I jerked awake, still on the floor in my chambers as a loud knock sounded at my door.
“Sire? The council has gathered again and requests your presence.”
Rubbing a hand down my face, I said I would be right out. My mind was fuzzy, struggling to separate reality from my nightmares. Seeing Kate bearing that shield, using it to kill everyone in sight, to kill Forrest and me.
All I saw were those black eyes, and when I found my feet, walking to the wash basin to splash water on my face, a nagging voice in the back of my mind started to agree with Forrest.
What if we’d been wrong all along? What if Kate was not destined to be the Vindicar, but this path she was on now was her true fate? To start a war to end all wars and destroy the realms?
“No,” I growled at my reflection angrily. “It’s not true, and you know it.”
But did I?
Not willing to spend another second arguing with myself, I changed clothes quickly and hurried from my chambers, the two guards at my door following close behind. In times of war, I’d almost forgotten two guards always followed the king around, something else I was not sure I’d ever get used to.
When I entered the council chamber, it was filled with each member, and Forrest.
He barely looked at me as I entered and took my seat.
“What news do we have?” I asked to get the gathering started.
But no one said a word.
I started to get uneasy when Forrest cleared his throat and spoke. “We have no news, but I’ve requested everyone here to discuss a more important matter.”
“And that would be?” I asked hesitantly.
His gaze locked onto mine as he said, “The fate of Katherine Darrah.”
“No,” I growled, shooting to my feet. “No, I refuse to discuss this!”
“You don’t have a choice,” Drake said gently. “She has put everyone at risk, and she must be dealt with.”
I ran a hand through my hair, pacing away from the table.
“If we’re able to capture her,” Forrest said, “we needed to decide what will be done with her.”
“We’ll save her,” I snarled, whirling around on them all. “There’s no other option!”
“And if she can’t be saved, what then?” he shot back. “We keep her prisoner and hope she doesn’t escape? Doesn’t come after anyone else we care about? I am not willing to take that risk. We’re voting, right now.”
I growled in warning, but no one spoke up to stop him.
“All in favor of killing Katherine Darrah for crimes committed against the realms, raise your hand,” Forrest stated, and lifted his hand into the air without hesitation.
I watched in horror as everyone else at the table, aside from myself, Lucy, and Tristan, raised their hands with Forrest.
Three against the rest.
My heart plummeted, and the room spun around me.
Just like that, they were going to kill her.
“I’m sorry, Craig,” Forrest murmured as he lowered his hand. “But this is how it has to be.”
“I’m sorry you see it that way. Sorry all of you do, but I am not going to give up on her, not yet.”
“There’s no way to bring her back!” Forrest yelled as I stormed out the door. “Craig!”
But I ignored him, walking until I found myself outside, then kept on walking, out the front gate and into the open fields that surrounded the castle.
I couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t.
And I wasn’t going to let anyone else hurt her either.
Out of the three of us, I always assumed it would be Forrest who would keep the faith and make sure we all stayed on track.
And now, here I was ready to strangle him because he’d let his anger and sorrow get in the way.
The key to saving Kate had to lie within the shards we had.
Somehow, they would bring her back. It was either that or watch her be killed.