Page 119

Even across the clearing I could see her upper lip curled in disdain. “Power doesn’t ask. It commands.” Then she hissed a word I didn’t understand and both dragons roared forward, plowing through the crowd between us, sending Cruors darting away so they wouldn’t be crushed under the creatures’ feet.

To my fierce relief, Kham and Koa dropped into the clearing like massive, predatory birds. I staggered as the earth shuddered under the force of their landings. But, I didn’t take a step back—Kham outweighed, out-powered, and would undoubtedly out-flame those poor, hollow beasts, who roared, but turned tail to launch into the sky with Kham and Koa in pursuit, taking the battle to the air.

I watched them with a false smile on my face, then turned to my mother. “Next question?”

“Take the girl!” Mother snapped, and to my surprise, the king drew his sword and tore forward at the same time she tensed. And though I couldn’t see any of the weaves, I knew that stance.

She was drawing on the power—with her eyes on me.

I stood there over the crumpled form of Grace, aware that her dragon had just flown after the dragon threat, leaving her to my protection.

But I had the king approaching with a sword to threaten Grace’s body, while my mother gathered her own weapon of power to remove me from mine.

Turning to face one threat would leave both of us vulnerable to the other.

Time slowed as I gave in to my senses, the God-given gifts that moved me by instinct, and I prayed.

‘Grace, it’s time.’ I was so angry at myself that she couldn’t hear me, that I’d given that control over in my fear and arrogance. But now we’d fix this. Watching the king descend, I sank into a half-crouch and put a hand to Grace’s shoulder, my eyes cutting between my mother and the king, the familiar shriek of fear jangling in the back of my mind.

Either threat could remove me.

Either could harm her.

Without thought, I reached for Kham—but in the absence of his voice in my head, I remembered.

…Perfect love drives out fear.

… So, my boy, give love… Only when your life is rooted in love will you feel filled. And as you learn to love as your mate loves—giving so much—you will become a weapon together that even your greatest enemy cannot surmount. It will overwhelm your fear and your adversaries.

Grace couldn’t see them. The king was almost upon us. And my mother’s eyes began to glow with the power she gathered.

It came to me, in the calm of the inevitable, that death stood before me—dragons in the sky, swords in the flesh, power from the soul. The chance of both of us walking away from this without loss was minuscule. But that only made my choice easier: Protect her at all costs.

For the first time, rather than grabbing for my weapons, my heart eased.

Perfect love drives out fear.

Not because it never loses, but because it never regrets giving itself away to aid the beloved.

I didn’t have to win this. I didn’t have to beat my mother at her own game. I just had to make certain if one of us was lost, it was me.

Kham had always said it wasn’t up to me to fight every battle, and now I saw it. Even if I was beaten, the Creator would make certain someone defeated Mother.

My role wasn’t Heir. It was to keep Grace safe. And to prove to any of these fuckers that might still be worth hope, that the Cruors weren’t the greatest power on earth.

“I love you, Grace,” I breathed. She twitched and her eyes opened a breath before Burk reached range to attack.

“Voski, what—?” she whispered.

But I started for my mother—and as I hoped, the king instinctively saw me as the greater threat, and followed me with his blade.

“Now, Grace!” I screamed as I sidestepped, and he swung that sword.

My senses screamed as Burk’s weight shifted behind the swing. Then a small, white hand shot out to catch his ankle mid-step, and he pitched forward, tumbling to the ground with a shout.

Let your mate love you. Together, you two are a force. And your love will be a weapon even your greatest enemy cannot surmount. It will overwhelm your fear and your adversaries.

Then, halfway through the turn to dodge the king’s weapon, before I could look over my shoulder to make certain Grace was on her feet and able to run, Mother unleashed.