Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) - Shannon Messenger Page 0,236

rescue him.

Surely this is only between him and the Neverseen.

But when she glanced toward the dwarven king—who now stood blocking the door—his eyes were fixed on her.

And they were not friendly.

He held her stare as he raised his leg and slammed his foot down hard enough to crack the floor and…

Then there was chaos.

And Sophie understood why humans loved to say “it was all a blur,” because her brain had no way to process what had happened.

Screams and gasps and grunts and pain—but only for a few heartbeats—and then Sophie realized she was now on the floor, limbs bound, something heavy on her back.

And she wasn’t the only one.

She couldn’t turn her head much, but she could see Keefe and Maruca and Wylie and Sandor and Ro.

Only Keefe was conscious.

And Sophie’s mind fixated on the “how”—how the dwarves could strike so fast, so true, and take out their group in seconds.

But when she found her voice, she shoved down those questions, focusing on the fact that she needed King Enki to know. “We weren’t a part of this.”

She expected him to argue.

But he told her, “I know.”

“Then why?” Sophie wondered, still trying to figure out the misunderstanding as King Enki crouched in front of her.

“Your Council and your Black Swan have come to my city many times—telling me to trust them and no others. Begging for my help. My faith. My fealty. Offering their help in exchange, as if I haven’t noticed how many times they’ve failed. As if my people haven’t had to help them rebuild, over and over and over, after their defeats. As if I didn’t wonder if they ever had a victory. And then they came to me again, telling me they were now allies. Stronger. Smarter. And they told me the next attack would be in my city. Promised to stop it. Told me to trust. But they had no plan. And they sent me children. So I knew how it would end. And I made my own alliance. With the ones who win.”

Sophie’s mouth went dry.

And her heart pounded harder, harder, harder as she strained her neck, searching the prone figures around her for any sign of a black cloak.

“Don’t struggle,” King Enki told her as she tried to twist free, reaching for the strength in her core. “And don’t dare use any of your abilities. Your friends are unconscious now—but I can finish them easily, starting with your goblin, ogre, and gnome.”

Keefe barked a vicious laugh. “You’re seriously allying with the people who had a knife to your throat a few minutes ago instead of the people who helped you escape?”

King Enki marched over to where Keefe lay struggling against the dwarf holding him. “If you think I couldn’t have knocked the Shade to the ground and stabbed him with his own weapon—or simply tunneled away—you’re a bigger fool than I imagined.”

“Then why…?” Sophie started to ask.

But it wasn’t hard to figure out.

Not with hindsight, at least.

“You needed to wait for Keefe to arrive,” Sophie said, certain Lady Gisela was nearby listening. “So you let King Enki play hostage.”

“It wasn’t my most clever improvisation—but it got the job done,” she agreed. “Though King Enki still owes me one more thing.”

King Enki sighed. “If you go back on your word—”

“I won’t,” Lady Gisela assured him.

“Then so be it,” King Enki said, and Sophie twisted and fought, but it didn’t matter. She could only watch as he dragged Keefe over to his throne and dropped him onto the seat—then placed his crown over Keefe’s head.

Keefe looked like he was trying to thrash and kick, but his body wouldn’t—couldn’t—move.

“It’s the magsidian,” King Enki told him. “I carved new facets in the throne this morning to make it draw body heat. There’s no way you can resist the pull. So I’d save your energy. It sounds like you’re going to need it.”

With that he stood tall and turned to Lady Gisela and said, “My debt is fulfilled—do your ceremony.”

“It’s not a ceremony,” Lady Gisela corrected. “It’s a transformation. The beginning of a brilliant new legacy. And it starts now.”

FIFTY

SO… MY LEGACY IS… KING of the dwarves?” Keefe asked, trying for a smirk—but it looked too much like a grimace. “Gotta admit, I did not see that coming!”

And somewhere out of Sophie’s line of sight, there was a very loud sigh.

“You really will make a joke out of anything, won’t you?” Lady Gisela asked from the same direction.

“Um, you just had King Enki shove me onto his throne