Execution Grounds — Royal Kingdom
The smell of rotten fruit clung to the air, thick and foul.
Jo stood on the rickety platform, egg yolk dripping from her brow, her hands cuffed tightly behind her back.
She didn’t flinch.
She didn’t bow.
Above her, from a velvet-draped balcony, Queen Olivia smiled like a painting: serene, composed... and entirely fake.
The horn sounded.
The executioner lifted the heavy axe over his shoulder.
Jo narrowed her eyes, preparing herself.
Just a little longer. Then I’ll have to unmask my scent and summon my powers.
But then...
A feral growl ripped through the square, cutting the tension like a blade.
Low, lethal.
It shook the stones beneath her feet.
“STOP. RIGHT. NOW.”
The crowd froze.
Heads whipped around in terror.
Even the executioner stumble
