Page 109 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

I bit my lower lip, my brows knitting together as I surveyed the group before me. Dane looked like he’d slept on the dirt floor of an opium den. Leuffen wore armor covered in dried blood and muck. Leiya’s leathers were still streaked with the ash that had rained down on the Skøl. Cas’s face sagged, hollow bagsdrooping beneath his eyes. Sanah’s hair was matted, though her eyes beamed. Ezren was also covered in gore, but looked at me like he always did, with wild adoration. And though she was the cleanest of the bunch—perhaps the only one who looked like they’d had a bath in the last few weeks—Gia’s face was solemn.

Even Cobal had made it on the boat. And as it gazed up at me with those wise eyes, I wondered what the creature knew that led it to join us here.

“Why,” I exhaled, suddenly aware of all the attention fixed in my direction. “Why do you all want to go? Viribrum may be lost, yes, but we don’t know what awaits in Nebbiolo. It could be more dangerous—one of the Drakkarians implied the Rexi intended to sacrifice me to save the queendom. I don’t know what we’ll be walking into.”

The group collectively held their breath. And then Sanah spoke.

“We might not all be Nebbiolon, or Viri for that matter,” she said, her eyes sliding to Dane. “But, many moons ago, each one of us here was called by Jana to search for the lost Earth Daughter of both queendom and kingdom. And now that we found her…” Sanah trailed off, sinking to one knee. I stilled in anticipation.

“I think we know why,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I haven’t been to my homeland in many decades. It would be the highest honor of my life to be taken home by a queen.”

“We need ye, Lassia,” Leuffen said, lowering himself as well. “Te breng the kingdoms together. Ye saw what the Drakkarians ded te Valfalla. Ye must unite the Wetch and the Fae te stand against ‘em.” My eyes fogged at the belief in his gaze. “Otherwise, we havena hope.”

Ezren followed suit, his knee hitting the deck as the boat gently sloshed. The sight of him giving me deference sent strange waves of electricity through me. “Your power is unlikeanything I’ve seen,Bellatori. You can defend, yes, and you can destroy, but you can also create.”

Dane smiled. “In the darkest of times, it is hope that the world needs—hope that can only be found in the marvel and relief of creation.”

Finally, Cas knelt, clearing his throat. “A week ago, I would not have expected to be here, kneeling before my oldest friend. I can’t say I mind it.” He gave me a devilish grin, and I felt Ezren tense, but he continued on, his tone turning grave. “But if there was a time for a prince to kneel before a princess, it would be when he has lost everything.” He trailed off, choking on the words. My throat went dry. “It costs me very little to ask you this, Terragnata of Nebbiolo. Our king was slaughtered in his own palace, our females raped in their own homes. Do not abandon us.” Tears flowed down his face now, and the sight of him begging—lowered on his knees—twisted something inside me. “Do not abandon me,” he whispered. “Do not abandon us.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing my eyes to remain dry. I did not think, I did not evaluate my choices, I could only react. I gave him a small nod and whispered back. “I will not.”

“Te the future queen a’ two lands!” Leuffen bellowed, beating his chest.

“To the future queen of two lands!” the rest cheered.

To the future queen of two lands.

I knew those words would ring in my ears for years to come.

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE

DUAL LOYALTIES

Gia squeezed my hand, a violent wind whipping hair in our faces. The small fishing boat made good time, especially when aided by the Air Witch Dane had scrounged up from the slums bordering the docks.

I blinked at her. It was a wonder, really, that Gia made it onto the boat, that they had stumbled upon her by the docs. I still couldn’t believe it—she’d somehow escaped the king’s men when they came for Jana. And though I suspected Jana held some responsibility for that miracle, I wasn’t in the mood to question the fortune. I just squeezed her hand right back.

“Can you believe only two months ago I fretted over Spring Day while we shopped the market?” I mused.

Gia shook her head. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”

“This place is very different from Argention… from the human lands,” I whispered, my words nearly stolen by the screams of the sea.

“You have no idea,” Gia breathed.

I looked at her, cocking my head at the maturity in her voice. I didn’t want to imagine the horrors she might’ve witnessed since I’d left for the Skøl.

Gia’s expression remained distant for only a moment, and then it shifted back into concern. “Sanah and Dane found me a day or so back, during that competition—the Skøl, was it? And, well, they explained everything—Spring Day, Fayzien’s involvement, how Jana, the woman who took you, is your aunt.” She gave a small, somewhat guilty shrug. “I’m sorry I cast doubt over them. Sanah is truly lovely, and I trust their story. We’re safe now. And we are together. Let that be a small victory.”

I shook my head, suppressing the need to correct heriswithwas.“No apology needed, my friend. I’m only glad you are here.”

She shifted her gaze back out to the sea. Her mention of the Skøl tickled something at the back of my mind.

“You know what’s ironic? Jana brought me to Viribrum to show the public Drakkarians didn’t murder me, to weaken King Darlan’s support for an invasion. Topreventthis very war. And turns out, bringing me here could have caused the invasion itself.”

“What do you mean, you coming here caused the invasion?” Gia’s brows scrunched together.

I let my oldest friend see the fear in my eyes. “Leiya and Ezren said, ‘of course they would attack, Darlan forced their hand.’ But, I’m not so sure. In the Skøl, when they invaded… it wasmethe Drakkarians were after. Their leader said as much at the palace.”

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