Epilogue
HEIR ELIJAH OF THE CRONE PACK.
Istand in front of the army of Wrath, separated into different colonies, spreading in so many directions, and smile.
The swords are mine, finally, and she will bring them all to me in the end.
I look down at the Crone Pack crown in my hand—the red metal flames.
My father doesn’t even know what I’ve been up to all these years, what I was born for in this world, but he is a tool I need to use to control the Crone pack lands for now.
I am not the heir to the Crone Pack, my cousin Blackfire is, and the bastard just doesn’t die.
I tried to kill Heir Reed at the ball, but the arrow went into Meredith’s neck by accident.
I tried to kill both Heir Orion and Heir Reed at the lake, but it didn’t work.
They are still in the way, and now Orion is alpha, with even more power and obsession with what is mine.
Meredith Crone, not Duskmore, has been mine forever. My golden girl. She doesn’t remember yet, but that works out for me. In this world, in this time, she will not betray me and turn her back on me again for them.
One of the Wrath steps up to my side, bowing his head. They communicate only with me and each other. “The experiments are working. Soon we will be able to administer it to every one of them, and they can travel the sea.”
“Good. You will not have long to wait. I will soon have all the keys and access to the full amount of power that I am owed.” I nod at the unnamed Wrath and walk away.
I head back into the broken, old palace, which used to be a holiday home for the royal family of Void City.
I go up several flights of stairs to her room, and I knock once before opening the door and heading inside.
Knocking is pointless—she’s my prisoner.
She has been locked up for twelve long years.
The queen of Void City turns back to me, her hair cut shorter than when I visited her last and her gold eyes narrowing.
She steps forward, the chains rattling around her wrists, and she stares at me with hate.
This body was only a boy when I walked into it and crushed the soul residing here.
I knew I needed a title, protection and enough freedom to find her.
A prince was perfect, even as young as he was.
Meredith was destined to end up in the courts and I only had to wait to meet her.
In the meantime, I needed a prisoner who knows about magic and spells—someone useful.
The queen is that. I sent guards to attack them just as Meredith’s power came in, and she did the rest. I took the queen from the rubble, making sure to use a spell strong enough to ensure no one would suspect she wasn’t dead.
I left enough remains of some random woman to make it look that way.
Meredith was always my goal, but her mother is my protection.
Yet, I couldn’t help myself and went back to see how Meredith was coping as a teenager in the human district.
I wanted the world to break her down and make her weak, but it did not.
I became her friend until I locked her in that room.
I didn’t want to share her with the world.
She is mine. I should have brought her here instead, but I didn’t want her too close to her mother and the truth.
That was a mistake, and so was burning her when I lost my temper—but I had to make sure no one else would look twice at her.
And yet they did. My fists clench. Blackfire and his fucking claim on her as his wife. Reed, and that other one, Orion, and Zyran. They will all die for touching what is mine. She has been mine for a very long time, and she will remember. I focus on the queen. “Good news—your spells are working.”
“You hardly gave me a choice. This or my son dies, and my city with him. I’ve already lost my daughter…
I cannot lose him.” She lifts her chin, chains pulling taut as she gets as close as she can to me.
There is madness in the queen’s eyes, madness I placed there when I told her Meredith died. “Send me back now.”
“No.” I look at her steadily. “That won’t be happening.
It’s time for war, and you are the only thing keeping me from invading your lands and killing your son—which means you will continue doing everything I ask.
” I turn towards the door. “Keep making spells to breed Wrath. I need more.” I walk out, my thoughts on those who look at Meredith like she is theirs.
They will die…and in her grief, she will finally be mine.
My golden girl who burnt so well. My queen of darkness.
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