Page 45 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Fee tilts her head. “Help us, how, Kaden? What is she?”

Smirking, I shrug, confident in my plan. “She’s a blood summoner, Fee. And she’ll be exactly what Father needs to defeat the Lone Human King and take over the world. Exactly whatweneed.”

Reid whistles, throwing the rag away. “Not so useless then.”

“No. Not useless at all.”

Chapter 16

Max

Running into the main entrance, I watch as heavy trunks are loaded into carriages, guards shouting orders while Lords hug their loved ones goodbye. Boots thunder behind me just as Tay pulls me to the side.

Weapons, food, all kinds of basket of goods are tucked into wagons as servants run to accommodate the campaign’s needs.

Glancing outside, my eyes find the large metal gates, bodies slumped to the side. The grounds are covered in discarded flags, rotting flesh burning away underSola’srays.

My hand falls to my nose. The decaying scent of death sweetens the air and my stomach rolls. We’ve had little time to clean up, to make proper burials before taking off.

Like the rest of the lords, Taylay and I barely slept, kept awake with the possibility of another attack and the foreboding promise of what this campaign would mean.

We were going into the Eternal Night Forest, to seek out the headquarters of the Crimson Army, praying the Dark Fae guides wouldn’t kill us before that. Neither of us were too sure of our choices.

I tried not to let the faces of those I killed haunt my memories. I killed in self-defense, but the hunger of my magic simmering insideof me, leaves a sour taste on my tongue. I don’t like to kill—don’t want to. But my magic? It feeds off of it.

The DarkFaeguards pass me, feet silent, as they load up their black horses. They’ve only just agreed to lead us, yet they’re prepared.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the dark presence of the heir as he speaks to another commander, both of them deep in conversation.

I still don’t know what to do about him, either.

The male killed a man for me. He left his corpse as a sick present to assure me of my safety.

No one in the Coven would have done that. It would have been on me to defend myself and end the threat.

Why help me?

Tay leans over my shoulder as I glare at the heir, his back to us.

“You don’t like him.”

“Do you?”

My friend shrugs. “Like? No. Need? Yes.” He glances to our carriage, our four guards taking out sacks to tie to our Guardian horses. The forest is too thick for there to be too many carriages. The lords insist on using theirs, but we know better. “We’re needed to do this, Max. I can feel it.”

“Gods’ Will,” I mutter, cursing them above. “Are you sure this is the only way? We could wait here, or return to the Coven.” Go home to my hut where the Dark Far heir doesn’t look at me.

I hate that he does. He seems to see all my darkest parts, ones I keep hidden.

Tapping my nose, I huff. “The terms were very clear. They need a mender on this journey, and with my help, we secure allies. Dark Fae for support, Griffin’s gold to rebuild. All we have to do is travel and keep everyone alive until the Crimson Army’s base is found and the army comes for them. Then? We go home.”

“And stick it to the elders.”

“That too.” He winks. “They didn’t approve of my mother taking you in years ago and I knowthey’ve never made it easy for you to live among us. This is just a way for both of us to prove to them how valuable you are.” Tay leans against the wall, scanning the crowd around us. “We also know what it means for you to find them.”

Closure. Maybe some understanding of why. I’d settle for a few memories. But if something happened to him, the Coven would suffer and it’s too great of a risk to lose him in this.

“But—”