He glares at Catalina and Rachel and Mother Solas and even at Graviter, who has remained resolutely quiet, but I know Erik’s anger isn’t directed at them.
“Do not try to put logic to Queen Karasi’s plans,” he says. “What she wants is to watch you destroy yourselves, trying to protect the ones you love. She will win, and she will enjoy it.”
My heart is sinking with every word Erik speaks because the connection between us is so strong that I can feel his pain.
Only a short time ago, he told me that war is in his blood.
His message was clear: He was not built for peace.
“Erik.” My throat constricts. “No.”
He turns his furious gaze on Dusana. “Who will rule the fae if Karasi dies?”
Her eyes widen. “Queen Karasi doesn’t have any children—no daughter to whom she can pass the crown—so her champion will inherit the crown. That would be Elowynn.”
“Elowynn,” Erik growls. “Who has already proven she will fly into darkness to protect Gallium—a Blacksmith who could be her enemy. She is a fae with a conscience and a heart.”
He turns his glare on Catalina, his teeth sharpening, and I’m impressed when she doesn’t flinch at his ferocity. “The human army will assemble in multiple positions,” he says to her. “One on the front line, another two in defensive positions behind it. And yes, Catalina Shield, I’m telling you how to assemble your army, and I appreciate how offensive that is.”
She arches an eyebrow at him. “Just a little.”
Erik’s voice lowers as he turns his focus back to me. “Asha will free her brother. I will fight for Rachel.” He takes a breath. “Queen Karasi won’t miss the battle, even if she isn’t fighting for herself. Either way, I will kill her.”
“Erik—”
His hand closes around my arm. “You willnotlose your brother, Asha. I won’t allow it.”
He’s gripping my left arm, and my power surges at his touch, but I clamp down on it.
I want to convince him that he doesn’t have to do the cutting.
But I can’t deny that he has the strength to end the Fae Queen.
Neither, it seems, can Catalina.
“Once you kill Karasi, the fae will come after you,” she says.
Erik nods. “Their forces will be split until Elowynn can take control.”
Catalina appears to chew on this, but she defers to Rachel.
“I have no wish to annihilate the fae people,” Rachel says. “Erik, do you believe Elowynn will accept an offer of peace?”
Dusana interrupts before Erik can answer.
“Accept peace and go where?” she snaps, glaring at the humans. “My Queen wants the fight to happen near the darkness because it doesn’t discriminate. Dragons, humans, fae… As soon as any magic floods the air, we will all be lost. All it will take is one thunderbird cracking its wings, or a Solstice fae panicking and using the power of sunlight, or stars forbid, a Frost fae snatching hold of the dark wind by accident and dragging it toward us.”
She stares at the humans. “Don’t you see? Nobody can win. Any fight is doomed! Nobody…” Her shoulders slump. “Nobody can win.”
“Then that’s what she wants,” Rachel says, her voice clear but resigned. “It’s clear that Queen Karasi delights in power. She knows she can’t win a battle against dragons, no matter how strong her thunderbird riders are. The darkness is closing in on her. She’s going to die, but she will make damn sure she takes us with her.”
“In fact,” Catalina says, her gloved fist clenching and unclenching, “this whole proposal could be a ploy. She proposed three days, but she won’t have that long. Not when she’s pulled her people so far back. It has to be a diversion. She’s planning something, but there’s no way for us to know what it is. We need to fortify our position so that we can defend against any attack she may make. And we need to do so quickly.”
Mother Solas gives a resigned sigh and nods. So does Rachel.
Even Dusana inclines her head, although she mutters, “A human thinking like a fae. I’ve seen it all.”
But Erik… I study him closely.
