“I have a hard time believing that. I suspected somethinglike this in the throne room. He’s not only draining Brodine and any Nullen collared by those of his blood but he’s stealing energy from whatever Nullen the Lieges bring him.”
“He is.”
“How? Treaty rules forbid this.”
“No one enforces the rules.”
She sighed. “My king doesn’t care.”
“Not as long as he benefits by allowing Ivenrail to do whatever he pleases.”
“Fuck them both.”
How could I do anything but agree? “The Awakening can be painful. Since I’m the controller awakening them, I can make it better.”
“How generous of you.”
Her sarcasm bit deep. I had a steep cliff yet to climb before I reached the top and could breach her inner walls. But as long as she was here with me, talking with me, there was hope I could reach the woman I loved.
“I told you he took my parents,” she said with such a sad croak it gutted me. “Now he’s hurt Brodine. Reyla.”
“I’ve warded them.” The damage had been done before I could get here, but at least I wasn’t too late to extend this protection. “I cast the spell three days after the Claiming.”
“Will your spell bring them back from the ether?” she barked.
“No.”
“Then what good is a ward?”
“It’ll stop everyone else from hurting them.”
“Ah.” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “I . . . Alright.”
I hated seeing her cry, seeing how close I’d come to breaking her. I’d done this on purpose to her, to us. I’d do all I could to fix it, but the worst was still coming. If only I could share everything, but we still walked on that fictitious wire stretched across a vast cavern. One misstep, and we’d both plunge to our death.
Until the final moment, I would do all I could to protect her. But only Tempest could savemefrom what was coming.
“I won’t allow the king to touch Brodine or Reyla again. I promise,” I said.
“Your promises don’t mean much when they’re already gone.”
“They meaneverything.”
She sucked in a breath and forced it out. “Then thank you for doing what you can for them.”
My warding was just the start.
“The king has been decimating the villages,” she said. “He intends to take everyone, doesn’t he?”
“He needs their energy to fulfill his plan for complete domination of our world.”
“I’m not there to protect the villagers. To free those taken.” A shudder tore through her. “He’s not satisfied with what he steals from those collared.”
“It hasn’t been enough to overcome Riftflame Court’s hold on their core of power. It’s not enough to overrun what’s left of Lydel Court.”
“Core?”
“Each Court has a core of power they can use in a time ofgreat need. Without it, he can’t dominate the world, though he’ll try with whatever he can take from Nullens.”
