“Papa.” I purposely use the name I called him when I was a little girl. “I love you.”

His smile fades as he points at Keryth. “But you love him more.”

“He’s my fated mate.”

There’s nothing else to explain. That says it all. He’ll have my loyalty and my heart forever.

Without moving his finger away from Keryth, Father says, “You killed my wife. You wanted to get back at me.”

What? Is his mind so far gone he forgot how Mother died?

“No,” my mate denies vehemently. “I would never.”

“There was a plague, remember?” I remind my father. “Keryth couldn’t have caused that.”

“But witches can. He found a coven and persuaded them to curse our kingdom.” His eyes aim so much hatred at us both. “And now you’re joining the enemy, Zella. For that, you’ll both pay.”

Closing his eyes, my father calls on his powers of nature. He can persuade all the living things to do his bidding.

Thick, green vines slither from the bushes, heading straight for us. They snake through the netting and wrap around our wrists and ankles. We’re manipulated until we’re flat on our backs, side by side. I try to turn my head to the side so my face doesn’t get burned, but I can’t escape the net.

Father motions the young soldier over. He’s new enough that I don’t know his name. There’s an iron spear in his grasp, and I can guess what that’s for.

Panicking, I wiggle, trying to scoot on top of Keryth to block him with my body. “No! Don’t hurt him.”

“Not him, darling,” Father says, eerily calm. “You.”

“Me?” I swallow hard. “What?”

Now Keryth is the one struggling to cover me. He fights, thrashing and kicking against the vines.

“Your own daughter?” he seethes. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would. You took my mate from me. So I’ll take yours from you. You can watch her suffer, as I did mine.”

Speechless, I gape at my father. He wants me to be in pain.

The final string of his sanity has snapped. Tears fill my eyes—not just because he orders my death—but because I’ve officially lost my father. He’s gone, completely.

When he commands the young soldier to run me through, the man hesitates. “Your Majesty… Are you sure? She’s the princess—”

“Do as I say!” Father roars, and the man quickly shuffles over to me.

The tip of the spear is aimed downward at my heart, but for some reason, I’m not scared. A sense of calm comes over me as I feel my powers ramp up. Keryth must be experiencing the same, because he stops moving.