Page 122 of The Throne Seeker (Vallorian #1)

Lord Martin’s gaze switched to Roman as he continued.

“You moved on to the next brother, the general of Vallor’s largest army.

Once you learned of the queen’s health, you rushed back with your siren fully intact, bringing him and Xavier back to help you gain control over this court.

You persuaded Roman to tell you about the talisman and then tried to bed Tristan as a distraction as Roman stole the talisman for you! ”

Rose’s mother was the one to bite back. “She has done none of what you say. You have no idea who took the talisman. And so you all don’t look like fools for letting it be taken under your noses, you look to blame Rose—who has done nothing but help not just the royal family but all of Cathan.

But what would you know of that, Lord Martin?

While you sit and hide in the protection of this castle.

Well, danger has finally crept its way into these walls.

There is no more hiding.” Her mother looked to Tristan.

“Your father saw it, and he’d have never allowed for this, let alone blame an innocent girl for the high council’s negligence. ”

Lord Martin’s mouth curled, the insult striking a chord with him. “She is not a girl . She is a siren. Nor do I trust the whore who birthed it.”

Tristan slammed his fist against the bars. “ Enough! ” he bellowed. “We came to find the talisman. There is no evidence of Rose’s involvement. It is mere speculation on your part, Lord Martin, and I do not condone the continued self-serving accusation.”

Rose’s lungs finally accepted air back into her lungs. It gave her a sliver of solace to know Tristan still cared enough to protect her.

However, that comfort vanished when Tristan’s harsh gaze returned to Roman.

“But we do have concrete proof that Roman had access to the talisman and that Xavier committed treason during the first challenge. Since the lotus powder is out of the question, our options are limited…” His eyes searched the air as he thought.

“It looks like we’ll have to deal with this the hard way.

” Tristan gestured to the guards. “Take them to the cliffs.”

An avalanche slammed Rose to the floor. She knew what happened to those accused on the rocky seaside. He couldn’t be serious. He would never. They were his brothers. His blood .

But as Tristan said earlier that summer—blood doesn’t make a brother.

Panic overrode her as the guards came to seize Roman and Xavier.

“Tristan, no, wait,” she pleaded, gripping the cell’s cold, slick bars. “Please wait! You have to believe me. We’re telling the truth.”

Tristan’s powerful eyes capsized her hopes with one cannon blast. “Restrain Rose and Evelyn and escort them back to their chambers,” Tristan said to the guards waiting just outside the iron gate.

“They don’t need to see what happens next.

” He returned to her cell, lowering his voice.

“I’ll keep guards posted outside your door.

You’re welcome to stay in my room if it makes you feel safer. ”

The bloody snake.

“To keep me safe or to keep me in your bed?” she whispered, her siren switching sides as its claws poised, ready to slash him to bits now Roman’s life was threatened.

Tristan had no intention of answering her question. He strutted for the iron doors with Lord Barron and Lord Martin following dutifully behind him.

Rose’s frame shook with fear. She couldn’t let him do this. He wouldn’t. He was bluffing.

“Tristan, if you do this, I’ll never forgive you,” she called after him in warning. “There will be no redemption for you.”

Disregarding her warning, Tristan strode out of the dungeons, taking his dark aura with him.

The guards arrived to open her cell, swiftly placing chains around her wrists, but before they could lead her anywhere, she spun around, breaking free from the guard’s hold. She went straight for Roman, taking his face in her hands, the bulky shackles on her wrists clanking.

“What do I do?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Leave,” Roman commanded. She knew his voice was meant to be strong, but it came out hoarse. “Get out of here. Go with your mother and don’t look back. Take Onyx and go to Moretti. He’ll help hide you. He’s the only one who knows about these men.”

Rose shook her head in denial. She wouldn’t accept this. She couldn’t. Her siren’s rage wouldn’t allow it.

“No. I won’t run. I’ll fight them off. I’ll kill every last one if I have to.”

She meant it. She’d kill them all and deal with the consequences later.

“No,” he said at once. “Even with your abilities, they’ll kill you before you reach the gates. Even Tristan will not be able to save you.”

Rose’s eyes pricked as the guards came closer, preparing to drag him to his fate.

She flung her arms around his neck, slamming her body into his.

She clutched his tunic in fistfuls, inhaling a greedy amount of the musky scent of cedar that had become her personal drug.

She had just found him. She was supposed to have years with him.

He was supposed to take her to Eristan. He’d promised.

“I love you… Gods, Roe, I love you,” Roman murmured into her ear.

She squeezed her eyes shut, not just to keep the tears back, but to memorize the fluctuation of his voice, letting the rough groves engrave her heart.

“In whatever realm or life is next for me, I will wait for you, and I will find you.”

She pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. Gods, those beautiful honey-golden eyes she’d let herself be glazed in. The desert she’d been scorched by. The flames in which she had been consumed.

Her eyes were swimming. She wasn’t strong enough for this. She wouldn’t survive. He was her air supply. She would suffocate without him. She’d go mad. She’d…

“I won’t let you go on that adventure without me.”

“Yes, you will,” Roman stated. “Dammit, you will. Just…” His voice weakened as he strained to speak. “Just remember me, please.”

He said it as though it was a real possibility that this was the end.

The guards grew impatient as they tried to tug Roman to the door, but Rose wouldn’t budge, pressing her lips to Roman’s, running her hands through his hair.

“I am yours,” she whispered, hoping he gathered what she meant—that she was sorry for going to Tristan’s room, sorry she wasn’t able to make it right.

She was sorry.

So, so sorry.

He leaned his forehead down to hers, nothing but pure love radiating through him. “And you are mine,” he whispered back.

Without warning, he was ripped from her arms. His eyes stayed locked on to hers until he was forced through the iron doors.

Rose faced Xavier, whose eyes were heavily fortified by a thick wall of ice. She walked right up to that high wall as she placed a hand on his chest, and watched it melt under her fingertips. Past it, she could feel his fear, his anger, his regret all at once.

“Rose,” Xavier whispered, defeated.

Rose wrapped her arms around him, feeling the spike in his blood pressure. “You should’ve never come back,” she whispered.

“No, I should have never left. I should have told you the truth about how I felt about you. I should’ve let you in. I should’ve protected you. You were right—I was a coward. There were so many things I wish I would’ve done… I love you, smart-ass, and I always will.”

Rose’s eyes shifted between his. She parted her mouth to say something, but no sound escaped. It felt as though an invisible hand wrapped itself around her throat, stopping her.

He kissed her softly on the forehead, pouring the last of his soul into hers. The guards were at his side within moments.

“Get out while you still can,” Xavier said, repeating Roman’s words. “Now.”

Before Rose could get another word out, he was gone.

The rest of the guards closed in around Rose and Evelyn, herding them toward the door.

“What are we going to do?” her mother whispered, eyeing the guards anxiously.

“I’m not running,” Rose stated before her mother could dissuade her. “I don’t care how dangerous it is. I won’t leave them.”

To Rose’s utter surprise, a strong wave of willpower poured out of her mother’s resilient hazel eyes. “I know,” her mother agreed. “We have to save them, but how?”

“I think I have an idea,” Rose said.

“No more talking,” the guard ordered, grabbing her roughly by the arm.

The guards hauled them from the dungeons back to the main corridor. However, unlike Roman and Xavier, who had been led away by two guards, they were escorted by five.

Apparently, Tristan wanted to be absolutely certain she made it back to her quarters.

As they walked silently, Rose tried to make eye contact with the guards, but they avoided her gaze as if knowing if they looked into her eyes she could reach into their minds like she had with Moretti. Her siren smirked inwardly. She had to admit, she was flattered by their effort.

Her mother threw her an uneasy glance, questioning her with her eyes as if to say, Now what do we do?

Carefully, Rose scanned each guard for her sword.

She found it attached to the guard five steps ahead on her right, hooked onto his belt.

She strained her ears for the jingle of keys.

Her heightened senses led her gaze to the guard on her left.

The keys dangled from his hip, secured under his red cloak.

She prayed to the lost city above that this would work.

She opened her mouth and sang.

Starry skies casts illusions of hope,

soft winds press against white sails.

Salty air fills a sailor’s tired lungs,

a helm rests under steady palms.

Little do they know, the danger lurking below.

Rose could feel the men’s auras begin to soften, some more quickly than others. The guard leading them swerved back to her.

“No singing,” he scolded, his eyes meeting hers.

A mistake.

Her sea-green eyes swallowed him whole.

The first sign is a change in the wind,

Dark clouds summoned to bring chaos in.

Your guides are gone, and so is the light.

Waves grow fiercer, but none grow wiser,

for my voice alone reaches your ears.

You believe this song

will drag you to the sea,

but it is the silence

that will drive you to insanity.

You’ll long for my eyes, but all you’ll find

is a bottomless pit of your own demise.

Oh, the silence will drown you,

it’ll drown you.

You better run, it’ll drown you.

Created from tears of forced love,

the lustful and weak are drawn to the call.

Between angelic notes and dulcet tunes,

are the echoes of grief and pain

darkened souls yearn for.

You believe this song

will drag you to the sea,

but it is the silence

that will drive you to insanity.

You’ll long for my eyes, but all you’ll find

is a bottomless pit of your own demise.

Oh, the silence will drown you,

it’ll drown you.

You better run, it’ll drown you.

Oh, my silence,

my silence will drown you.

Oh, you’d better run, I’ll drown you.

That was all it took. One song, and her beguiling voice enthralled them, creating just enough of a distraction to get close enough to the guard with the keys.

She lunged for his sword.

The guard had little time to react as Rose swiped his weapon.

She sliced the belt loop holding the set of keys attached to his waist. She threw the keys to her mother, who caught them and quickly began to unlock the clasps while Rose kept the guards at bay with bound hands, buying her more time. Finally, her mother was set free.

Her mother got her hands on a fallen sword, and together, they went to work, disarming the soldiers one by one as quickly as possible.

A few moments later, she and her mother managed to wrangle the five soldiers up and tie them together, gagging and stuffing them into the nearest room they could find before someone discovered them.

They quickly closed the doors behind them, remaining in the room for now until they could find their bearings.

Her mother was bent over, breathing harshly, while Rose was unfazed.

“Well, you’ve gotten much better,” her mother huffed.

Rose swung her sword lazily in a circle, showing off. “You should have trained with me and Zareb.”

Her mother brushed back a strand of hair that had come loose. “Yes, well, I don’t have the speed or youth of a siren on my side.”

Rose stalked up to the guard sitting on the floor who had her sword attached to his belt. Her siren took over as she crouched to his level. His eyes gripped on to her like he was hanging from a ledge she had shoved him out on.

“Hello,” she said, a predatory smile playing on her lips as her fingers slid down the buttons of his tunic. “You don’t mind if I take back my sword, do you?”

The guard gulped, shaking his head. His human heart pounded so closely to the surface, Rose was certain she could easily reach into his chest and grab it.

His temples beaded with sweat as she glided her fingers strategically over to the rose-engraved hilt, wrapping her fingers around it, and extracting it from its scabbard.

She leaned forward to whisper, “Thank you,” then rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. She stood and faced her mother. “Come on, we need to hurry. They’ll reach the cliffs soon.”

Without another word, they left the room and ran down the corridor, ignoring the muffled cries of the tied-up, groaning men behind them.