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“They killed my sister.”

A male beside him laughed.

The power inside of me grew hotter.

Mal brushed his fingertips across my lower back. Enough for me to know he was there if I needed him, but light enough to tell me I had permission.

I lifted a palm from the wooden table, just in time, and a ball of white-hot power skidded through the dining hall, bursting just before the young fae’s feet. He jumped in fear.

Others screamed.

“What?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

I stepped around the table and descended the few steps to the rest of the dining hall. Heading straight toward the fae who laughed.

Mal trailed my every step, but stayed silent.

“What–what are you doing?” he asked as I approached.

I held my hands out in front of me and let my power express itself again.

Others were staring now, half in horror and half in pure curiosity. I stared back, daring anyone to push me.

“They killed my sister,” I said again. “And they paid with their lives. Now, lucky for you all, I only had one sister. But unlucky for you all, I’m feeling particularly fed up with being walked on in my own kingdom.”

I dropped my hands and the power erupted around us. Everyone ducked to avoid the small blast—everyone but Malachi and me.

When everyone looked back up again, it was Malachi and I standing in the center of the dining hall.

“A move against my wife is a move against this kingdom,” Malachi’s voice boomed. “If anyone has a problem with the way that I punish traitors to the crown, it won’t be me you answer to. It will be my wife.”

“Let’s get out of here,” I said. I slid my hand into Malachi’s and walked toward the dining room entrance.

I never wanted power. But in those moments where I would have given anything for it all to be over, I found myself wishing I had a single shred of strength.

Today, it was strength alone that pulled me out of bed. And strength alone forced me to continue.

CHAPTER30

Malachi

Jade had no idea what type of men would be waiting for her outside of the castle. She had insisted that Ser and I take her out to the troops. It was only fair, considering they were fighting forherlife.

Her black boots ground the dirt beneath us. Ser and I followed a few footsteps behind, but my eyes didn’t leave her for a single second.

Ser and I had been coming out here daily, training these men and getting to know them. Not all of them were our friends, but right now, they were our allies. That mattered more than friendship.

But to Jade, it was all the same.

She was pushing herself. I could see it in her eyes. I would catch her staring into the distance, smiling to herself with her eyes glossed over. Each time, I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about. What memory was so precious that she was reliving it now.

But those were her memories, sacred between her and her sister. If she needed to escape into those memories, into those few moments of peace, then I would let her.

And I wouldn’t interrupt.

Men greeted Ser and I as we entered the field of campsites. I noted the way they each either nodded their heads in Jade’s direction or ignored her entirely.

Both were better than confronting her, in my eyes.