Page 1 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

PROLOGUE

Prisca

Regner ducked, and together, Regner, Zathrian, and Eadric lifted an object they’d kept carefully hidden.

A mirror.

When the waves are coerced…

And reflection deceives…

Conreth’s power hit the glass. But instead of freezing and exploding, that mirror reflected his power.

Dread exploded through my gut. I hauled my power to me.

It didn’t work.

Time didn’t stop.

I wasn’t out. I still had power left. In the ship next to Regner, my cousin smiled at me.

He’dneutralizedme.

That’s why he was here. He’d saved his power just for this.

A trick. Regner had sacrificed some of his most important people, making sure his wards appeared useless, ensuring Conreth couldn’t help but use his power…

That power was heading back toward our lines. But instead of Conreth, it was aimed at us.

I launched myself at Lorian

Just as his brother’s power hit him in the chest.

Lorian looked at me, and realization flashed across his beautiful face.

I saw him forming the words.

“In another life.”

He was turning to ice, eyes blank. Gone.

For a single moment, I felt him next to me, his soul caressing mine.

I love you.

The ice exploded into thousands of pieces.

Conreth screamed his brother’s name.

Everyone was shouting, ducking for cover.

But the sound dimmed.

No.

No, Lorian wasn’t gone.

He’d promised.

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