Page 128 of A Pact of Blood

“I’m just not sure—even if I survive this—what if I never get on the right path at all? What if the sum of everything I do for the empire makes everyone’s livesworseinstead of better?”

Her voice has gone rough by those last few words. The ache in my throat spreads down to my chest.“Rell…”

Raul breaks in before I can go on. “There’s absolutely no way that’s possible. Youhavemade things better already. You’ve gotten the three”—he pauses with a flick of his gaze toward Neven—“the four of us back on track. You’ve healed people. You’ve helped people.”

Aurelia grimaces. “But how many have I hurt on the other side of that balance?”

He lets out an incredulous sound. “I don’t see how you should take responsibility for that prick’s choices, no matter what you said to him, no matter what role he makes you play. And anyway, what if you have to get right down in the awfulness before you can find the ways to cure it? Like… Like the empire is a bathtub full of muck, and you’ve got to wallow deep down in it before you can reach the drain and release it.”

Bastien shoots our foster brother a bemused look. “That’s the best comparison you could come up with?”

Raul huffs. “So I’m not a poet. Have you got a better metaphor, oh brilliant one?”

Our older foster brother appears to consider the matter. He lifts his hand to trail his fingers over Aurelia’s hair. “If someone had a broken leg or a dislocated shoulder—you wouldn’t be able to simply bandage it and expect it to getwell. The injury would only fester. You have to deal out more pain setting the bone or the joint right before it can really begin to heal, don’t you?”

“Okay, that’s a better one,” Raul grumbles. “I still like mine, though.”

Aurelia gives a choked laugh. “I understand what you’re both getting at. You could be right. I wish I knew for sure. I had a set path in mind, and it’s completely fogged over. I’m stumbling all over the place. And there’s so much at stake.”

Hearing the doubt in her voice and seeing it etched all over her face sends a discordant twang through my heart.

This is the strongest woman I’ve ever met. In the past few months, she’s fought through ten times more shit than the rest of us have.

So maybe it’s our turn to be the strong ones for a little while. To take on as much of the burden as we can.

Because we can.Ican.

The weight of the gloom still drags at me, but I shove it aside with a clenching of my jaw. I can’t wallow in my own doubt and grief when she needs me.

It doesn’t matter what I’ve been able to accomplish in the past. I can push harder, and harder still, just like Aurelia has over and over.

If a princess dedicated to peace can be a fighter, so can a prince who’s never offered much other than music.

We’ll get her out of this awful task or shift things so she can stomach it. We’ll make sure the people of Dariu see just how incredible an empress she is.

My gaze slides to the curtain covering the window she peered out of earlier. Her words come back to me—all the civilians out there she needs on her side.

The idea that hits me makes my pulse wobble. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. As it takes hold, my enthusiasm blooms alongside it.

“We’ll come up with a plan,”I say abruptly, letting my illusionary voice reach all of my foster brothers as well as Aurelia.“This time it isn’t on you to figure out how to fix the problem. We’ll get you on the right track.”

Aurelia blinks at me. “I don’t think there’s any changing Marclinus’s mind. You shouldn’t stick your necks out. I’m the one who took this responsibility on.”

“And we’ve decided to shoulder it alongside you, so it’s time we did our part. You’ve set so much in motion already—we can build on that. Keep thinking about it, but you don’t have to do anything at all. Give us a chance to come through for you.”

I glance at my foster brothers. Raul is staring at me, which I suppose isn’t surprising, considering I’m not sure I’ve ever spoken up quite that forcefully before. Then he grins. “And we damn well will.”

A soft smile crosses Bastien’s face. He leans over to kiss Aurelia’s temple. “I’ll trust Lorenzo’s inspiration ahead of anyone else’s.”

Even Neven is watching me, waiting for me to go on.

Their reaction solidifies my resolve. I jerk my head toward the hidden passages.“We can get started right now. No time to waste.”I clasp Aurelia’s hand briefly.“There are things only you can do—and there are things we can do that you can’t. Let us fight for you.”

The worry hasn’t left her eyes, but her answering smile looks brighter than before. “All right. Just don’t do anything too risky. If I can get through this battle, I still want you with me when it’s over.”

We push into the passage and slip through the palace toward the vacant bedroom.

As we hurry along, Neven speaks in a low voice. “I’m going to be part of whatever you’re doing too.”

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