The Reckless Reign (Book 3, The Culled Crown Series)

Chapter 17

Oredison Palace, Gazda.
The morning of the
Commencement Ball.

Once I started talking, the words sort of poured out of me. It was an uncontrollable torrent of emotion and scrambled thoughts. I'd never told my story in its entirety, in fact, as I spoke, I realized that I didn't even know where I should start. But despite my scattered speech and hasty storytelling, Isla listened intently.

Her fingers were white-knuckled against the edge of her makeshift ashtray as she listened to me talk about meeting Kai and about how I'd once thought I loved Cohen. I told her about the end of the last Culling and how Cohen had killed Viera. Then, I told her about the rebellion and my place in it—how Caine had manipulated the Erydian rebellion to suit his own desires, how he'd convinced the other camps that Kai was the rightful king, and how he'd amassed an army that stretched beyond his own mercenaries.

I told her about tacet and about how we'd gone against Larkin. I somehow kept myself from crying as I told her about what had happened to Uri and how she had died. To my surprise, Isla's face did not change as I told her about what was happening to us—how we had our hands tied, how we couldn't fight against Caine without risking our friends in Third Corps being killed.

I told her about the upcoming Culling trial and how Heidi and Nadia were going to have to fight. One of them would die. My voice did not waver as I explained how I wasn't sure what to do about Kai being king—but that I knew if I could take the throne, I could break it all from the inside.

I could end the Culling once and for all.

I was breathing heavily, my eyes trained on the closed doors to the lift as I said, "I think I can win against Kinsley. If it were between us, I could kill her. As queen, I could fight Caine. I'd have the power to end it all. And if the Synod didn't side with me—If they don't side with me, I'll burn it all. I'll—Isla, I have to stop all of this. I have to bring down the Warwick's and end the Culling. After me, there will be no more arenas and no more dead girls. No more unwilling sacrifices. Can't—Can't you see that it has to end?"

For a moment, I just looked at her. It could definitely be a mistake to have told her the truth. Maybe I should have lied. Maybe I should have left and gone to my room. Left the scheming and the planning and begging to people like Cohen—people who had connections and crowns. But the thrum in my blood was the closest thing I'd felt to my ability in days, and it told me I was right to do this.

Isla could be the key.

Her brow furrowed. "But how can I help?"

"You have a boat and guards with you. You could get Nadia and Heidi out of here. With your help, we could get them out of the palace and out of Erydia. Away from Caine and the Culling."

"Darragh has a boat. Darragh has guards."

"If—If Darragh could help us—"

"Monroe, I think you may be rushing headlong into something too big for you to handle on your own. Why must you be queen? Why should—Why should you request aid for your friends but not for yourself?"

"Because—" I hesitated, suddenly feeling stupid.

The truth was that I didn't know. All I was certain of was that Caine hated me. He hated me and had Kai controlled partially because of me. And while I wanted to run from this, something told me I couldn't leave—I had to stay and had to fight. Some dark part of my consciousness felt tied to this. As if I was destined to walk this path. I had to see it all through to the end.

Even if it was my end.

I also felt like I was the only person who could play Caine's game. He loved toying with me too much to actually let me die. Over the last few weeks, I'd realized that. I wasn't nearly as expendable as he wanted me to believe I was. We both knew—Caine and me—that if I were killed, Kai wouldn't hold back. Last night had proved it.