Moon's Flower (Kingdom, #6)

“Yes, me,” he repeated. “I was a fool to believe in your lies.”


“Lies!” She cackled. “You speak of lies, tell her the truth, Jericho. Tell her what you did seconds before coming here.”

“What? What did you do?” Calanthe looked up at him and the way his face crumpled made her soul ache. “Jericho, what did you do?”

“We could tell her, but it is so much easier just to show her.” And with a snap of her fingers a scene unfolded above their heads.

Siria and Jericho, dressed as they were now, standing upon a castle balcony and locked in a lover’s embrace.

Calanthe saw it, but it was as if her brain could not compute what it was seeing. She simply could not believe it.

“It isn’t as it appears,” he growled and shook Calanthe’s shoulders. “Please, my love, I swear it to you, if you’ve ever had faith in me, have faith in me now. I did kiss her, but it was a kiss of farewell.”

Calanthe heard him speaking but it sounded like it was coming from a great distance, it was all just so much noise in her head and her heart was aching so that it felt like it should be bleeding. She took a deep breath and that’s when she realized the wetness she’d felt gathering in her eyes was now rolling down her cheeks.

“Calanthe of the Rose,” Galeta’s voice was strong and sure, “You’ve been found guilty of treason and shall be sentenced to death.”

“No!” For the first time June spoke up, the snail fairy grabbed hold of Galeta’s shoulder and jerked her around. “You cannot kill her, what she has done she did for love, it is not just, you simply cannot do—”

“Begone!” And with a flick of Galeta’s wrist, June vanished into thick gloom, her mournful cry echoing all around them long after she’d gone.

Calanthe lifted her chin and that’s when she noticed Miriam was back on the toadstool where she’d been standing earlier. Her all white gaze locked eerily on Calanthe’s. She should be more worried than she was, she should be more focused on the words being spoken around her, but Calanthe could only stare and wonder why no one else seemed to be aware of Miriam’s presence at all.

Jana spoke up then. “Galeta,” she snapped, “judgment is reserved for me. Do not overstep again!”

Her now all black eyes bore into The Blue. With a slight incline of her head, Galeta acquiesced. “As you say, sister. Indeed I have, my apologies. But the chit has broken faith and by law, she must die.”

“That is your opinion, but her fate lies upon the mercy of the hands of justice. And that is for me to decide.”

Numb, perhaps from shock, Calanthe merely stood there blinking stupidly. None of this seemed real, it was all so sudden that it was hard to process. To believe that what she’d feared all along was really here, was really happening.

“Jericho, come now!” Siria snapped. “Whatever fate befalls that girl is none of our concern.”

The sun moved to intercept him and the stupor that Calanthe had been working under suddenly splintered apart. Blinking, as if waking up from a dream, she shook herself and gazed on at Siria.

Everyone had betrayed her.

June.

Galeta.

The Sun.

Perhaps even Jericho. But the gentle warmth fluttering in her heart told her to have faith in him still, because she now shared a slice of his soul. And it was that slice that she clung to, no matter what her fate was after tonight.

“Stay away from him,” she growled. “He belongs to me.”

The beautiful face twisted and morphed into something hideous and ugly. Her teeth were sharp points, the features that’d once been so smooth and perfect, were now scarred and sharp and Jericho hissed a sharp breath.

There was freedom in knowing that she no longer had to hide, no longer had to fear being caught… Calanthe grasped hold of his wrist and brought it to her lips. “You can take his physical form from me, Siria, but he will never belong to you.”

“You dare!” Siria lifted her hands and Calanthe didn’t wait to see what magic would be hurled at her.

Reacting on pure instinct she gathered her magic and hurled it like a javelin at the sun. Siria was quick, and jumped out of the way, but not before the very tip of the bolt tore through her upper arm, bleeding her instantly. Drops of pure molten red hissed to the ground, scorching the land beneath.

Eyes wild, Siria screeched and was ready to do only goddess knew what in return, but Jericho shoved Calanthe behind his back and roared, “Enough! She speaks truth, Siria, and God help me if you ever attempt to hurt her again, I’ll kill you.”

His words were menacing and low, but no less deadly for it.

Snarling, she hugged her arms to her chest. “Kill her,” Siria spoke to The Green.