“Another mistake, I assume?” Thorne snarled at his mother. “Your mistakes seem to be hurting everyone you claim to care about, Mother.”

Devora glanced between him and me. “She had me spy on you,” she confessed. “One last time. Before the Hunt. I—I told her what you said about Veridians. And about Galen.” She twisted her lips. “I thought it could look like cause for treason, and if Galen found out, he would send you away.”

I looked up at Thorne and found his eyes already on me. It wasn’t him. A small trickle of relief mixed with the sea of emotions that had flooded me in the last twenty-four hours. I didn’t know if I would’ve been able to handle him betraying me too.

“I guess it was your hunter in the jungle, then,” I said to Azura, my voice sharpening. “It was a good attempt, considering I was already half-dead, but I’m sorry to tell you that your little friend didn’t make it.”

At my side, Thorne muttered, “Fates, what happened in that jungle?”

“How did you ever think the regent families would accept this?” Isabella asked Azura incredulously. “That our kingdom would accept you after what you’ve done?”

Azura’s shoulders clenched. “The regents had all made their apprehension of Galen known. I was doing this to bring about a better reign. A stronger reign. Not some petulant boy who used his crown as a toy while he ignored the cries of our people.”

“You may have convinced yourself of some noble cause, but that doesn’t make it true,” Isabella said, shaking her head.

She coughed into the bloody rag still in her hand.

When she looked back up, her eyes were filled with fire.

“You did this out of revenge. And because of that, I’ve lost my entire family.

” She pointed a finger at Azura’s chest, waves of hatred rolling from her.

“You have taken my husband’s life, and you may yet take mine. But you are done harming this kingdom.”

She snapped her fingers without looking away from Azura, and two guards stalked forward. “Take her,” she commanded.

“I want to see my granddaughter,” Azura said as the guards grabbed her wrists, making her drop her cane. She tried to pull away from them. “I want to see Marigold.”

A scoff of contempt left Thorne’s throat. “You can’t be serious.” He screwed his face into a look of disgust, but I could see him hiding the pain. “I swear to you, Mother, you will never see her again. Not after this.”

Her features fell as she pleaded with him. “Please, Thorne. I—I’m so sorry. Just one more time. I love her, you have to know that.”

His shoulders sagged, and despite how much I hated the woman before me, my heart hurt for them.

For the bone-deep ache I knew Thorne must be feeling, for the past he once had with his mother.

Besides Marigold, she was the only family he had left.

I couldn’t imagine how much this decision was warring within him.

“You once told me that love couldn’t rescue me,” he started, his voice wavering. “And yet here you are, using it as a crutch. As a bargaining chip.” He stepped backward, putting more space between the two of them. “You don’t know what love is, Mother. I’m not sure you ever did.”

He looked at Isabella, dipping his chin once. She moved forward and signaled to the guards.

“Azura Reaux, for the assassination of King Orion Grimaldi, attempted assassination of myself, and treason against the crown, I sentence you to a lifetime in prison.” She narrowed her eyes.

“It’s for the sake of your son and granddaughter that I don’t have you executed on the spot.

Consider this a mercy—something you failed to show me and my family. ”

The guards led Azura away, her gown trailing in their wake.

Isabella turned to Devora, who squared her feet and lifted her chin, saying, “I know I have to answer for my crimes, Your Grace. I’ll accept whatever punishment you give me.”

Isabella raised an eyebrow. “Actually, what I was going to say is that, given your heritage, you’re no longer under Mysthelm jurisdiction.”

Realization bolted through me, and I let out a sigh. I really didn’t want to deal with this. I would be dead right now if it weren’t for the Fates and their little gift. I needed air. I needed time and space away from all of this.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of their stares on me, and tried to push past my emotional response to find the diplomatic part of me that would make the right decision.

“She’ll come with me,” a voice said. My eyes popped open at Nox’s statement. “She can serve out her punishment in Drakorum.”

“I’d rather you stuff me in a cell,” Devora muttered.

“And here I was, thinking you wanted to learn about your family,” Nox drawled, but venom seeped from him. “So much so that you put the life of my friend and Empress in danger. So, yes, you’ll be coming with me. Whether you like it or not.”

Shifters were loyal creatures, and it pricked something in my chest to see how protective he was of me.

Devora’s jaw shifted, her eyes burning with defiance, but she stayed silent.

“Nox, are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked slowly.

“You have enough problems on your hands,” he said. “Besides, there are plenty of ways we can make her answer for her crimes.” A dark glint of a challenge appeared in his navy eyes.

I had a feeling this would not end well .

I looked at Devora again, those placid features hiding so much more than I ever imagined.

Memories of the last few weeks flitted through my mind—our talks every morning as we got ready for the day, adventuring through the Mid Territory and healing the land, going to the Harvest Festival together.

Watching her come alive around the campfires, surrounded by music and laughter.

How terrified she was for Katrine the night Galen kissed her, how attentive she was when taking care of my burns.

Burns she’d inadvertently caused.

I turned away. “Fine. Get her back to the empire, and she’s your responsibility, Nox.”

Nox took her by the shoulder, and they made their way to the palace, followed by Rose and Evadine, with Leo supported between the two of them.

Thorne, Isabella, and the head of the King’s Guard began discussing logistics and damage control, how they needed to get the regent families to the palace as quickly as possible to figure out a plan of action.

It all made my head spin.

The reality of the last twenty-four hours settled into me, and it was like that noose was back around my neck. Pulling, straining, tightening.

“Excuse me, I—I have to go,” I said as their puzzled expressions shifted to me.

I pivoted on my heels and ran.