Sighing heavily, she paced around him. “We have a bit of a problem, War Hauk. It is your own family that called for her arrest.”

That stunned him. While he’d figured they would be a problem once he landed, he hadn’t anticipated them acting this fast. “Excuse me, Majesty?”

Cairistiona inclined her head to him. “I am well aware that the human female endangered the well-being of my granddaughter. I also know that she saved Princess Thia’s life and guarded her with her own. At the behest of my granddaughter, I forgave the human for those actions against the crown. But it was the insistence of your mother and your pledged that I had to arrest her for endangering the lives of you and your nephew… the last of your most sacred blood clan.”

He went cold with those words. “As the last of my blood clan, Majesty, I forgive her. She saved our lives, too. She doesn’t deserve to be punished for risking her life to save ours. But if it is to be, then please allow me to take Sumi’s place. I will gladly accept whatever punishment they demand of her.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

His heart stopped beating as fear invaded every part of his being. Andarion justice was swift and extremely brutal. Rarely did an Andarion survive it.

A human, even one as strong and resourceful as Sumi, would never make it through.

Cairistiona shook her head sadly. “Had it been any family save yours, I could have delayed my actions.”

But because they were second only to the royal house, she was required to act and give them the justice they demanded.

Immediately.

“Your mother was insistent that the human give up her life for her crimes against your family. I had no choice.”

Absolute horror filled him and in that moment, he hated Syn for keeping him unconscious. Had he been awake at the time Sumi was arrested, he could have stopped this.

Six hours later…

“I will gladly die for her, Majesty.”

“It’s too late for that, War Hauk,” she said sadly. “The human Sumi Antaxas no longer exists.”

Tears filled his eyes as he felt like someone had just kicked his teeth in. How could Sumi be gone so fast?

Damn you to hell, Syn!

He would kill that Ritadarion bastard first. And then he’d kill the rest of them for not protecting the one thing he’d asked them to. For decades, he’d put his life and limb on the line for all of them. Had never once hesitated to protect them, no matter the personal cost to himself. He’d never before asked them for anything. Ever.

And they’d paid him back by allowing his woman to be killed while he lay helpless to stop it.

Never had anything hurt like this betrayal…