her eyes wide.

“Take her,” he pointed to Dori, “to Beatrice so she may preserve the vessel for transport to her family. And take her,” he pointed to the blood fae, “to the king. He’ll likely want her executed immediately.”

“No!” Mirrelle cried out as she was dragged across the room. “I had no choice!” Her kicking and screaming grew quieter as they disappeared down the corridor.

The remaining soldiers spread out, alert, and the severity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Look at this mess,” Lorne hissed at me, his eyes cold and unyielding. “Care to explain yourself?”

“I didn't start this,” I repeated, voice trembling but resolute.

“Maybe not, but you joined in with it, so you bear at least some degree of fault.”

“No. The fault lies with the king for forcing us into these trials, pitting us against each other like animals fighting over a bone. Of course, something like this happened. I tried to stop it. Obviously, I failed. I'm sorry. Sire.”

Though the king's brother eyed me critically, his head slanted, as if considering my words. He nodded and went over to one of the guards, leaving me to process what had just unfolded.

“Be careful, Aeryn,” Liam warned unexpectedly, his gaze lingering on my frown before he followed Lorne out.

I glanced over at Sofiya, who looked as shaken as I felt. The weight of my decisions pressed down on me, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had made a mistake by intervening. One I'd have to pay for.

My heart thudded as I stared at the empty space where Mirrelle had been dragged away, feeling the remnants of her terror hanging in the air. The room seemed to close in on me, and for a moment, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that I was out of my depth.

Movement caught the corner of my eye and I shook off my musings. My friend was approaching Lorne, looking halfway determined.

“Please, my lord,” Sofiya implored, her voice shaking. “Don't kill Mirrelle. It wasn't her fault.”

“It's not your place to request such things,” he admonished.

“Sire, are we expected to act like females that we are not?” I asked, stepping forward.