Page 40 of Blackheart

I wasn’t ready. My throat was tight, dizziness setting in. I needed a minute to process. “I’m not sureIbelieve?—”

Clarke grabbed my forearm with surprising strength, pressing his palm, hisNaturesearing my skin. I gasped and yanked my arm away.

“I hope it was painless,” Clarke said.

I held my hand skyward, eyes widening at what had been left on my skin.

The King's Mark.

It could only be used once per king, and most saved it for their children. There were many rumours of what a King's Mark could do, from enhancing your Nature to bringing good luck. One thing was for certain, though: a King's Mark could only be passed to someone in his own bloodline.

Just like in the tales, it was a golden outline of the sun, sparkling on my skin.

Clarke held the sealed letter out. “Leave,” he urged. “Go to Castivian. Find Xavian.”

Riven marched over, snatching the letter from Clarke and grabbing me by the arm. “Welcome to being an heir,” he said, pulling me towards the exit.

I resisted, but he did not flinch, my feet dragging along the floor.

“Wait!”

I still had questions.

Clarke watched with solemn eyes as Riven pulled me through Clayvarie’s room.

“Please, wait!” I screamed.

“We cannot,” Riven argued.

Clarke began to close the balcony door. “Goodbye, Elorengail.”

He pulled the doors shut.

That was it. There was no going back. No more answers. No more stories.

Riven held my arm as he led us back down the stairs and out the door, his horse still waiting as flames and golden sparks of Lyonheart Nature painted the smoky skies.

“Get on,” he ordered.

I couldn’t do this. Not this fast. It felt hard to breathe. The air was escaping too quickly. I ran along the side of the castle, desperate to find somewhere to be alone, for just a moment.

An explosive rumble shook the ground. Across the city, the clock tower was in flames, as if the Sapphires were here to stop time itself. The poison within me swirled, teasing me. Calling to me.

Riven cursed as another explosion sent clouds of smoke billowing into the horizon.

A high-pitchedwhooshflew past my head, knocking into the side of the castle. An arrow.

Riven sprang forward, yanking me off the ground and throwing me onto the horse with ease. I scrambled to jump down, but he was already behind me.

“I fucking dare you to get off this horse,” he hissed in my ear, grabbing the reins.

Another arrow soared overhead. Thunder rumbled, and a lightning bolt struck in the distance.

We took off, belting down the clean stone streets for the woodline. We passed companies of Drakers moving through the capital, hunting for Sapphires while citizens peeked out their windows. This could have been the last time I saw the capital or anyone Drakish. Too much was happening too fast.

"Ineedto be alone," I gritted out, grabbing the reins. Riven braced me between his arms, his chest locked against my back. The horse reeled as I pulled and leaned my body weight towards the castle.

Riven yanked the reins from my grasp, whipping us back toward the woods.