Page 53 of The Shattered Kingdom (The Cursed Kingdom #2)
Chapter One
The Hidden Kingdom
(Book Three)
LILLIAN
EVERYTHING HAS BEEN a lie.
I hardly think through my actions as I rip open a portal and appear behind Queen Gitta. This is her fault. I don’t know how, but I’m sure of it. She has everybody wrapped around her finger, and she poisoned my mates against me.
She cast doubt, and it grew thorns. I have thorns, too.
Her Majesty doesn’t have time to register my presence before her head is in my hands and the knife I keep in my waistband is dragged across her throat. I press in deep, ensuring there’s no chance of survival.
My arms shake with the effort, but adrenaline keeps me moving.
I’m certain opening another portal will kill me. I have no other choice. I rip one open, my vision blurring as I stumble through. Mom gave explicit instructions on where to find her.
Within a second of stepping through the portal, I realize I’m not where I’m meant to be. I’m in a forest, surrounded by trees so dense that the sun barely reaches the ground. It’s dark and cold, far from the sun-soaked cabin I intended to travel to.
There’s no magic floating through the air, either.
I’m in the Redstall Forest. Shifter lands.
“That was unexpected.”
I spin, crouching low as my violet eyes meet crisp white ones. The man before me is lean, and he possesses no faerie or shifter traits. He’s other.
He’s a god .
I tighten my grip on my knife as his white eyes travel down my frame. Can he sense how weak I am? I’ve depleted the little bit of magic my body managed to store in the few days I’ve been in the faerie realm, leaving me virtually defenseless.
His gaze flickers to the right. “Kalix,” he says, greeting somebody I can’t yet see. “You’re late.”
Kalix. Mason’s younger brother?
I shift my weight as another man appears. He’s a shifter—there’s no question about it—and he’s the spitting image of his older brother. They share the same height, the same wavy dark hair, and the same vibrant green eyes.
Kalix buttons up his shirt as he weaves through the trees, his gaze darting between me and the god.
“I was busy,” he says. He jerks his chin toward me. “Any issues?”
I remain quiet, listening and learning. Adapting. I can’t open another portal. I’m too weak, and gods can manipulate them. I’d likely end up in the same spot, but significantly weaker. It’s not worth the risk.
“Minor inconveniences,” the god says. “She murdered the faerie queen, so enjoy dealing with that.”
Kalix frowns. “When?”
“Right before I pulled her here. She was heading to some cabin down south, probably an agreed-upon meeting point with her mother.”
What is Kalix doing with a god? Does my mother know? Does Alpha Theon know? Faeries and shifters have a long, complicated history with the gods. Everybody knows not to do business with them.
The shifters should understand that better than anybody else. They angered Zaha, and she destroyed the shifter kingdom. It’s because of her that they were forced to retreat into the Redstall Forest.
The god pulls something out of his pocket. It’s a thin, golden string, one I highly suspect is infused with magic. Within the blink of an eye, the god is in front of me. He ties the golden string around my neck with unnerving speed, and I hardly have time to react before he’s gone.
He vanishes into thin air, probably returning to the gods’ realm.
Kalix crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re a tiny little thing, aren’t you? Malnourished.” I don’t respond. He continues. “Figured Mason would’ve taken better care of you.”
I fight back a wince. Mason’s taking care of somebody, but it isn’t me. He’s denying the gift Zaha gave to us. He’s defying nature.
I touch the golden string tied around my throat, then tug. There’s a neat bow in the back, one that refuses to come undone. Despite how hard I rip, it doesn’t budge.
Panic drives me to finally speak. “What is this?”
Kalix spins around, turning away. “Follow me,” he orders. “My people are waiting.”
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