The Traitor by A. Lombardo (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

Her words stung, and Kai let his eyes wander to those next to him. Dresnor and Roark on either side glanced out the corner of their eyes but never lost sight of the Queen. “Enough talk, Nola. You are under arrest for treason and the attempted murder of your King.” Kai held his blade, tracking her movements.

Trapped, Nola screamed at the top of her lungs. “I hate you—I hate you all. You killed my father, and you must pay.”

“You nearly killed our son, Nola,” Iver shouted back. “In fact, you have been killing me for years. Slowly, but you were killing me. My mind, body, and soul. And now it is time you pay for your crimes.”

Tears ran down her face. “ME!” she screamed. “What about your crimes against my father and me? You killed him.”

The confusion on Iver’s face prompted Kai. “Nola is the illegitimate daughter of Milnos King Bannon Penier, the man who murdered your father and uncle. She is a half-sister to Landon Penier.”

Memories of loss washed over Iver. “Bannon was a murderous, twisted man, filled with hate for every nation but his own. I loved you, or at least I believed I loved you, and all this time, you plotted to kill me and take my kingdom for vengeance?”

Nola laughed. “Love? What do you know of love? Men love money, power, and control, but nothing else. No, there was no love between us. I spent years tricking you into gaining the wealth and power I needed to crush you. It was not enough to murder you; I wanted you to suffer. I wanted to take everything from you.”

“You are a madwoman, Nola,” Roark spat. “Just like your father.”

“You have no right to judge me. You can't understand me, after all the lies men tell themselves, seeking power at all costs. If a man acquires riches and power, you make him your king, and if he gains too much power, another will come and take it away. That is the way of men, and my father was such a man of power. The Galloways sought to take away his kingdom and cripple the great superpower Milnos was becoming. Well, let me assure you Milnos will show you her might and destroy you all.”

Iver stepped between Roark and Kai. “Surrender, Nola. It is over; you lost, and now you must face justice, same as your father. His men found him guilty, and they sentenced him. I only provided solutions. Diu and Milnos wanted peace, and I have kept it all these years.”

Her cold stare offered no remorse. “I will never surrender.”

“You must—there is nowhere to run.” Iver took a step toward the Queen, then everyone heard the cries of Cordelia.

“Mommy!” she cried as she ran to her mother.

The Queen scooped the little girl into her arms. “Let me go, Iver. I will not go to prison, and you could never kill me. I know you too well.” She laughed and pulled a small dagger from her sleeve. She held it low against the girl’s bodice, aimed at her heart.

Cordelia squirmed. Seeing Iver for the first time, the girl started to cry. “Father? Father, is that really you? Let me go, Mother!” She squirmed again, but Nola pressed the blade into the fabric, and the girl went stiff.

Fear forced Iver back a few steps, but Kai stepped forward. Could he possibly move fast enough to split them apart before Nola ran the blade through his sister? He dared not take the risk.

“Do not do this, Nola,” Iver begged.

“I do not care,” Nola seethed. “Not for you, not for her, not for anyone. You will not put me in prison.”

Nola’s eyes burned with rage—and in that instant, Kai knew that she was about to murder Cordelia before their very eyes. Kai took another step forward, desperate to stop her . . .

But then Nola’s face twisted. A hollow stare consumed her as the life drained from her eyes. Her arms went limp, dropping the blade and Cordelia to the ground. The little girl ran to Iver’s open arms, and Nola sank to her knees with her last breath.

Behind the Queen stood Kendra, her blade dripping with the Queen’s blood. Kai saw the sadness as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I am sorry.” Kendra covered her heart with her other hand. “I could not let her kill Cordelia. Not my little lady.”

Iver covered Cordelia’s eyes and laid her against his shoulder. “Kendra, thank you for saving my daughter.” He carried her away into the security of Roark’s men.

Kai bridged the gap, catching Kendra before she transformed flew away. “I know you love Cordelia as any mother would. You did the right thing—saving her. She will understand, someday.” He hoped his words softened the pain he knew would tear his dear friend to pieces.

“Maybe.” Kendra’s eyes had a faraway stare. “But I think it is time I leave my position in the palace. Start a family of my own, if we can. I have always wanted children, but our inability to be close to home over the years makes it impossible. Lumens cannot typically procreate unless paired with a Kodama healer, or unless the mother drinks the sacred waters regularly.”

This was news to Kai. “But then how did Lucca manage to father my mother and uncle?”

“Your grandmother was a Kodama, bless her soul. She was able to bear the light, but she was unable to pass on the Lumen gift. Mariana surprised us all when she was able to deflect light, but she could not create it like my husband. Please explain my departure to Iver, but I believe my leaving is for the best.” She turned to go before Kai could respond, not that he had any words imbued with wisdom enough to change her mind.

Chapter 26