as well. Then where will the fae be?” I asked. “The best possible outcome would be for you to be exiled from Malovia.”
“They’ve already shunned me. They can exile me all they want, so long as I have you.”
“And how will you find the Crystals of Harmony then, hm? Will you kill off an entire race when you’ve failed to unite all the stones in time?”
“Let the fae die. Just give us a few more years together,” she pleaded.
“You’re not being rational. Think, Emma!” I shook her roughly. “My life might be on the line, but whatever you’re considering, it’s not worth it.”
Her cheeks blushed red with fury. “I did not bust my ass all last semester to save you from a demon, just to lose you to your cousin’s wrath. This is the last time you’re going to try and die on me, Ethan Nowak. You’d better prepare yourself if the trial doesn’t go our way, because I swear to Milonna, I will smash this palace down brick by brick before you get anywhere near the execution stage.”
My mouth ran dry. She wouldn’t give in. And I was terrified what her desperation would wrought.
And so, I had to save her from herself. If my mate wasn’t willing to give in, neither was I. Didn’t matter if my neck was destined for the guillotine. I’d spend every second thinking of a way out of this, until the blade severed my head from my shoulders.
“That won’t happen,” I said, as a finality. “I’ll do everything in my power to win that trial. You won’t have to play dirty. I’ll be clever enough to wriggle my way out of this. The Phantom always has before.”
I ran my thumb over her perfect lips, painfully aware the seconds were ticking by, and each moment gone meant a greater chance she was in danger. “Time’s running short, onawilke. You have to go.”
“And what if I stay here with you?”
“I won’t allow it. Go, Emma, please. Before you’re caught down here, and you land in just as dire straits as I’m in.”
Her boldened expression failed as I ordered her away. I took a few more precious moments to trail my fingers across her face, before she slowly stood up. She entwined her fingers with mine, and cast the spell to make another portal. She didn’t let go of my hand until she took a step forward.
Emma wiped a stray tear away. “I love you, Ethan. Whatever it takes.”
Her words bore a promise. Then she was gone. Emma vanished through the portal, and the spinning blue sphere vanished as I was left utterly alone in the dungeon once more.
Gods, her absence was like a knife that’d been plunged in my chest, then dragged all the way down to my gut, spilling out my insides in the process. I didn’t think anything could be more painful. Instead of succumbing to the agony of her departure, I clung to the memories of the time we’d just shared. Each word she said was precious. I mulled the scene over in my mind, again and again, just to keep myself from going mad.
I smelled the chicken Emma had brought me, and hunger rolled in my gut. Ravenous, I ate everything Emma had brought me— even the bones. My wolven gut could digest it, and although I’d shun away from such things in any normal circumstance, I needed every calorie I could get.
I felt depressed as I licked the remaining juices off my fingers. This was what I’d been demoted to. A despondent prisoner that had no more authority over his fate than a pig led to slaughter.
And I was leading my mate right to it as well. If I had known that this was the result of my vigilantism, I would’ve never put that mask on. I’d foolishly believed the only person who would receive consequences for my crimes would be myself.
Idiotic. No one had ever said I’d been a smart prince, besides.
Yet I still had faith. Despite the gnawing anxiety that ate away at my bones, I felt a prod from Luka that my journey wasn’t over yet. My god had never led me down the wrong path before, and though the road ahead might be dangerous and dire, perhaps there was a way out of it.
I had to believe there was. Not for my own sake, but for Emma’s, because I feared what the outcome would be for her and the entire fae community if there wasn’t.
***
The next morning came far too early. I’d only gained a few hours of sleep before I heard the creak of the dungeon door, and light spanned my face. I winced and forced myself to sit upward, shielding my eyes from the brightness.
By the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, someone was coming to speak to me. It was far too early to receive the stale bread and dirty water that the guards served as my measly sustenance. They’d been ignoring me for days. Why in the name of the gods were they bothering me now?
A tall shadow loomed from overhead. I looked at the darkened frown of the guard standing at my cell door. The expression he bore was impartial and cold. I immediately felt a wriggling in my gut that told me this wasn’t good.
“Get up,” he said. “King Elijah demands your appearance before the Circle. Your trial begins now.”
Continue The Griffin Knight and experience the trial today!
About the Author
Megan Linski is a disabled author who writes romance, fantasy, and contemporary fiction for young and new adults. When not writing she enjoys ice skating and horse riding. She is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and is an active fighter against common variable immune deficiency disorder.