Page 145

Des is gone; Malaki and Janus are catatonic, victims of the same dark magic that compromised the sleeping soldiers.

And I am broken.

All my fault.If I hadn’t made the call to go after Galleghar, Des would be here still.

I close my eyes, my tears slipping into the water.

I don’t know how long I linger down at the bottom of the pool. Longer than a human could withstand. Eventually, someone leaps into the pool and scoops me up, dragging me out of the water.

I cough a little, my lungs heaving in a breath.

“Your Majesty!”

I blink at the fae soldier, the water dripping down my glowing skin.

He looks panicked. “I know it’s hard, but you can’t die. Our kingdom needs you.”

I’m not going to die.

I’m already dead.

What is death?

Do the dead ever truly die?

My breath catches on that last thought.

Do they?

Is Des still out there?

My gaze sharpens on the soldier. Behind him, the door hangs open. Temper must’ve tipped him off that I was not in a good place.

“We need you,” the Night soldier repeats, shaking me a little.

His words finally register.

Our kingdom needs you.

I work my throat. He wants me to be a queen. To step up and rule now that my mate cannot.

The last decision I made killed my mate.

But there’s no one else left to make decisions. Every other ruler is dead or incapacitated.

I swallow and nod. “Okay,” I say, my voice hoarse.

He sets me down. I’m dripping luminous water all over the floor.

“What am I supposed to do?” I ask, my voice raw.

I know nothing about being a queen.

The soldier’s gaze travels over me.

“Rule. Rule and save us.”

The royal guardleaves soon after that. I don’t know how I manage to convince him that I’m alright. I’m not, and I probably shouldn’t be alone, even though I can’t bear the thought of sharing this grief with anyone else. It feels strangely personal.