Beneath the Crown's Teeth

AI VO

wo realms would come like

a corpse someone

th clinging to her skin. Thin. Filthy. Covered in grime and ghost-blood, like she'd clawed her way out of

whimper.

-spine locked in fear, fists curled li

ng into my knees, eyes fixed. Hands

ity. Not out

calcu

came down to this-one moment. One

reeked of death and old gods. The last shaman had whispered in my ear with smoke on his tongue: "She will we

n

king w

ed in power... a weapo

amped in a tunic stained from collar to hem. Hair matted and tangled across her cheek like fore

k signature. No

as the mountain and twice as stubbor

cond she hit the auction floor

believe it

d to be

r Starborne-then every soul I'd bled, every alliance I shattered, every enemy

I thought," Isaac said behi

Arms crossed, posture easy, but his eyes-those never rested. T

'll

eded. Her surviva

ng else

y sedated her," he added. "Didn't stop until

se, she

or-fast, vicious. She didn't fight like someone trying to

shif

subtle twitch, like her

ips parted like a question was tryi

ing," Isaa

lled beneath the crackling heat of the talisman burning against

-her eye

f. Not

. some

ssy. And locked on me like

e-what

there, cracked and

ou

t blink

, she tried to rise-twice. Failed once. Made it on the second go. H

.. wher

last mistake," Isaac answered, unmov

over a cracked li

What is this place? W

he no

like a tri

an. I was getting out.

n't have m

rd me. "I would've if

a plan

ne that belonged in the mouth

eing stuck in another cage. This o

. "Show some respect, ome

led. Slow. Measured. Like someone who'd b

f your Alpha had l

cut to me. And

means he wants somet

You're that sure

on't d

iting me.

. Silence is a weapon. And I

ting with something that might

royal hybrid possibly w

ght my a

ow what

hey use to make the monsters behave. The Boogeyman with a crown. Apex predator.

pit her poison. Let her wa

r na

idn't

even

hin tilted too high for s

ise my voic

r. N

ker of restraint. She bit dow

ei

nded like a

ait

ra,

th

ut. Eyes

in. "Keir

Turned her head away, one cut reopening along her c

u want answers? Ask like a pers

d, I wouldn't h

. Bitter. "Orphans d

li

. Too re

re rootless, she was mine to anchor. If she w

air. Mor

to speak again

you had no

or in her fingers. Not fear

on my knees. And you-" she dragged her eyes o

g were y

t h

ield c

eath s

at you're really asking, right? When did I stop believing? About a hu

t I cut in before

ave

esit

t repea

the door sea

m fear. From the sheer effor

n her verdict. Like the noose was knott

to touch me no

t you think

ence an

e like she was choosing which version of me she could su

half their army through frostbitten mountains for a girl

ned f

tched. Not a flin

... you'd be nak

t little movement too

er take what doesn't offer itself.

mine like I'd cracked

aybe

sed once-like the heartbeat I did

u want from someone like me?" she

esitate. "

se, sharp an

the silence. Let

h spoken too ear

eople like you. Blood. Bone. Obedience. So what is it this time, huh? You want a souvenir before I ro

ling now. Sha

shouldn't have been born. But you-" She laughed once, the sound

't speak. Sti

soul. No tribe. Just a beast

st

ery breath felt louder

e step to

idn't

idn't

watc

und the blanket like it was th

etallic click. Then-clean, deliberate-I dragged it down her cheek. Not e

ga

't s

ared air. Until there was nothing bet

ans-keep talking. I have vampire medics who mak

aw tw

leeding cheek-barely a touch

ming. Every night. For years. So unless you

ned c

mouth only t

foots

ed at the co

ding in fi

ake my eye

, call the Shaman. The girl get

ndered. I hea

Then louder, shriller-"Test me

tated. "Al

ate

fro

ad, slow. One

ow

e seat, eyes wide, the pan

e! Don't you f

. The needle sank into

fened. S

sped. "You're all

dy slumping, breath hi

, towering as she fina

furious thin

er. Not a

ke

eap

ng. The talisman on my c

would be the f

came in. She doesn't leave that ritual ch

d. "Yes,

the omega collapse into sleep, f

n't kno

ains hadn't eve

t

lready hold