“Is that you, Drake?”she challenged.
He nodded. “We both know it is.”
Possibly. Her life with Paxton was now in the past. If he was her brother, she’d love him as such, forever. Even if he wasn’t, her path was set. Peace might save millions. She kicked at a loose pebble on the sand and watched it roll away. “I have to know. Did your people attack the Seven stronghold yesterday?”
His jaw hardened. “No, it wasn’t me. I’m not saying my people didn’t do it, butit wasn’t me.”
“It was Ulric?” she asked. Concern filtered through her. Just how much danger was Drake in? She didn’t want him to be harmed.
His stance widened. “I’m getting things under control, but they’re not there yet. Were any of the Seven hurt? I haven’t even heard that much.”
“No,” she said. “They’re all safe. Wegot them home.”
He wiped his eyes as if he had a raging migraine. They were deep and green with that purple rim, which seemed to glow brighter every time she saw him. “I’m pleased they weren’t hurt.” He glanced down at her, taking her hand in his large one. “You weren’t in battle, were you?”
“Actually, I was,” she said. “Just with one guy, though. One of your soldiers. I had to kill him. I’m sorry.” She winced. Hopefully she hadn’t killed oneof his friends.
Drake’s lips twitched. “You killed a Kurjan soldier?”
“I did,” she said. They had to get on the same side in this new war. “I didn’t have a choice. I hope he wasn’t a friend of yours.”
Drake’s brows drew down in a fierce frown. “You should not be in battle. You know that, correct? You areto be a queen.”
Amusement and irritation clashed within her. “I’m not really cut out for the whole queen thing,” she said. “I’m a strategic planner, and sometimes that means being on the battlefield—or at least a couple of miles away.” She could help the Kurjans with that.
“That ends now,” he said. “No more, Hope.”
She didn’t like him dictating to her, but she also didn’t have time to fight. “We can argue about that later. For now, I’m trying to find out—is there any chance for peace?”
“Between us, you and me? Definitely.” Drake leaned in and stole a fast kiss.
Her lips tingled, but guilt grabbed her. “I don’t mean peace between us,” she said, her mind reeling from the events of the last couple of days. “I mean our people. If we agree not to kill Ulric, can your people agree to stop coming after the Seven and the Keys as well as me?” It was time she applied her strategic ability to every area of her life.
Drake rubbed his chin, studying her intently. “I can definitely take that to my people, but you still have a decision to make. Fate is calling us both. Peace means we mate. I’ll make you happy. I promise.”
“I know.” She’d always known it was her duty to catch peace with both hands and hold it tight, and Drake had been put in her dreamworlds for a reason.
“We’re meant to be together, Hope.”
She’d always known that to be true. She cared about Drake, even though they had never spent much time in the same place. Confusion blanketed her. She wanted to share the fact that Paxton thought he might be her brother, but that would feel like a betrayal, and she couldn’t do that to Pax. As if Drake were reading her mind, he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. When had the breeze picked up?
“How is Paxton? Has he recovered from the darts as well as you have?” he asked.
Should she tell him that Pax had not recovered? “No,” she said, taking a chance. “There was something in those darts that is hurting him. It’s poisoning his blood and hasn’t disappeared as it did in mine. Doyou know why?”
She studied Drake’s facial expressions and his eyes, trying tofind an answer.
His eyes remained clear. “No, I have no idea. I don’t even know what was in the darts,” he murmured. “You know I want Paxton dead, but not from a silly drug. I plan to be there as he breathes his last breath. He’ll pay for killing my father.”
A chill swept down her back. It was time to stop waffling. “Find me the cure for Paxton, promise you won’t kill him, and I’ll mate you immediately.”
Drake’s gaze darkened until the purple rim swallowed up the green. “I accept half of your terms. While I don’t know what was in those darts, I’ll tear the Cyst world apart to find a cure.” He was quiet for a moment. “Ulric is working on his own. In fact...”
She touched his arm. “What?”
“I’m not opposed to him being killed,” Drake said slowly as if savoring the idea. “I hadn’t really thought it was possible, but I don’t need him, do I?”
“No. You don’t.” Hope grabbed his arm, her mind calculating different scenarios as fast as a computer could. This was an idea she’d never contemplated. What if she and Drake worked together to bring down Ulric? If the Realm and the Kurjans focused on a common enemy, that would make them allies. If they could learn to trust each other, then going forward, they could live together in peace. “Would you sethim up for us?”
