“You’ve been tried and found guilty of conspiring with Quandary Bloods, abusing your position as heir to the Elite Blood throne, and perjury against the Council,” my father announced. “The punishment of which is immediate descension and the denouncing of your Elite Blood ties.”
My eyebrows shot upward. “When was the trial?”
“Today.”
I nearly laughed. “And I wasn’t given a chance to speak on my own behalf? To my own damn Council?”
“I spoke for you,” Shade said. “As your mate.”
My lips parted as realization hit me square in the chest. “You son of a bitch. That’s why you bit me!”
The bastard had the audacity to shrug. To. Shrug. Like it meant nothing that he’d taken all my rights away with a single damn bite!
And no, the irony of this situation was not lost on me.
Because he’d just done to me what he’d done to Aflora in the beginning.
“This is so fucked up,” I said, shaking my head.
“What’s fucked up is my own son, my blood, choosing an abomination over his duty to the crown.” My father—or whoever this dick was—shook his head. “The descension begins now.”
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“Your king,” he replied, power underlining those two words and wrapping around my neck like a noose. “Now kneel.”
“Fuck you,” I choked out, my own gifts roaring to life, preparing for a fight.
I wasn’t going to bend over and take this shit. The source had chosen me for a reason. I was the future king. And I let them feel it by unleashing all my power in a rapid wave of fire that engulfed the room in red embers.
“Kols!” Ella shouted, her small frame collapsing over Tray, her defensive shield rapidly melting beneath my fury.
Phoenix fires! I yanked my essence back, sparing her and my brother, only to feel my father’s energy flare outward. It struck me directly in the chest.
My knees buckled beneath the impact, the air whooshing from my lungs. No! I pushed back, creating a shield to protect myself against the onslaught, but it was too late.
Dark energy rippled along my arms, the source calling upon my spirit to relinquish control. It hit me from inside, spreading a sharp demand through my veins, sucking the life from my very soul.
I cried out, the agony shredding apart the core of my being. It felt as though I was being ripped in half, my purpose in life dying before my eyes.
Don’t do this. Please don’t do this! I begged as the dark source reneged on every promise it had ever made.
The Council didn’t help.
My father continued to pull… pull… pull.
“You’re killing him!” Ella screamed.
Tears streamed from my eyes, my vision blurring as I attempted to yank some of the power back into my veins, my soul screeching in anguish at having my essence ripped from me without permission.
This can’t be happening, I thought, bewildered and dazed. How is this happening?
I wasn’t given a trial.
I wasn’t given a chance to speak.
“Stop!” Emelyn demanded at the same time Tray wheezed out, “Dad…”
Wind rippled through the room, silencing them all and zeroing in on my chest as another spell pounded into my heart.