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“What about now?” Jade pushed again. “I’m waiting, Arthur. Go ahead and kill me.”

Jade pushed the ball of power forward, just a few paces, but enough to make Arthur stumble backward. He fell on the stone floor but didn’t stop scrambling away from Jade’s power.

I didn’t even try to hide my smile.

Satisfied, Jade released the hold she had on her own magic, causing it to fizzle out.

When she turned to make her way back to me, I recognized the look on her face. It was a look I had rarely seen on her.

Power.

“If you’re done insulting my wife now,” I said, “you may leave.”

But everyone in the room knew that wasn’t true. Nobody threatened Jade and escaped with their lives.

Arthur struggled to get to his feet before turning toward the doors.

Although he didn’t have time to make it that far.

In one swift motion, my wings lifted me from the throne and cascaded me to block him from exiting.

Horror dripped from every feature on his face when he realized the reality of the situation.

“You picked the wrong side,” I growled. His neck snapped like a twig in my hands, and his body fell to the floor.

Nobody looked shocked. The guards in the room quickly got to work disposing of the body while I walked back to the throne.

“Took you long enough,” Jade teased as I approached.

I wasn’t sure what reaction I expected from her, but it certainly wasn’t that. “You’re not mad?”

Jade’s head spun to me. “Mad?” she asked. “He threatened to kill me! I would have killed him myself if you didn’t.”

I sat on the throne and placed my hand on Jade’s knee. She didn’t pull away. “Well, that’s good news,” I said, “because if anyone else threatens you during this tithe, they’ll suffer the same fate.”

Jade’s mouth tilted upward, only a centimeter, before she returned the cool mask of a queen. “Either by your hands, or by mine.”

Her hand came to fall on my shoulder as we signaled for the next citizen to enter.

Perhaps ruling this kingdom wouldn’t be as terrible as I had expected.

CHAPTER16

Jade

Itucked my hair into the back of my jacket. The less identifiable traits I had, the better.

Pulling the fabric over my head only helped slightly. I hoped it would be dark enough in the dungeon to hide my features.

It had worked before.

If I was lucky, this would be the last time.

I placed a hand over my heart, feeling the pounding of every passing second.

The sun had been down for hours now. My feet were silent on the stone floor as I slipped from my bedroom and blended with the shadows in the castle. I became one with them, fluid and dark as I moved toward the dungeon in the path I had taken half a dozen times already.

This time was different, though.