Page 34

Chapter

Thirty-Four

A ZALEA

“Liam!” I hiss urgently, my heart pounding as I rush to Peter’s side. Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead, and his hands are clenched into tight fists on the steps. Panic courses through me as I take in the scene before me.

“Did you remove the scents from the King and Queen’s room?” Liam demands, his voice filled with accusation. I gape at him, unable to comprehend his words.

“Liam! He’s just a child! Stop commanding him!” I snap, my voice laced with anger. Peter’s grip tightens on my arm, his eyes pleading with me, tears welling up.

‘Kyson!’ I call out through our mindlink, desperation creeping into my voice. But before I can receive a response, Liam’s voice cuts through, pulling me back into the tense situation.

“My Queen, he cleans these stairs every day. Why would Clarice assign him the same task repeatedly?” Liam questions, his gaze shifting back to Peter.

“No... no, I didn’t...” Peter gasps, his voice trembling with fear.

“What didn’t you do? And why were you up here yesterday?” Liam presses, motioning for me to come closer. But Peter clings to me tightly, his grip on my dress and arm desperate, as if I am his only lifeline.

‘What is happening?’ Kyson’s frantic voice echoes through our mindlink.

‘I... I don’t know. Liam is accusing Peter,’ I explain, my voice filled with frustration and worry. Trey growls protectively behind me, sensing the tension in the air.

“Answer me!” Liam barks, taking another step down towards Peter. His eyes flicker to Peter’s trembling hands clutching onto me.

“Liam, calm down. He’s just a boy,” Trey interjects, trying to diffuse the escalating situation.

“And this boy will answer,” Liam growls back, his voice dripping with authority.

“I was asked to bring lunch up and assist Clarice with her tasks. I didn’t touch anything in the room. Clarice wouldn’t allow it. She made me stand by the door while she handed me the baskets,” Peter blurts out under Liam’s commanding tone, unable to resist the power of his aura any longer.

“Why these stairs?” Liam probes further.

“Clarice told me to clean the stairs where she could see me,” Peter blurts out, his words coming out in a rush.

“Clarice instructed you to clean them?” Liam asks, his tone slightly softer.

“Well, not specifically these stairs. Just anywhere she could spot me if she left the kitchen. These are the closest ones,” Peter explains, his voice quivering with nerves.

“Why did you choose these stairs?” Liam asks, descending another step towards him.

“Liam! Enough!” I intervene, my voice filled with anger and disbelief.

“No. I was just thinking. And out of everyone we’ve questioned, Peter has never been asked,” Liam says, his gaze shifting between Peter and me. Suddenly, his eyes settle on the tool bucket resting on the step in front of Peter. As he approaches, a stronger scent of liquor wafts towards me, revealing that Liam is intoxicated. Anger boils within me as I witness his drunken state.

“He’s just a boy!” I exclaim, outrage seeping into my words. How could Liam take out his drunken ramblings on an innocent child? Peter looks petrified, his hands trembling as he clings onto me, tears streaming down his face.

“I was a boy once too, My Queen. And I had already killed someone long before I was his age,” Liam retorts coldly, each step calculated as he moves closer to Peter. I glance down at Peter, who growls softly as I hear Kyson’s voice entering the mindlink.

‘My King, has Peter ever been questioned before,’ Trey’s voice cuts through the tension, breaking the silence as Liam continues his relentless approach towards Peter. The savage gleam in Liam’s eyes frightens me, and I see Peter whimper in fear.

Gently prying Peter’s fingers off my dress, I stand straighter and take a step up, placing myself between Liam and Peter.

‘No, why? What has happened? Azalea, answer me! I’m on my way,’ Kyson growls urgently. But before I can respond, Liam reaches for me, attempting to pull me to his side. In that instant, a sharp pain slices through my side, stealing the air from my lungs. Trey’s ear-piercing scream reverberates behind me, freezing time itself. I see Liam’s hands reaching out towards me, his eyes widening in shock, but I stagger back, my hand instinctively going to my side. My fingertips brush against the hilt of a dagger embedded in my flank, and my hands are suddenly soaked in warm blood.

Gasping for breath, struggling to breathe around the pain, I hear Peter’s voice amidst the chaos. “That’s for my mum!” he cries out as Trey tackles him to the ground. I try to reach for something to hold onto, to stay upright, but the banister gives way under my weight.

A scream escapes my lips as I realize I am falling, my body crashing onto the ground with a jarring thud. Agony engulfs me as pain radiates through every fiber of my being. My head collides with the stairs of the ground floor stairwell, the wooden railing crashing down upon me. Paralyzed and unable to move, I lie there, staring at the ceiling above and the floor above that, where Trey has subdued Peter.

Liam leaps from the second floor, his feet hitting the ground mere seconds later. But it is too late. Warm blood trickles down my neck, my head, and my back throbbing in agony. The taste of copper fills my mouth, making it difficult to breathe, and I choke on every attempt. It feels as though my entire body is tingling with pins and needles, the sensation pulsating in time with my rapid heartbeat.

My vision blurs, the world around me pulsating with pain. Liam’s face comes into focus, his lips moving in frantic silence, as if he’s screaming. But all I hear is the pounding of my own heart in my skull.

I feel myself fading, my vision narrowing into a tunnel. I am unable to move, and yet a strange warmth spreads between my legs, like I’ve wet myself. It’s a peculiar sensation that inexplicably captures my attention more than the excruciating pain. It becomes the focal point of my mind, above all else. As darkness descends upon me, I’m still fixated on that warmth, even as everything slips away.