Page 73 of Boundless

And so, I made it.

“I will go talk to him, Maera,” I said despite my screaming instincts. To me, that was the only way.

“We’ll go together,” she said, but I shook my head.

“No. You can stay behind me. I’ll talk to him alone.” Because I knew that alpha or no alpha, Lyall had a crown on his head now, and he wouldn’t care about Maera or about the werewolves. In fact, he might attack them out of arrogance, just to show off in front of his soldiers and the sorcerers.

I was not going to let that happen.

“Nilah,” Maera said my name again, this time a warning.

I looked at her only for a moment. “I will be okay. Just stay alert.”

It was an empty promise, one I didn’t know whether I was going to be able to keep. It was Lyall, after all. I knew enough to know to expectanythingfrom him. Anything at all.

Then I was walking.

It all felt like a dream to me still. After all I’d seen, all I’d been through, I still had troublebelievingmy own eyes when things turned as chaotic as they did now. A forest in Mysthaven, surrounded by sorcerers who thought I was a queen, who watched us curiously, waited to witness the show of their lives.

And Lyall with his soldiers, coming closer, slowly, his head up and his crown on full display, his smile that of a fucking snake.

Maera and the other werewolves were behind me. I felt them, heard their every step, every growl of those wolves.

Then Lyall was just there, almost within my reach, and I within his. His soldiers were farther away from him than they’d looked from a distance, but they could still get to me in no time.

No more fear.My hands had been fisted, and I released them. My shoulders had been stiff, but I straightened them back.It’s as good as over now, isn't it?We were here, and I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to die.

Laughter.

The wood fell silent, and the sound of his laughter echoed in all our ears.

No birds flew off branches. Nobody moved a single inch.

“Pardon me, Nilah, please. I just can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that we’re both here now, likethis! And at the same time, I can’t help but think of how it all began.”

His voice.

It was familiar and it was vile and I wanted to close my ears against it but didn’t.

“You can drop the good-guy act, Lyall. I know who you really are now, remember?” I said despite my better judgment, but my anger was there, and at least my voice didn’t shake. Not a single bit.

“It’sYour Highnessto you, mortal.” With a wicked grin, he raised a hand slowly and tapped a finger to the ruby etched into the front of his crown. “I’m a king now, as you can see.”

I shook my head. “You’ll always be an insecure little boy to me.”

I bit my tongue.Screamedat myself in my head. I wasn’t trying tomakehim attack me, damn it! I was trying to talk to him!

Damn it, Nilah,the voices in my head chided me. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, reminded myself of all the soldiers who could hurt us without Lyall even having to lift a finger. It was just me and the werewolves—we weren’t enough. I didn’t want to spill more blood.

“Listen, Lyall?—”

“Oh, I hear you just fine. It’syouwho needs to listen to me,” he cut me off and took a step forward.

Growls behind me—and the sound of metal sliding against metal behind him. His soldiers were reaching for their weapons.

“You have no place in Verenthia, filthy mortal. Whatever your face looks like, either walk awaynow,or I will make you.” His voice was low, barely a whisper, but I heard every single word.

Shivers rose on every inch of my body. He meant what he said—said it with all his heart. He would try.