Chapter 7

The Mindworm doesn't care about Aldric's poison. Inside Seraphina's belly, it keeps growing. Multiplying. Getting fat.

"My baby — is it going to be okay?” The words barely come out." She can barely get the words out.

I make a show of checking her pulse. "Yeah. But it's going to hurt."

Even half-dead, she can't help herself. “If you're lying, my father and brother will make you beg for death.”

I slide the first needle in. Slow. Inch by inch. All the way in until it disappears under her skin.

The pain must be unreal — I can see it eating her alive — but she can't scream. Can't move. All she can do is stare at me with those bloodshot eyes, shaking with rage.

Her father and brother. Right. I'd love to see them try — considering they can barely keep themselves alive right now.

I gave Kaelen a handful of Mindworms weeks ago. Told him to get them into the Ashfords' food. Father and son both command the border army. Once the worms take hold, they get reckless. Aggressive. Stupid. They'll overplay their hand, and when they do, their soldiers will lose faith.

An army that doesn't trust its generals is just a mob with swords.

Ten whispers. One for each finger. I stop.

Seraphina passed out three whispers ago. I wave toward the door. “Send the healers in.”

But it's not just healers who walk through that door.

Aldric's right behind them.

The healer checks Seraphina through the curtain. Aldric and I stand side by side.

His eyes are ice. "I didn't realize you had hidden talents."

"A village remedy, Your Majesty. Nothing grand."

He doesn't smile back. Just stares at the curtain. I wrecked his plan and he's pissed.

I'm still trying to figure out how to spin this when the healer speaks. "The Queen's pregnancy is stable, Your Majesty."

Aldric's face goes dark. But he walks over to Seraphina, takes her hand, and plays the loving husband.

"You've been through so much, my love."

She gives him a weak, grateful smile. "For you and our child — it's nothing."

I stand off to the side, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

He doesn't look happy. He looks like someone forced him to swallow glass.

“I should thank Lyra,” Seraphina says sweetly — so syrupy I nearly laugh.

She knows she's falling apart. Every healer in the kingdom couldn't keep her pregnancy stable. Only I can.

Aldric turns to me. The cold in his voice could freeze the lake solid.

“Do you have any idea what you've done?”