Ashes of Revival (The Abdicate Series Book 1)

by Alex Shobe

  I hold up the parchment and show him the seal. “The message is from Daol.”

  Deep creases form in his forehead. “What does it say?”

  I pry the message open and read it quickly to myself. Then, I hand it to him. “Royal wedding invitation. Prince Jax to some duchess.”

  Colton frowns and gives it back to me without reading it. “I’ll pass.”

  “What?” I laugh. “This has to be a sign. We’ve been talking about taking you there to visit, and now we have a reason to go. Don’t you still want to find your mother?” I cup his cheek with my hand.

  “Yes, but—“

  “Then, no buts. We’re going, all right?” I kiss his cheek and level my eyes with his for a moment. We hold each other’s stare.

  He groans. “Fine,” he says, smiling. He pulls my hand from his face and kisses my palm. “You’re very bossy, you know that?”

  “One of the perks of being queen.” I scan over the message again. “We should see if Merethe and Aiden want to come. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen them.”

  Colton threads his fingers through mine as he leads me back to the castle. “Yeah, Aiden probably needs a change of scenery from the shop. I can’t say the same for Merethe, though.” He gives my hand a light pump. “Fair warning, if you’re going to stick us on the same boat, I can’t guarantee her mouth won’t make me push her overboard.”

  A smile pulls at my lips. “Be nice.”

  Even though Merethe and I constantly exchange messages, there’s nothing quite like face-to-face interaction as we learn how to be sisters. We’ve grown close, and it almost makes me regret threatening to kill her. Almost.

  As the day winds down, I take my weekly walk around Demesne. After I recovered the throne, one of my vows to the citizens was to make myself more visible. Regardless of the previous assassination attempts on my life, I want them to know that I won’t hide behind the walls of the castle.

  So, here I am, exposed, with a single guard by my side. Colton insisted I take half a dozen guards since I won’t let him accompany me, but anything more than one could be seen as contrived. I want my walks to appear as casual as possible. Not only am I here in a semi-political fashion, but these walks also serve as my hunting ground for my next target.

  And I think I’ve found him.

  I slow my pace as I near the house. My guard’s speed adjusts accordingly. In front of the chateau, a burly man raises his voice at his wife. I could hear him before I even approached the home.

  “Goddammit, Lynda!” He shakes a finger at her. “How many times do I have to tell you not to leave my boots outside?”

  His wife, drastically shorter than him, seems to get smaller as she cowers. “Forgive me.” Her voice is weak, barely audible. “It’s just that the mud on them dries faster when they’re left out.”

  “That doesn’t help with the birds’ shit in them now, does it?”

  The woman says nothing, only stares at the ground and twists her fingers in her hands. Along her arms, purple bruises disturb her pale complexion.

  The man sucks in air to deliver another barrage of abuse until our eyes meet. There’s fire in his eyes, which is matched with the embers simmering under my skin. I arch an eyebrow.

  His eyes cut from me to Lynda. He points to the door. “Get in the house. Now.”

  She wastes no time collecting his muddy boots and hurrying into the oppressiveness of her family home. It’s no wonder they’ve decided to live outside the heart of the city. His bellowing would be sure to keep all his neighbors awake. The man eyes me once more before mumbling something and follows his wife inside. He emphasizes my obtrusion by slamming the door behind him. My mouth shifts into a grin.

  Don’t worry, Lynda. The pain will be over soon.

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  -Alex