Page 73 of Bite The Power That Feeds

“I gave her a glass of wine, kissed her, and then joined you for a conversation.”

“And everything seemed fine?”

“Yes.” I was exhausted by all the questions when I knew they wouldn’t get me anywhere. I finally made it to the stables, but there was no stable master to help me. I marched into the barn to fetch my own horse.

“Your Highness.” The stable master sat on the ground, his wrists bound around a metal pole.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Cobra pulled out his knife and cut him free. “Shit, this is bad.”

“What happened?” I yanked him to his feet then shoved him against the wall. “What happened to my wife?”

Cobra put his hand on my shoulder and held me back so I wouldn’t rip his head clean from his shoulders.

“She—she demanded a horse—”

“And you just gave it to her?”

“She—she’s the queen…” He fell back against the wall of the stables, cowering in fear. “She tied me up before she left because she knew I would alert you to her departure.”

I wanted to lunge at this motherfucker.

Cobra tugged me back. “Kingsnake, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

I shoved him off and saddled my own horse. “What the fuck is she doing?”

“Did she say anything?” Cobra asked the pointless question.

The stable master shook his head.

“I need to retrieve my armor and weapons,” Cobra said. “I’ll grab Viper—”

“He needs to rule Grayson in my stead.” It was the quickest I’d ever saddled a horse, which was a remarkable feat since I hadn’t done it myself in a very long time. “And I don’t have time to wait for you.”

“Kingsnake, you shouldn’t go alone—”

“I don’t care.” I grabbed the horse by the reins and pulled him from the stable. Fang snaked up my leg and secured himself around my shoulders.

“Just let me grab my sword, at least.”

I mounted the horse and took off.

“Kingsnake!”

19

LARISA

I approached Raventower, the village aglow with the torches that lined its exterior wall. The path turned muddy like it’d rained over the last few days. I approached the main gate, setting sight on the place I’d called home my entire life.

No one manned the gate.

“Hello?”

No response.

“Is anyone there?”