Page 17 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

But not from her nose.

No, her father’s raging face was almost identical to his brother’s, standing above them.

Cold.

Calculated.

Furious.

A primal rage born only of Fae blood.

She’d never seen him like this, and she couldn’t help but think she’d brought this on them. On him.

This is bigger than you,she tried to remind herself.

It was bigger than her family.

She was doing this for all Havlands.

Lessia tried to repeat the words to herself, but when her father continued and his voice broke—from pain or anger, she wasn’t sure—that cold, sticky feeling of guilt crawled through her veins.

“She is mydaughter,brother. My… my daughter! She’s a Rantzier! Have you no mercy?”

Disgust pulled at the king’s features, twisting his already cruel face into one of nightmares. “It makes me feel sick thatyou made these two, Alarin. Sick! I should have them killed right now just for tainting the Rantzier name.”

Red painted her vision, and Lessia tried to hiss “Don’t you dare” through the dirty rag stuffed into her mouth when the king glanced at her sister, who sat with a straight back, eyes ahead, not an ounce of fear dancing across her soft features as she shifted the chains lying across her lap.

But when Rioner’s cold gaze moved, landing on Lessia’s tightly bound hands, then moved to follow the blood she was certain trickled over her chest, a chill whispered down her spine.

“So you’re not completely broken yet…” The king cocked his head. “Say, how does it feel being separated from Merrick? From Loche? Did it make you feel good, breaking their hearts?”

She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help the slight grimace twisting her features upon remembering Loche’s eyes turning aware again, and when Merrick’s wide, angry gaze met hers as Loche slammed his lips against her own… she physically recoiled.

Shaking her head, she had to fight not to press farther back into the wooden wall behind her.

Why had Loche done what he did?

Something tickled her consciousness, but it was so hazy, the memory still filled with so much pain, she huffed a sharp breath to battle it.

Rioner chuckled. “I saw the regent kiss you. I doubt he’s alive if the Death Whisperer has any backbone left. Merrick probably unleashed those souls of his as soon as he came up for air. It’s what I would have done…”

“Enough! It’s fucking enough,” her father snarled. “Leave her alone. Or I swear…”

The king whipped around so quickly that another jab of pain struck her when she moved her head to follow.

“You do not give me orders,brother.” Spit flew from Rioner’s mouth as he snarled at her father. “You are the reason there is a risk to our family’s throne. You gave life to this… this disgusting, vile abomination.”

Chaos erupted as Kerym flew forward as far as his shackles would allow, as Frelina screamed something at the king, as her father growled so loudly some of Rioner’s guards blanched.

Lessia couldn’t help but do the same, managing to spit out the fabric in her mouth.

Fighting for her life, she tried to get to the king, wanting to tell him to tell her that to her face, to look her right in the eye as he called her those names.

But it was useless.

Rioner only laughed at the group, and when he ordered “Make them more agreeable, will you?” before spinning on his heel to leave the room, Lessia cried out again.

A harsh, raspy, agony-filled cry as five guards lingered, each with their eyes on one of them.