She steps out from behind one of the trees, her shimmering blue dagger held at Ezryn’s throat.
The Nightingale.
Three helmed knights flank her. My heart seizes. Two of them carry divine weapons: one a lance, one a trident.
I’ve seen these weapons before at the top of Queen’s Reach Monastery. Didn’t the legend say they were only to be wielded by the Queen’s chosen?
A mask shrouds the bottom half of her face, but her blue eyes flicker with mirth. “Keldarion, handsome, be a good dog and hand over your sword.”
The ground goes out from under me. Sharp needles dig into my flesh as her brambles wrap tighter and tighter around me, digging into my skin.
The Nightingale’s eyes smile up at me before she turns back to Kel and Dayton. “Or I’ll pluck the life right out of your pretty little Rose.”
90
Rosalina
The Nightingale throws Ezryn to the ground and waltzes over to me. I squirm, suspended in her briars’ hold, but each movement sends thorns digging into my skin. She runs her dagger along my collarbone and narrows her eyes at me, observing, judging. “Today is a good day.”
Ezryn staggers to his feet, clothes ripped, ears bloody. Instead of addressing the Nightingale, he looks to the three knights. Their armor is fine, gleaming in dark jewel tones: one bronze, one turquoise, the other sapphire. “You are the Penta Conclave. Kairyn’s men. This woman is a servant of the Below.”
The knights stay silent.
Ezryn’s eyes widen. “Those weapons you wield are sacred to the Queen. There’s an enchantment on them. If you use them without bearing the Queen’s token, a precious necklace gifted to the High Rulers, it will eat away at you, body and soul. Do not be swayed by this witch. It will destroy you!”
The Nightingale laughs and drifts away from me. Every movement is like a dance, rhythmic and flowing. “Witch? That’s rich, coming from the creedbreaker.” She stops in front of Ezryn. “But you’re not just a traitor, are you? You’re also a fool.” She turns and reaches under the breastplate of the Bronze Knight who bears the lance, pulling out a necklace.
Farron’s necklace.
Then she goes to the knight clad in turquoise, holding the trident. From him, she pulls out Dayton’s seashell. Ezryn’s mouth drops, shock shooting across his features.
Then she walks to the weaponless Sapphire Knight. Slowly, almost sensually, she reaches beneath his breastplate and holds up Keldarion’s snowflake necklace. “My brother succeeded at one thing, at least. But I still need that sword, Kel. You’re not really fit to wield something called the Sword of the Protector, are you?”
Kel bares his teeth but says nothing.
The Nightingale looks at Ezryn, covered in blood. “I mean, come on. Look at him.”
I writhe against my binds. Warm blood drips from scratches on my wrists. I need to bring flame to my hands, to burn everything down, but my body feels weak from last night. “Stop this! Tell us what you want. We don’t have to be enemies.”
“What I want?” She pitches her voice up in a girlish way. “Ooh, let’s see. I want the princes on their knees begging for their lives. I want your pretty head on a pike so I can admire your beauty until you rot and wither. And, ah, yes. I want Keldarion’s fucking sword.”
My breath hitches. She’s completely unhinged. What did the Princes—what did I—ever do to her?
Ezryn shakes his head and looks at the knights imploringly. “You are Kairyn’s most loyal men! Why did you betray him for service to the Below?”
The Nightingale lets out a growl. “It’s getting annoying how ignorant you are.” She storms over to Ezryn and glares. “Do you truly think your brother forgave you for banishing him to the monastery all those years ago? You should have killed him, given him an honorable death. Instead, you desired to hide him away. I gave Kairyn purpose. I gave him a home. I gave him power.” Her eyes glimmer. “And you just gave him Spring’s Blessing. I hope your honor was worth the Spring Realm.”
For the first time since his unhelming, Ez breaks. His expression turns from fae to feral, lips pulled back, brow furrowed. “Liar!” He lunges for her, wrapping his hands around her throat and throwing her to the ground.
“I’ll kill you!” he roars, his full weight atop the woman. Her eyes widen with fear.
There’s the flash of metal and the Bronze Knight cracks his lance across Ezryn’s body. He falls off her, toppling to the ground. The Sapphire Knight leaps on top of him, drawing his fist back and pummeling his face. The Turquoise Knight stomps hard on Ezryn’s hand.