Fall of Ruin and Wrath (Awakening, #1)

Prince Thorne chuckled. “You are not kidnapped nor captive. If you wish to leave . . .” he said, lifting a hand. His fingers closed over mine. I looked down, momentarily consumed by the fact that our hands were touching, and I felt . . . I heard and felt nothing that wasn’t my own. He stilled my fingers, drawing my gaze back to his. “I will not stop you, Calista. I am not . . .” A slight frown appeared.

“You’re not what? Like other Hyhborn?”

That pinch of confusion that had etched into his features earlier that day, when he’d been in my chambers, reappeared. He inclined his head. “What are other Hyhborn like?”

“Is that . . . is that a serious question?”

“It is,” he said. “What do you think of my kind?”

I opened my mouth, then wisely closed it.

He studied me. “It’s clear you have thoughts on this. Share them.”

For the thousandth time in my life, I wished my face didn’t show what I was thinking. “I . . . I don’t know any Hyhborn well. Actually, you are the only Hyhborn that I’ve spent any amount of time with, but from what I know? What I’ve seen? The Hyhborn don’t seem to really care about us, despite claiming to be our protectors. I mean, the Feasts are a perfect example of this.”

He drew his thumb along the top of my hand. “What about them?”

“The Feasts have always seemed more a celebration of the Hyhborn than of the lowborn.”

“And why do you think that?” He grinned at my silence. “Do not be shy now, na’laa.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“But I’m intrigued to know what you think, and you are being stubborn, which is so— ”

“Yes. I know. Fitting.” I sighed heavily. “If King Euros and all the Deminyens wanted to prove their commitment to being our protectors, why only do it a few days out of a year? Why not do it every day? It’s not like— ” I stopped myself then, thinking that I probably should listen to the advice I’d given to Grady and shut my mouth. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” His thumb had stilled along my hand. “It’s not like what?”

I shook my head. “It’s not like . . . we’re only starving a few days a year. Clearly, the Hyhborn Courts have enough food to share. Making sure as many mouths as possible don’t go hungry throughout the year would be a better way of showing us that the Hyhborn are truly our protectors.”

“And what do you know about starving?” he asked quietly.

His tone caught me off guard. It wasn’t a challenge, but a genuine question, and it had me answering honestly. “I . . . I grew up without a home— ”

“You were an orphan?” His voice had sharpened.

My heart turned over heavily as I held his stare, waiting for him to realize that we’d met before, waiting for me to even understand why my intuition was hesitant to tell him that we had.

“I was just one of many. Too many that never make it to adulthood,” I said when no realization came from either of us. “I know what it’s like to go to bed and wake up hungry, day after day, night after night, while some people have more food than they could ever hope to consume. Food they just throw away.”

Prince Thorne was silent for several moments. “I’m sorry to hear that, Calista.”

Uncomfortable with the sincerity in his voice and the sound of my name, I looked away as I nodded. “Anyway, I can think of better ways for the King to show his love of his people, be they Hyhborn or lowborn.”

“You sound like Beylen.”

My gaze snapped back to his, thoughts immediately going to what Claude had shared. “You know him?”

“I know he has said the same or very similar things,” he said, not really answering my question. “You have never been to any of the Courts, correct?”

“Nope. Never had the honor.”

His thumb began to move again, sliding slowly over the top of my hand. “Most would not find it to be an honor.”

My brows rose. He’d given the impression that there was violence in his Court, but what he was saying now felt different. “What do you mean?”

“I know what the Courts look like from a distance. Decadent opulence from the rooftops to the streets, all glitter and gold,” he said. “But as with most things that are beautiful on the outside, there is nothing but ruin and wrath on the inside.”

A shiver curled its way down my spine.

“But you speak the truth. The King could do more. All of us could and should have. I imagine we would not face these issues with the Iron Knights if we’d gone about things differently.”

“It’s strange,” I said after a moment. “And rather . . . nice.”

“What is?”

“To be in agreement.”

Prince Thorne laughed then. “I can think of other things we can be in agreement about that are far better than just nice.”

“And then you ruined it.”

Another laugh rumbled from him, and I felt my lips twitching. His laugh was almost as infectious as Naomi’s, and that caused my heart to give an unsteady leap.

The sound faded, though, as did his smile. “I don’t know how much I am like the others, but I know how I am not. I will not make you do what you truly do not want to do.”

He released my hand then, but his touch lingered, warming my skin as I stepped back. Doubt filled me, even as he made no move, even as I made no move. I glanced at the door, pressing my lips together. I hesitated, searching for a reason to linger, and I found one. “Lord Bastian mentioned that the King will be displeased.” I faced him. “What for?”

A smile appeared, but it was brief. “My decision regarding Archwood.”

“I don’t understand.” I frowned. “You’re planning to defend Archwood. . . .” I trailed off as his words from supper returned. We’ve come to determine what course of action . . . “Unless that was just an option. A choice to decide if we were worth saving or . . .” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Or not.” The Prince had no trouble saying it. “Destroying Archwood was an option. Primvera would be abandoned and new ports along the Eastern Canal would be established. And that is what the King prefers.”





CHAPTER 26


“Gods,” I rasped, pressing a hand to my chest. “Why would you— ? Wait.” A new kind of horror rose. “Why would the King be displeased with you deciding not to destroy Archwood?”

The Prince eyed me for several moments. “Because destroying the city would be easier.”

“Easier?” I whispered, bumping into the legs of a couch. “Killing and dislocating thousands of innocent people is easier?”

“It’s less of a risk to the Hyhborn forces. Very few if any would be lost in . . . removing Archwood as possible leverage,” he said, arms folded across his chest. “Our knights will die defending the city.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, even if I shouldn’t be surprised. It wasn’t like I believed King Euros cared all that much for lowborn, but this was . . . it was brutal in his lack of caring. “So, the lives of lowborn mean that little to our king?”

The Prince said nothing.

A biting laugh burned my throat as anger flooded me. “Is this what happened to Astoria then? You were sent in, as judge and executioner?”

“Astoria was something else entirely,” he said, features sharpening. “The city was already lost.”

“Does the reason for destruction matter?” I questioned.

He was quiet again.

I inhaled deeply. “How many people have you killed?”

“Too many.” The brown in his eyes darkened to a pitch black and spread over the rest of the colors, and I would’ve sworn the temperature of the chamber had dropped. “But just so you know, neither I nor my knights sack the cities that have fallen. We do not lift our weapons against those people. We do not kill indiscriminately. What deaths have occurred happened in spite of all we have done to prevent it.”

“You mean those deaths occurred because the people who lived in these towns fought back? To protect their homes and livelihoods? Do you expect them not to?”

“I would expect nothing less from them,” he said.

Suddenly cold, I wrapped my arms over my waist. “How many cities has our king decided weren’t worth the precious lives of Hyhborn?” I asked, thinking of the small villages and towns that had disappeared over the years.