Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“If she wanted to see you, she’d be with you right now,” Finn growls.
“Damn it, Finn,” Sebastian snaps. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s wise,” Kane says, taking a step closer to Finn. “Because Brie isn’t likely to forgive you as it is, but if you harm Finn, she may truly hate you forever.”
“You’re just angry that she chose me,” Sebastian snarls.
“Oh, I’m angry all right.” Finn’s eyes glitter. “But she didn’t choose you. She chose the work of fiction you created for her, the pretty little story you wooed her with—the poor golden prince with the dying mother and the dream of uniting two kingdoms after centuries divided.”
“It wasn’t fiction,” Sebastian says. “You know the prophecy as well as I do—a king who appears as an outsider will balance shadow and sun, save Mab’s people, and end the war. I am that king.”
Kane coughs. “Bullshit.”
Finn laughs darkly. “It’s funny to me that you never mentioned to her how . . . complicated it would be to unite the Seelie and Unseelie kingdoms.” He taps a finger to his lips and studies the ceiling. “No. Complicated isn’t the right word. Impossible is more fitting. Our courts exist to balance each other. They cannot be joined without the blood of Mab, and your people saw to it that her line was killed off long ago.”
“You didn’t give her the full truth either,” Sebastian says.
“Yes, but I never spouted such ridiculous plans.” Finn’s mask of amusement falls away. “You’re a fool, Sebastian,” he says, emphasizing the name like an insult. “A fool if you believe our world would be better off under one ruler. You might be young, but you know the history. You know how corrupt the royalty became with that kind of power.”
“I suppose you believe that Mab’s curse saved us?” Sebastian snaps.
“Yes,” Finn says. “I do. The shadows bring balance to the sun, the dark balances the light.”
“And war kills us all,” Sebastian says.
Sighing, Finn strolls to the dais and takes the Mirror of Discovery from its place on the wall. “Was anything you told her true?” he asks, spinning the mirror in his hand. “Funny how you gifted her with such a precious artifact but completely neglected to mention its inaccuracies.”
Finn grunts, and Sebastian takes a step toward him before stopping himself, clenching his fists at his sides.
“It suited your plans though, didn’t it?” Finn went on. “She believed her sister was happy and healthy, that our evil uncle gave her all she needed while she stayed here.” His gaze flicks up to Sebastian before dropping back down to the mirror. “You knew she’d see what she hoped to see. You knew her well enough to know that she was full of hope. And you did nothing to warn her.”
“I wasn’t the only one who lied.”
“Perhaps not,” Finn says, calmly replacing the mirror before turning back to Sebastian and staring at the tattoos visible above the prince’s tunic. “Though I didn’t hide as much either.”
Sebastian’s blade sings as he pulls it free of its sheath, but Jalek is there, moving faster than I can track and stepping between Finn and Sebastian. He keeps his eyes on the golden prince.
“Jalek,” Sebastian says, as if he hadn’t noticed him there before. His lip curls in a sneer. “Last time I saw you, you were in the dungeons, where you belong. Perhaps you can return once I become king. You can watch from there as your prince and all your friends bow to me.”
“We bow to no one but Finn,” Jalek growls.
Finn steps forward and puts a hand on Jalek’s forearm. “Easy, friend. My brother’s just here to take our father’s throne.” He waves a hand toward Sebastian and then the throne. “By all means, don’t let us keep you.”
Jalek turns wide eyes on Finn.
“What are you doing?” Kane grumbles.
Sebastian’s gaze drifts from Finn to the polished ebony throne and back. “What did you do to it?”
Finn chuckles and steps toward the dais. “You know very well that I couldn’t disturb the throne even if I wanted to. It’s protected by Mab’s magic.”
Sebastian’s eyes blaze. “You expect me to believe that you want me to take the throne?”
Finn widens his stance and folds his arms, his expression deceptively relaxed. “I never said that. But you wear the crown, so what’s keeping you from it?”
Sebastian holds Finn’s gaze for several pounding beats of my heart, the tension thick in the air. These males manipulated and deceived me, but I don’t want to see them tear each other apart.
Sebastian lifts his chin. “I don’t wish you any harm, Finnian. This throne was promised to me before I was conceived.”
Finn scoffs. “Funny. Our father promised me the same thing.”
“Oberon wanted me to rule. He wanted to unite sun and moon, light and shadow.”
“Did he tell you that or did your mother?”