Chapter 38
It was now past midnight and Thalia couldn't hear anything from her room, cursing the soundproof spells that Blynn had cast. She was getting restless not knowing how the fight was going but couldn't link Raf and ask for fear of distracting him.
Walking in circles, she took deep breaths to calm herself. She knew Rafail was unharmed – it's not like the soundproofing couldn't interfere with their bond. But what about the others? Was Raina okay? She loved that babygirl with all her heart and hated how she was already a beacon for treacherous scumbags to use as a means to their malicious ends. The disgusting plan of theirs was to kill Raina in hopes of causing a rift between Roi and Raf, knowing that without his brother, the king was more vulnerable. They would all die before they ever reached her though. All of Raina's loved ones – Thalia included – would make sure of that.
Technically, their plan was a solid one. Without Roi by his side, Rafail was sure not to have his head in the game. But they had largely underestimated their royals and how strong they truly were together. And now, they were in for a rude awakening.
Still pacing around, Thalia contemplated going out to find Rafail but quickly dismissed the thought. The queen puffed her cheeks in frustration, blowing away some locks that had fallen on her face. It had been more than thirty minutes since Rafail abruptly closed the link off and Darren – who had volunteered to join their counterattack - had confirmed it was because the attack was about to start. He had linked Thalia on his own accord, not knowing whether Rafail had managed to tell her or not. He felt like the queen deserved to know but now she couldn't link him either. Darren had kinda grown on them all, at least enough that she preferred him alive.
Deciding to sneak a peek through her door, Thalia silently pushed it open. Her heart thudded when she heard nothing. Was the fight over already? It couldn't have been - Rafail would have let her know as soon as it happened. With a loud heart, she took another step outside and carefully pulled the door shut behind her. She knew it was risky but her gut was pushing her to find them - and it had never led Thalia in the wrong direction. Here's to hoping this wouldn't be the first time.
As she quietly descended the stairs, the sound of growls and gunshots pierced her ears. It was coming from outside and, against her better judgement, she followed it. Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she twisted her body so as to sneak outside undetected through the kitchen door. Immediately, she was greeted by a sight she would never forget, one that was sure to haunt her dreams.
Blood, sweat and silver were all she could smell as she looked at the palace garden that was now a wasteland of scattered limbs. Long gone were the beautiful flowers, their fallen petals stained red. Thalia felt bile rise in her throat and she hugged her stomach instinctively.
She was used to the gruesomeness – it was part of the werewolf life. Their training sessions often turned into bloodbaths. But the sight in front of her? It was what actual war looked like. Even when they had taken Cavan down, Thalia hadn't seen such brutality. Their plan back then had been clean enough to avoid more bloodshed than necessary. She had hoped they could do the same this time around but, as she stared at the river of blood and mangled limbs, she understood what a naïve thought that had been.
She shouldn't have come outside, she realized as her stomach retched once more. Thalia swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. She hadn't been spotted yet, the darkness of the night working in her favor, but it wouldn't be long before someone heard her erratic heart. Thankfully, Sarin had had the mind to mask her scent too, just in case it went downhill. And it had. Fuck, it had.
Frantically trying to locate her loved ones without giving her own location away, she let out a breath of relief when she spotted Rafail snapping the neck of a hunter who was just about to shoot Jonathan. He hadn't fully shifted, looking every bit of the king he was with his golden eyes and elongated claws. What surprised her was that there were werewolves fighting side by side with the hunters. What the hell? How many enemies did they truly have?
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Crowned King (Throne of Thorns #2)
Fantasy'Heavy is the head who wears the crown.' Rafail knew the words to be true as he weighed the gold piece in his hands. He had finally managed to avenge his father and take back a kingdom that was rightfully his. But at what cost? As a new threat cam...
