Page 107 of Crown of Wrath

“They’re humans, Mother,” I say softly. I sigh. “The people at this table will be there as well. No, you cannot make sure that each of them is good. You won’t be able to test them however you normally do, but we don’t need you to. All we need is for you to be our cover.”

I am sure that my mother, The Queen of Shadows, had an unnerving glare as a High Fae, but now that she is made of mist, I don’t think anyone can compare. “And what happens when one of those humans attacks a person I’ve promised safety to?”

“Then we’ll skin that human alive,” Cole says from beside me. “You have strong Immortals here in Valinar. Maybe not all of them can fight off large numbers of humans, but there are enough. The soldiers will be kept outside the town. They will not be allowed inside. The people living in Valinar will be safe, Brenna.”

My mother clenches her jaw. “You can’t just force this. You know that, don’t you? This is myworld, and the people livinghere are under my protection. I can’t protect them if I’m moving the mists. They…”

I stand up and say, “They will be safe, Mother. This is your world. I know that. Everyone knows that. You left me alone as a baby to create this place to protect everyone else.”

Be careful, Maeve, Cole whispers through our bond.She could react… poorly.She could, but I doubt it. I know that the thought of leaving me alone hurts her. Just like Cole was willing to hurt the people who owed him debts, just like my mother was willing to let me hurt to steal the Painted Crown from Gethin, my mother’s pain is a price I’m willing to pay to win this war.

I continue, “You gave up being my mother so that you could save your shadow walkers. I have done everything you wanted me to do, and now it’s time that you do what you need to do to help me. We’re working to accomplish the same thing, Mother. We need Gethin to die without the rest of Draenyth being pulled into a true war.”

She glares at me for several long moments, but she doesn’t argue with me. “If any of my people are hurt because of these soldiers, I will do far more than flay the person who broke the law.”

A shiver rolls through me at her words. She’s proven that she’s capable of heartless torture. She is a god in this world, after all.

“That’s fine with me,” I say with a nod. I turn to the rest of the people at the table. “It’s time that we take the fight to Gethin. In two days, we’ll be returning with an army, and then we’ll be pushing toward Draenyth. Prepare yourselves, whatever that may entail.”

The table is quiet as the people sitting here look first at me and then at Cole, who isn’t saying anything. Several seconds pass by, and as I’m about to move my chair back, a soft voice breaks the silence.

“I will join the fight.” I turn to see the girl with storms in her eyes behind me. Echo, the girl who will sit on the Throne of Shadows. She’s the only person in the world who can rip my own shadows from me. “But first, I’ll need to claim my Throne. Will you go with me, Maeve?”

I look into the eyes of a fourteen-year-old who feels like it’s her duty to help, but also has never seen more than training.

My mother’s initial reaction is a snarl, but she doesn’t argue. I know she doesn’t think that Echo should fight, but she also knows that she can’t keep her from it. A fourteen-year-old. A child. I was still being chastised by Vesta for hunting mistakes at her age.

She can’t fight, but there are ways to utilize her strengths. “I’ll go with you to the Keep of Shadows,” I say softly. “And thank you for offering your strength.”

She nods to me, the storms in her eyes flashing with power, and then she walks out of the room, leaving it just as silent as before she’d said anything.

I nod to everyone and leave the room with Cole close behind me. Through the bond, he says,You can’t let her fight. She’s not trained enough, and she’s far too valuable to lose to some stray crossbow bolt.

I shake my head.She won’t be in the battle, but I can use her powers. I just need to teach her what I need her to do. She’s strong, Cole. Stronger than me. Not everyone needs to wield a spear to help, though, and I know exactly what she’ll do better than anyone else.

He’s quiet for a moment as we walk. “You’ve become a true Queen,” he says aloud. “You said that you would fight to save the world, but you couldn’t lead. You were wrong then. You’re as strong of a leader as your mother was in her prime, and that human side of you gives you a strangely inventive mind when it comes to people. No, that’s not right. Youcaremore, andyou understand the people you’re commanding. Where Gethin makes a plan and tells his soldiers to do it, you create a plan based on the people who are leading and their particular skill sets.”

“Then why don’t I feel like it?” I ask. “I feel like I have to fight for every inch when I have a plan. I had to force Aric to do what I said. My mother constantly fights with me. How many times have I had to argue with Darian and Lee?Everyonethinks I’m wrong, and I have to strong-arm them to do what I want, even if it’s the best way.”

He stops me by grabbing my hand and pulling me to him. “You’re young, Maeve. An infant compared to most of us. You’re a damn good leader and strategist, but everyone’s experience says that you can’t possibly be as clever as them. Think about it. Echo has been trained by probably the best shadow wielder in the last two thousand years since birth. She’s going to sit on the Throne of Shadows. You still expected to teach her things when you sparred, and you did. She’s inexperienced. Just like you. Would you trust Echo to stand on the front lines? A Queen should lead her people, shouldn’t she?”

I shake my head. “No, that’s crazy. She’d get herself or other people killed.”

Cole nods. “That’s what everyone expects when you try to take charge. You’re twenty-three. I’m a thousand. Who should plan our attack?”

I sigh. “That makes sense.”

“You’re smart, though. It helps that I’ve looked at your plans before you ever bring them up to other people, but they’re your plans, and I think they’re solid.”

“Thank you,” I say, and he pulls me tighter to him. I rest my head on that shoulder that’s held up my entire world too many times to count. “I feel like I’m constantly having to fight for myplace at the table, but you’ve never made me fight for it. You’ve just… trusted me.”

He chuckles. “I realized my priorities the night in the cave, Maeve. I wanted to save the world from Gethin’s madness, but I wanted you more than anything else. If I had to watch the world burn from your mistakes so that you didn’t turn me away, then that was a small price to pay.”

I pull back, shock filling my face. “You didn’t argue with me because you didn’t want me to make you leave? Not because you trusted me?” The idea is madness. He’d really have let everything fall apart just so he could be with me?

“Do you really believe that going to war with the Nothing was the best thing to do at the time? I swore my loyalty to you, and I stopped questioning. I ignored any strategic mistakes I saw. My oath mattered more than that. If you trusted me to do as commanded, then I could stay close and keep you safe. That’s what I cared about.”

The words hurt, but the memories hurt worse. It wasn’t a good time for me, or for him, for that matter.

---