The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani Read Free Book Online Page B

her.
    â€œI’m taking her to my castle in the Woods,” Tedros testified, eyes fixed on the Elder. “We pose absolutely no threat to you.”
    â€œAnd yet we were attacked only months ago by assassins from the Woods,” the Elder said, masses clamoring behind him. “Attacks from which we are still rebuilding.”
    â€œWell, the attacks are over,” retorted Tedros. “Your town is safe.”
    Agatha dug her heel into his foot. Tedros shook her off.
    â€œOh really? Do your princely powers come with foresight?” the Elder scoffed, the audience echoing his laughter. “How would you know anything about the fate of our town, let alone the attacks?”
    Agatha shouted into her gag to stop him—
    â€œBecause I ordered them,” Tedros fired.
    The crowd went still. Agatha slumped against the rope.
    The Elder stared at Tedros . . . then broke into a slow grin, color growing in his cheeks. “Well. We’ve learned all we need to know about our dear guest, haven’t we?” He smiledwolfishly at the prince and walked off the stage, passing Stefan with a glare. “Do the witch first.”
    Roars detonated from the mob, flocking closer to the pyre.
    Tedros spun to Agatha and saw her face. “But he promised us!” he cried.
    The Elder glanced back as he descended the steps. “Every story has a lesson doesn’t it, young prince? Perhaps yours is that you’re too old to believe in fairy tales.”
    Agatha felt Tedros gush into a sweat as the guards regagged him. Frantic, the prince thrashed at the rope, trying to free his princess, but his flailing only made the rope cut tighter. Choking for breath, Agatha hunted wildly for her mother, but still couldn’t find her. She whirled to Stefan, knowing she was about to die—
    But Stefan hadn’t moved from the side of the stage, his gaze fixed on her.
    â€œIs there a problem, Stefan?” the Elder said, now at the front of the mass.
    Stefan kept staring at Agatha.
    â€œOr should we replace our prisoners with your new family?” the Elder said.
    Stefan turned sharply. Guards held Honora, Jacob, and Adam in the crowd.
    Stefan’s teeth bit the inside of his cheeks. Then his expression darkened. He moved towards Agatha, no longer able to look at her. Body close to hers, he reached up and took a flaming torch from the scaffolding. Agatha cowered from the wrath of the flame as he drew it down, blinding her with smoke. Shecould hear Tedros’ muffled yells, the echoes of the shouting hordes, but they were drowned out by the raging torch fire, hissing like a demon snake. Eyes watering, she caught flashes of Stefan’s heaving chest, his quivering grasp on the torch, the red splotches across his cheeks . . .
    â€œPlease—” Agatha gasped into her gag.
    Stefan still couldn’t look at her, the torch shaking so much that embers scattered onto Agatha’s dress, burning tiny holes.
    â€œStefan . . . ,” the Elder warned in a menacing voice.
    Stefan nodded, tears and sweat mixing. The crowd went dead quiet, seeing him bend towards the stake. He raised the torch to the sticks over Agatha’s head, the flames about to lick onto the wood—
    â€œTake me!” Callis’ anguished voice pierced the silence. “Please, Stefan! Let me die with her!”
    Stefan froze, his flame so close to Agatha it scorched the gag in her mouth. Heart stopped, Agatha watched him deliberate a moment, his face calcifying into a mask . . .
    Then he backed away and turned to the Elder.
    â€œIt is a mother’s last request,” said Stefan, adding a snort. “Shove her in with her traitor daughter and watch the flesh melt off ’em. They deserve to writhe together, don’t they?”
    Even the most bloodthirsty spectators looked flummoxed, deferring to the Elder.
    The Elder’s pupils raked Stefan over, before his lips pursed in a flat