The Queen had made an assumption that I should have far sooner. The pain in my chest due to Asterie being in danger—it confirmed what she really was to me.
Every muscle in my body went rigid.
Vangard burst through the door, leaving it swinging on its hinges. The Queen stilled at the sight of Van, but to her credit and courage, her feet didn’t move an inch. He stalked into the over-decorated room, flanking me and waiting for my signal to attack. Drool pooled down his curled lip onto the elaborate, woven carpets.
I wouldn’t let Van attack—no, if she’d done something to Asterie then I would kill her with my bare hands. That didn’t mean I couldn’t let him scare the piss out of her first.
Where are the Queen’s guards? Who in this court protects her aside from the boy?
Her voice was quickening with explanation. She didn’t look at Van, only at me as she continued to explain the conversation she and Asterie had in the crypt. She spoke of etched prophecies, the dead Central King’s journals and his dying words.
She needed to getonwith it.
“What have you done?”
“Nothing! Firose kept Asterie locked away in that tower for centuries. Cultivating her, waiting to use her.” She huffed out a breath as Van’s furled lip drew close—inches from her face. “Only she must know by now that she can’t claim Asterie as she’d planned.” The Queen winced when she looked up at Van’s bared teeth.
“What do you mean?” I shouted.
She matched the volume of my voice. “The orchards never belonged to Firose! The plums belonged to your family, toyou.”
I hated those words on the Queen’s lips—they hit me like a hammer to the chest.That can’t be possible.“Then why take her and not me?”
She answered, “If you are near, thenyoucan claim Asterie—that’s a risk Firose isn’t likely to take without a plan, now is it? But what do I know? Please just call off your dog!”
An exasperated sound left my lips.
I would never dull Asterie’s light. I would never claim her.
I motioned for Van to cease his threatening. He growled one last time before grunting and lying down behind me.
The Queen added, “Asterie figured out that Firose cannot claim her when we spoke before the welcome celebration. If I had known sooner…” Queen Sybilla looked lost for words.
Asterie had known last night. She just hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me.It felt like someone drove a blade through my heart.
I’d find a way to be worthy of her—whatever it took.
“We will go find them,” I ground out.
“No.” It seemed to pain her to say it. “We can’t.”
Every muscle in my body went rigid. “And why not?”
“I received word that Firose’s forces have already gathered along the western and northern borders of the Central Corridor…Leaving now would put the city at risk.”
“Then let me fight through them all.”
“Think about it, Fenris,” she reasoned. “We have no idea where she has taken them. As much as I want to, I can’t split my forces and send them on a fool’s errand. If I send soldiers with you, it weakens my defense here. I can practically hear Emmerick scolding me for evenentertainingthe thought.”
She was right. The world was one giant fucking chessboard for Firose. She had us in checkmate.
Itwouldbe a fool’s choice to go after her knowing that an army of magic-wielders stood in my way.
“How did she get to her?” I asked.
The Queen’s shoulders finally slumped. “I don’t know. Emmerick left this morning while I was still asleep. The next I knew, there was banging on my door and news that Palace guards were downed outside the garden. By the time additional help arrived, they were gone.”
That empty feeling inside of me grew.
