Chapter 97

At the very front of the crowd of heavily armed men stands a familiar person. He takes a step toward me. I've seen this man before. I saw him at the coronation, leading the men that took care of the Destroyers when they infiltrated the party. The man holds a long, silver sword as he peers down at me. "I am commander Crest, commander of the king's army," he says, authority lacing his voice. He carries himself with a kind of professionalism I haven't seen before. "Is everything alright?" I look up at him through my tear-filled eyes, and I can't help but furrow my brows. I use the back of my hand to wipe away the rest of my tears. Evan and Rowan loosen their grip on me and we all stand. "With all due respect, commander," I start, looking down at my mother's body before gesturing to the destruction around us. "Does it look like everything is alright?" The commander goes speechless as he notices the body at my feet for the first time. His face drops and his back st