Chapter 41

Hanna

From the air, Caer Far looked like a child’s city of blocks, toppled over. My heart squeezed in my chest as I imagined my own home city decimated like this one. Thorne must be devastated.

There were no barriers to the monsters, but there were no barriers now for shifters either.

Dare and I swooped low over the city. Monsters turned their faces up and bared teeth at us, but they were streaming away from the city.

The castle was ruined, the walls crumpled. The ballroom stood open to the elements now, with marble pillars still erect and muddied tapestries puddled on the ground.

And Kaelan stood at one end.

A wild rush of joy and relief shot through me at the sight of his face.

Then he turned to the woman who stood beside him, offering his hand to her.

Seraphine took his hand, smiling. She wore a long gown, the spitting image of the one I had worn… On our wedding day.

No, she was wearing my beloved golden gown. I was sure of it.

Several of the winged monsters shot up toward us.

Dare let out a growl and dropped toward them. I was sure he was telling me to go on.

I dropped into my mortal form far less gracefully than I ever had before, shifting back as I slid across the marble floor so that I slammed between Seraphine and Kaelan.

Seraphine let out a hiss of dramatic pain. My first impulse had been to protect Kaelan, but now as I felt an instinctual prickle of fear along my spine, I realized I couldn’t leave my back to him. I whirled to face him, taking a step backward so I was no longer between the two of them.

Kaelan’s face was as unreadable a mask as ever.

“He’s mine,” I said fiercely.

Seraphine’s eyes danced with mockery, and it made me want to gut her right there. She disagreed, “No. He’s mine.”

When I moved toward her, Kaelan jerked forward. My gaze rose to his as I froze. Kaelan looked between the two of us uncertainly. His eyes were glazed over.

“How much of that enchantment did you pour down his throat, Seraphine?” I asked evenly.

She let out a tinkling laugh. “You’re the one who tried to enchant him… Seraphine.”

“Kaelan,” I said softly. “Look at me. Remember me.”

His gaze focused on mine. He blinked as if he were coming out of a dream…

“Are you going to let Thorne die unnoticed on the dance floor?” Seraphine asked curiously.

Fear jolted in my chest as I turned, my vision sweeping across the dance floor.

Thorne was curled in a ball on his side, unmoving. There was blood on his face and his arms were splayed out across the floor as if he had been reaching for something when he fell.

“Thorne!” I cried and scrambled from the dais, rushing toward him.

Behind me, I heard Seraphine’s laugh. I knew I was playing into her hands, but I couldn’t leave Thorne to die.

At first, I thought he was unconscious. Or worse.

But when I turned his face toward mine, my fingers desperately pressing his throat to check for his heart still beating, he let out a groan. His eyelashes fluttered open.

“Hanna.” His voice was a broken rasp.

“What happened to you?” My voice was shaking. It was a needless question.

I already knew.

What had happened to Thorne stood behind me. Kaelan was still the proud, dangerous prince, but without the deep love that tempered all Kaelan’s faults.

I looked frantically through the sky for Dare. He was still battling monsters, and he let out a fierce blast of fire that pushed them back from the stairs they were climbing to reach us.

I was on my own. But only because Dare was making sure we weren’t outnumbered.

Behind me, I could hear Seraphine’s low, treacherous murmuring.

I cupped my hand on Thorne’s cheek and tried to summon my magic to heal.

He put his hand over mine, the movement slow. “Save your magic. You need it to save him.”

“Thorne… you’re hurt.” I couldn’t say dying, but I was sure of it.

He tried to pat my hand, the movement slow and weak. “I wanted to live by your side, but I’ll accept dying there.”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Take care of him.”

I raised my head and screamed at Kaelan. “Wake up! We need a healer!”

I looked frantically for Dare, though I feared this was beyond his capabilities.

“Why would he heal the traitor?” Seraphine asked. “Thorne was a danger to me. He tried to kill me.”

Kaelan’s jaw tightened in rage.

“No,” I said, standing, making sure I was between Kaelan and Thorne. “Thorne has always been loyal to you. To me. He’s a better friend than either of us deserve.”

Kaelan’s frost magic blazed at his fingertips. His voice was low and raw. “You’re not Hanna. My queen would choose me. You’re just an imposter.”

“Your queen wouldn’t choose between you,” I shot back. “Remember.”

“She’s not your queen,” Seraphine murmured.

“Why do you torment me by looking like Hanna, by sounding like her…” Kaelan raised his hand toward Thorne. Icy blue and white magic swirled at his fingertips. “By protecting the traitor?”

His magic blasted toward me.

I leapt into its path.

Seraphine let out a scream. “No!”

Kaelan’s magic exploded around us, and shards of ice prickled against my skin. I’d thrown my arms up instinctively, and they took the brunt of the pain, leaving blood dripping down my arms.

I lowered them to see Kaelan’s magic flicker and die. He stared at me with a look on his face that seemed like… him.

Then I understood. Seraphine would never scream to protect my life. She had screamed to try to protect the delusion she held in pace over Kaelan—to keep him from recognizing me.

And he might recognize me by the way I loved Thorne, much as he hated it. But it was a dangerous play, because Kaelan’s jealousy had never been so brutally apparent.

My mind raced. Kaelan had protective impulses toward whoever he thought Hanna was; that much was clear. But he also was willing to kill. Somehow the enchantment she had placed him under had altered itself because of the strength of his love.

So maybe… and it was a gamble I didn’t care for…Kaelan wouldn’t kill me as long as he thought I might be Hanna.

Kaelan looked back and forth between Seraphine and me.

“Which one of you is mine?”