“Don’t touch me.” She jerked away, wishing more than anything to have a knife within reach.

He retracted his fingers and curled them into a fist. Ian whispered something in his ear before he marched toward an arch that obscured part of the hall from view.

A struggle sounded and Cole nodded to two of his guards to go assist Ian. They took off, pulling a young man from the shadows and disarming him.

“Dell,” Helena whispered.

Edmund rolled into a sitting position, his eyes scanning Dell. Helena couldn’t let them take him too. Without thinking, she jumped to her feet, her tied wrists making it difficult, and ran at the guards holding Dell. They weren’t able to reach for their weapons before she slammed her shoulder into the one on the right. Both released Dell.

“Go!” she screamed at Dell.

He scrambled to his feet and tried to urge her along after him, but pain ripped into her shoulder, searing down her arm as if her entire body cracked open.

“Stop,” Cole yelled, but his voice was only a wisp of sound in the haze of her mind. Her knees buckled and Dell caught her before they slammed into the marble floor.

“Someone help,” Dell called.

“Len!” Edmund tried to get to her, but his way was blocked and he couldn’t reach for a weapon with his hands tied.

Cole crouched over her, his eyes the stormy gray she’d always loved. They spoke of passion. Of fight.

She blinked away tears as numbness spread through her body like a tidal wave, taking everything in its path.

Cole pointed to the man who’d thrown the knife. “Arrest him. He harmed the princess against my orders to leave her intact.”

In the last moments before the darkness swallowed her whole, she almost thanked him for looking out for her.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dell held Len’s lifeless body in his arms, her blood soaking into the sleeves of his shirt.

“Len,” he said, tears choking his voice. “Len.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Fetch me a healer,” Cole ordered. “Now. If my sister dies, I will have each one of your heads.”

Two of his soldiers ran off to find a healer, but Dell barely noticed them leave.

Cole pierced him with a dark gaze. “You’re the Tenyson bastard.”

“He’s no Tenyson,” Ian spat.

“That’s what my father said about me for the first ten years of my life.” Cole stayed quiet for a moment, brushing his hand over Len’s head. “Are you loyal to your family?”

“He’s never—” Ian stopped abruptly when Cole raised his hand.

If Dell said no, he had no doubt Cole would cut him down right where he sat. But if he said yes… would that betray everything he was?