The Rivaled Crown (The Veiled Kingdom, #3)

by Holly Renee

She pressed the dagger harder, just enough to bite into his skin. “Now.” Torrin muttered a curse under his breath, then fumbled in his pocket before producing a key. He didn’t even try to meet my gaze as he held it out, and I extended my hands, the metal cuffs biting against my skin. The key scraped against the lock, a grating sound that sent a shiver of anticipation through me, and then, a click. The moment the cuffs fell away, I barely stifled a sharp inhale. Power surged beneath my skin, flooding through my veins like fire after a long winter. My magic. Wren lowered her dagger but didn’t step away from Torrin. She turned and pressed the blade into my palm instead. She trusted me to finish this. I curled my fingers around the hilt, adjusting my grip as I studied Torrin’s face. “It’s real,” he murmured, barely more than a whisper. His gaze flicked to the entrance of the tunnel, the roots still peeled away like a wound in the earth. I met his eyes then. “We’ll take it from here, councilman.” Torrin hesitated, as did Liya. “Dacre.” She tried to take another step forward, but Kai still didn’t allow her to pass. “This is what you wanted,” I answered her and pointed my dagger to the tunnel. “And I’ve given it to you. I kept my promise.”