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“I became cruel.”

Her gaze holds mine captive. “And this is how my great and unlikely story ends—my soulmate dead, my lands poisoned, and an imposter in my bed who seeded his undead army inmysacred wood.” She shakes her head. “Blasphemous,” she hisses under her breath.

Grimacing, she adds, “I lived with him for ten years.”

I try not to shiver at that. She spent the last decade alongside a creature who raped thousands of women and killed who knows how many more. She called him hermate.

“Are you going after him?” she asks me.

We will hunt him down and carve up his flesh.

I nod. Even now my vengeance surges.

“He took my sister from me,” Mara says. “He took my soulmate from me. If I could kill him myself, I would, but alas, I’m dying.”

She reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it tightly. Her eyes blaze. “Find that thing, andendhim, once and for all.”

I walk awayfrom the throne room even as my audience streams back inside. Someone calls out to me, and I’m sure I’m making a mess of royal protocol.

Considering the day I’ve had, I think I’m entitled to give responsibilities the middle finger.

My emotions are hard to unravel. I didn’t think I had it in me to like Mara Verdana after everything she put me through, but I was wrong. I do like her when it’s too late for us to ever be friends.

Like a ghost, I slip towards my chambers.

Once I’m inside, the door, firmly shut behind me, I kick off my shoes and crawl into bed.

It’s another one of those Hail Mary days, only this time, there’s no Bargainer to drive my pain away.

Tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier.

I squeeze my eyes shut, my entire body heavy. I don’t think I could move if I tried.

Never want to leave.

It takes no more than ten minutes for Temper to find me. I hear her bang about as she enters the room. She sets something aside then crawls onto the bed, sliding beneath the sheets.

Her arms snake around me, and she holds me close.

“It’s alright, babe,” she whispers.

I shake my head. “It’s not.”

Temper exhales. “You’re right. It’s not. But you’re not alone. I’ll always be here for you.”

That makes a tear slip out. “Des promised me the same thing.”

The liar.

My best friend brushes my hair back, leaning over me to get a good look at my face.

“It’s sweet that you’re worried about me,” she says, “but you and I both know my ass is too evil to kill.”

A laugh slips out, and she joins in.

“I think mine might be too,” I admit.

“Hell yeah, that’s right,” Temper agrees. “You’re a badass bitch when you want to be.”