The Glass Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil #2) - Gena Showalter Page 0,88

him in each incarnation? And don’t tell me it’s so you can start over.”

She humphed. —My life, my business.—

The gall. “I’ll tell you, then.” Truth was the only weapon that worked against a lie—it was the only weapon I had right now. Still pushing my way down the steps, I told her, “You killed him because you were angry with him. He didn’t choose to be with you, and you punished him for it.”

—Of course I did.—The words hissed through my mind. —He gave me the world, and then took it away. But I will get it back. He will love me again.—

“You cannot reap love when you sow hate.” I bumped into someone and bounced back, then mumbled an apology and flitted around them.

A hard hand clamped around my bicep, stopping me midway. I gasped and flipped up my gaze. My stomach dropped.

Trio towered over me, his features contorted with rage. “If it isn’t my favorite glass doll,” he said with a cruel grin.

I thrust my hand into my pocket, gripping one of my daggers. “Let go.”

Leaning down, pressing his nose into mine, he said, “Every time I visited the Temple, I obeyed my queen’s orders. You harmed her son, so, she harmed you in turn. A task she would have overseen herself, if you were worthy.”

“Let. Go.”

He tightened his grip. “The prince punished me for being too rough with you, choosing to support a princess rather than his own soldier. But that’s all right. I’m back with the queen, and she’s given me a new order. One I like very much indeed.”

I masked a wince, preparing to strike at him. I’d never stabbed anyone. If he held me much longer, I would do it, whatever the consequences. “I’m done talking to you. Let me go and move out of my way, or I will take measures against you.”

The people around us were too busy watching the battle to notice or care about the Glass Princess and an avian warrior.

Dior reached me and frantically pulled on the back of my gown. “Guards! Help us,” she shouted, but her voice didn’t carry over the cheers. “Guards! They’re almost upon us, Ashleigh. All will be well.”

Trio kept his gaze locked on me and grinned another twisted, evil grin. “The avian queen wants you dead. But first, she asked me to make you bleed.”

I did it. I struck, freeing the dagger and jabbing it at his gut.

I was new to battle. He wasn’t. He easily batted my hand away.

Defeated already?

Grin widening, he slapped his free hand over my throat. One squeeze and he cut off my air.

Panic engulfed me. The guards wouldn’t reach us in time. I needed to move, but I couldn’t. I could only punch at his arm.

I tried to breathe. I tried so hard. My lungs burned. A tide of dizziness invaded my head, and I thought I heard Dior scream. Black dots wove through my vision, and a high-pitched screech erupted in my ears. Suddenly I could hear nothing else—until a ferocious roar echoed through the coliseum.

The next thing I knew, the pressure on my throat eased and I dropped, my legs unable to support me. As I sucked in mouthfuls of air, the dizziness ebbed and the black dots faded.

Saxon loomed directly behind Trio, in the air, his expression marked by the most malicious rage I’d ever beheld. His broken wing labored to flap, barely able to hold him in place.

I scrambled back. Had he seen me attempt to stab his soldier and had stopped everything to punish me?

In a blur of motion, he snapped Trio’s neck with a single, violent yank. Shock held me immobile. What was even happening right now?

The avian’s knees buckled. Saxon grabbed him by the hair before he could hit the ground, flew him to the battlefield—and dropped him into the middle of the fray.

16

Will he show mercy to a foe?

The answer is always no.

SAXON

Impulses tore through me, one after the other, shredding my control. I wanted Adriel to feel the full breadth of my wrath. I wanted to gather Ashleigh in my arms and do for her what she’d done for me. I wanted to obliterate anyone who ever thought to harm her again.

I’d had half my attention on the battle, half on Ashleigh and the tracker spell inside my head, and it had cost me dearly, ensuring I took more hits than I should have. Divided attention always came with a cost. Yet, I couldn’t regret my actions. Being so