Eye of the Dead Crow

Nikolai stared blankly at Monty, as if he were seeing him for the first time, and spoke instinctively:

"No."

"That's impossible, Monty."

He frowned. "You're... lying."

Monty glanced at him and disdainfully chuckled, shaking his head.

"What's impossible?"

The Dead Crow sat on the ground, his emotions impossible to read. "Is it that gentle and delicate Adele couldn't have an affair with someone else? Or that honest, lowborn Myrke couldn't have seduced his mistress?"

With every word Monty spoke, the crease between his brows deepened.

Listening to him, Starfaller seemed to forget the pain in his shoulder. He drew a deep breath and carefully recalled the past, comparing it with the parts that didn't match his memories.

"But that's the truth—that damned homosexual, Byrne Myrke," The Dead Crow said through clenched teeth. "That taciturn, simple-minded, rigid country soldier who did nothing all day but follow Suriel around and say 'yes.'"

"Can you imagine it? Him? With Adele?"

At this, Monty spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed coldly.

Yet his eyes were filled with indescribable pain, like a warrior with nowhere left to turn.

"So Suriel possessed her body, while Myrke occupied her heart." Monty's smile slowly turned mocking.

"And the only thing I could touch was her death."

But Starfaller still looked at him in disbelief.

"Impossible." Nikolai suppressed the fury in his chest and firmly retorted, "Prince Suriel... he couldn't have given such an order. He already agreed to let Myrke and the others go."

Hearing Nikolai, Monty scoffed indifferently. "You believe that? That Suriel intended to let them go?"

Starfaller stiffened slightly.

Monty's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Suriel was the one lying, that's all—so he could create an opportunity for me, hidden in the shadows, to deal with the two of them without leaving