"Surrender, and I'll let her leave," the Queen Mother spoke, her knife piercing through my neck.
I gasped in pain, but Luca felt it too. I didn’t understand what was happening—why was he crying when I was the one being hurt?
"Let her go, you wanted me, not her," he spoke, moving slowly so the Queen Mother wouldn’t notice.
"I wasn’t born yesterday, Luca," she replied, finally removing the knife from my neck.
Her soldiers closed in, surrounding Luca, while she took her sweet time, walking down to the throne room like a runaway.
"Convincing the elders didn’t do much for me, but your death and signature could seal my victory forever," she added, speaking with a sly, cunning smile.
"What do you want?" Luca asked, his tone bored, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"I want you to hand over
