Page 92 of The Fallen Fae King

She wrenches Lanlin’s head up by the hair, before punching him across the face, once and then again.

His cheek shatters, and his eye swells.

She raises her fist again.

Daire dives across the room with uncanny speed, twirling as if to kick War away from Lanlin.

My lips curl. That would be a mistake.

War would kick Daire’s arse in front of this audience, and I would need to let her.

Maximinus would ensure that Daire couldn’t fight back.

War is angry enough to enjoy taking the fae apart.

“Stop, Raven,” Lanlin orders with a regal authority, which doesn’t match with his beaten appearance on his knees. “You are as chained as I am. On the Void, you are a fallen king too. If you serve me, do not intervene. If your vows were truthful, find a way back to our Omega.”

“I won’t leave you alone in an enemy court.”

“Haven’t you been alone in one — twice?”

“I wasn’t. I always had my soulmate with me.”

Furious, I stand.

This isn’t going how I thought it would.

Daire and Freya are closer…more loving and devoted…with Lanlin than I imagined in my worst nightmares, which have kept me awake since I was parted from them.

Is there even a place for me in this new pack that they have formed?

Hadrian roars through me, desperate to claw his way out.

Lucius takes a step closer to my shoulder, attempting to calm me with his pheromones. “Careful, Relius. Your eyes are doing that swirling thing.”

I ignore him.

Instead, I glower at Lanlin. “It is touching how well you play at friendship. You have convinced my King and Queen that they are yours with the same tricks.”

I expect Lanlin to deny it, but instead, he hunches his shoulders. “On my heart, I swear that I have done what was needed to save them, as I have to keep my oath to you.”

“You broke your oath to me,” I roar.

“I didn’t.” Lanlin attempts to stand, but War shoves him brutally back to his knees. “We swore on our blood not to betray each other. You were the one person in the realms apart from Laz who I wouldn’t betray.”

“So, you’re a liar too.” I feel like I have been turned to ice.

Lanlin bares his fangs at War. “Let me explain⁠—”

“What else did you lie about?” I demand. I must know, although I am carving into my own chest by demanding these answers. “Were you ever my friend? Or did your kingdom send you to me as a spy? Were you ordered to get close to me?” My stomach drops. “We didn’t meet in the rose garden that first time by chance, did we?”

Lanlin raises his head, holding my gaze.

There is an entire lifetime of conversations in that gaze. But he doesn’t speak a word.

I fight not to shake.

Lanlin has just taken some of the few happy memories that I have from my youth — those of my best friend, the fellow outcast king who understood me — and lifted the shadowed veil to reveal that they were fake.