“I say ex-king because I have killed him,” Sabine continued.
Melinda’s heart plummeted into her shoes as cries of distress echoed throughout the town below them and sobs filled the air. The king’s guard dipped their bows down, their gazes darting nervously to the three of them as the other members of The Council shoved their way through the crowd to the gates. Melinda couldn’t meet The Council’s gazes when they made it to the front of the crowd and stared up at them with distrust in their eyes.
“Maybe we should have told them,” she whispered.
“No, we shouldn’t have,” Gideon said. “They have no idea when he was supposedly killed.”
Gideon turned away from her and thrust his shoulders back as he faced Sabine. “Anyone can claim to have killed the king. Do you have proof of this?”
Sabine’s smile grew as her eyes narrowed on Gideon. Melinda was certain he’d just signed his death certificate, but if these walls were breached, none of them would be walking out of here alive anyway.
“I do,” she replied and turned away. Her blood-red, pointed nails shone in the sun when she waved her hand toward someone at the back of her following.
Melinda took an involuntary step forward to watch as the white haired vampire made his way down the street toward Sabine.
***
Aria
From her vantage point in the tree, Aria’s fingers dug into the bark, tearing it away beneath her nails. Her fangs pierced her bottom lip as she leaned forward to watch Goran making his way past the rows of vampires who had spread out to allow Sabine to pass. It had been over a day since Daniel and the others had left. They should be returning tonight if all had gone well, but what if something had gone wrong?
Proof! Sabine had proof of Braith’s death. How? When?
Oh, Aria knew when he’d died, she could still feel that wrenching of her soul deep within her, but when had Sabine gotten proof of such a thing? What was the proof? Had Jack and Braith been discovered?
Please no.
William rested his hand on her shoulder, drawing her back when she perilously leaned too far over the limb. Her stomach pressed flat against the branch, and her arms and legs were twined securely around it as she tried to make herself as small as possible. William clung to the branch above her, his knuckles white from his grip. He’d always been able to move through the trees, never with her ease, and it had never been his favorite thing to do, but since he’d fallen over the cliff in Badwin, his dislike of heights had grown. He’d followed her into the branches of this tree to keep watch over the palace with her.
“Maybe you should go down,” he suggested.
“I have to see,” she whispered.
“It might be best if you didn’t. I’ll let you know.”
Cold seeped through her body as her fingers dug deeper into the bark. “I have to see. I’d know if she’d found him.” She turned to him, her tone more pleading than she would have expected. “Wouldn’t I?”
In his eyes, she saw the truth she felt within herself. She’d already known the second Braith had left her; there was nothing else for her to know anymore.
Terror rolled so rapidly through her mind that it caused her head to spin, and for one disconcerting moment, she thought she might actually fall out of the tree.
A sob lodged in her throat as Goran stopped at Sabine’s side and handed her something. Aria couldn’t tear her gaze away as Sabine turned back to the palace walls and lifted something in the air. It took her a minute to realize that Sabine held a brown cloak. On the back of it was the golden wolf insignia of the king that the king’s guard wore, but this one also had a crown above the wolf’s head. Aria didn’t have to see it up close to know it had belonged to Braith.
“Braith lost it in the battle when they attacked us,” she murmured.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” William said and tugged at her shoulder again.
She refused to move until she knew what was going to happen next. “Not yet.”
“A cloak is no proof!” Gideon called from the wall.
“It is the king’s cloak,” Sabine said with a smirk. “I can have it brought to you if you would like.”
“I can see it’s the king’s cloak, but it’s easy enough to lose one of those in a fight or to simply leave one behind!” Gideon replied with a laugh. “I, myself, have done that a few times after spending some time with a lady!”
Beside him on the wall, the king’s guard all nodded enthusiastically and a few chuckled. Aria admired Gideon’s unruffled and brazen demeanor. Sabine would make him pay for it if she ever got her hands on him, but he would not back down from her, no matter what happened.
Sabine’s fingers went to her lips as a smile curved them. An uneasy feeling settled in Aria’s stomach. Sabine was too smug right now, too sure of herself. There was more; there had to be. She should get out of this tree, right now.
She found herself unable to move.