The Bound (Ascension #2)(127)

Cyrene could barely watch as Maelia was dragged onstage to a block. She was forced to her knees in front of everyone. Her sobs could be heard over the jeering crowd as she slowly lowered her head down onto the wooden block.

Cyrene turned her head away from the display. She couldn’t watch.

But Faylon jerked her head over. “Watch what you’ve done.”

She tried to pull away, but she couldn’t. She was pinned in place, and nothing and no one was going to stand up for Maelia.

Queen Brigette raised her hand. “For the murder of the Queen and King of Eleysia, I hereby sentence you to death.”

Cyrene felt like she was hyperventilating. Her body was going insane, yet…she didn’t feel her magic. Not once. Not an ounce of power came to her body. She trembled with that realization as her mind tried to avoid what was happening in front of her.

A man in a black hood held an ax high overhead, and then when Brigette dropped her hand, he brought it down onto Maelia’s neck. Cyrene screamed as her best friend’s head dropped into a basket, and her body crumpled.

She jerked away from Faylon and tried to rush forward to Maelia.

She was dead.

Her head was disconnected from her body.

Gone.

Cyrene struggled and pushed against the people holding her as tears flooded her eyes. She reached for her magic again and again, trying to make the pain stop. She needed to make the ache in her chest disappear. She needed to fill that hole within her.

Maelia had murdered the Queen and King.

Maelia was her friend.

Maelia was a murderer.

Maelia had had a gentle laugh.

Maelia was an assassin.

Maelia had helped her when no one else came to her defense.

Maelia had slit the rulers’ throats.

Maelia had hugged her after they were reunited.

Maelia had bloody knives.

Maelia was dead.

Cyrene collapsed. Maelia couldn’t be. She just couldn’t be.

She sobbed. Her heart was broken.

“How could you do this?” she shrieked.

“She killed my parents,” Brigette said emotionlessly. “She got less than she deserved.”

“Dean,” Cyrene said, searching for him. He took a step back from her. “Dean, please.”

He looked at her with that same empty look that Brigette had on her face. “You’re to be tried for conspiracy to murder. You were part of the plot to murder my parents. How was I ever stupid enough to think that I loved you?”

Cyrene’s mouth fell open. “You can’t believe this! Dean, I do love you!”

“I can’t hear any more of this. Take her to the dungeons where she will await trial,” Dean said to his men.

Cyrene screamed. She reached for her magic and came up empty.

“Knock her out if necessary. None of you know what she’s capable of,” Dean said, devoid of emotion.

The last thing she saw was Dean’s empty dark eyes. Then, the pommel of a sword hit her temple, and she lost consciousness.