The Forgotten Crown

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jovah's entire body ached. His lip throbbed, the burns on his forearms stung as his magick tried to regenerate the skin his own fire had burned. Though, he was much too focussed on what had just come out of the traitor bitch's mouth to think too much about it.

Morana collapsed, pulling the skinwalker down with her. She stared at the floor, eyes glazed.

A swift breeze, heavy with rain, plunged into the room. As if to fill the silence. Xandrianna was a liar. She was a murderer, a traitor, and a damned liar. Jovah gritted his teeth. He tried to stand, but his body was too weak. He'd have to heal before he could move again. If only his body would hurry the hell up.

"Well, this was not what I expected," Prince Dagan said matter-of-factly, folding his arms over his chest. He looked between Xandrianna and Morana. "Is that why you used magick? To protect her?"

Xandrianna nodded, her braids swaying. "I glamoured myself and went into hiding. It was the only way I could assure her safety."

"You turned her into a criminal!" Zatharain snapped, his cheeks reddening. "How is that any way to protect her? Were you even going to return her?"

Xandrianna frowned. "I wasn't. Morana was safe in Molwreeth and I couldn't bear to return her to this place. I wouldn't let her rule over a kingdom of people who despise her. I agree I could have handled my position of power better, but no one would've suspected a thief to be the missing princess." Her eyes flicked to Jovah. "Until you came along."

His magick burned in his throat. "You're lying!" Female halflings were rare. Twins were nearly unheard of in fae babes. But Queen Isleen had birthed twin-halfling girls? It wasn't possible. Even if she did, he would have known. She would have told him.

Zatharain gave him a pitted expression. He scratched at the collar of his ruby doublet, now stained with the dust from the floor. "She's telling the truth, Highness."

The prince blinked. He searched the room, meeting each of their eyes before his own fell onto the halfling. She still stared at the floor. "What do you mean?"

He inhaled slowly as if to steady himself before he spoke. "To my knowledge, only His Majesty, Xandrianna, Griselda, and I knew about them. Queen Isleen made us swear to never tell a soul. Arthur and Edith took one, to ensure she'd live."

Xandrianna lowered her eyes to Morana. "Her Majesty would have sent both to Ellesmere, but as queen, she had to have an heir. One that belonged to her mate—to Hollin. Making the choice to separate you two broke her, but it was unavoidable."

Jovah couldn't fathom what he was hearing. A ringing pulsed in his ears. Astraea was destined to die. Isleen knew what she was getting into when she claimed a human as her mate.

"I can remember the fire. I remember choking on the smoke," Morana whispered, eyes settling on Xandrianna. "I can't remember how I escaped."

The skinwalker slid away from her, propping himself on the wall parallel to Jovah. His skin was slowly regenerating. The lashes Zatharain had left were turning pink. Xandrianna kneeled in front of her. She reached for Morana's hair, but she reeled, pushing her body away with her legs.

Moisture collected in Xandrianna's eyes as she let her hand drop. "I was the one who found Astraea's body," she said, voice sturdy despite the despair written all over her face. "I carried that girl out of the ravine and back to the castle. It was me who presented her body to Isleen. And then I held her while she wailed. She clutched onto her daughter's corpse until Warrick had to pry them apart. She sent me to Ellesmere in a panic, terrified that whoever was responsible knew you lived there. She was right."