Page 16 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

I let it go for now. “How many people do you have?”

“If you mean humans who have turned against Regner? Thousands. Caddaril the Cleaver and his criminals are creating chaos for Regner throughout Eprotha. If you mean me personally? A few hundred. More and more villagers have been fleeing from conscription. One of the villages to the east of ours turned on the assessor during a Taking ceremony. The guards killed half the village, but they were eventually killed themselves, and anyone left alive decided to join with us.”

It was hard to imagine. Regner’s guards, priestesses, and assessors had ensured the villagers I’d known would turn on one another at the mere suggestion that one of them was a hybrid. The day Lina’s grandparents had died, the priestess had announced a reward for anyone who would inform them of the presence of one of the “corrupt.” One hundred gold coins. For a villager with little to spare, it was enough to ensure their children’s children wouldn’t go hungry.

Natan must have been following my thoughts because he shook his head. “It’s different now, Prisca. I know it’s difficult to believe. Of course there are some who will always believe the king’s lies, but more and more people are waking up.” He grinned suddenly. “And now that the barrier has fallen, and many people will find themselves with more power…it’s just further proof that their power wasn’t gifted to the gods.”

Pride warmed my chest. We’d done that.

“And those who don’t manage to flee?” I asked softly.

Natan’s grin dropped. “You know what happens to them. And it’s getting more dangerous every day.”

“Perhaps we don’t need all of them to join us,” Lorian said. “At least not right now.”

“What do you mean?”

Lorian pushed himself off the wall. “It’s going to get worse for those who flee. But those who stay will be perfectly positioned and armed with fae iron.”

My heart kicked in my chest, and I pictured the chaos we could cause. “They could turn on Regner’s armies when they least expect it.”

Natan picked at a loose thread on his shirt. “It’s dangerous.”

“All of it is dangerous.”

He raised his head, and his eyes gleamed. “I’ll talk to the others.”

“Thank you, Natan. For…everything.”

“Don’t thank me. One day, you’ll return to your kingdom with your people. We humans will be left with whatever remains of Eprotha. We have no choice but to make sure thereissomething left.”

3

Lorian

Twice now, I’d watched Prisca drown. Watched her lie still, her chest frozen, face slack. I wished I could somehow keep her away from all water for the rest of our lives.

Her eyes drifted closed, and my chest squeezed, my hand almost trembling as I pushed one of her long curls away from her face.

Sleeping. That’s all it was. A normal response to the healing. Still, I leaned closer, watching her chest rise and fall.

Even knowing we were both alive, dread rolled through my veins, thick and bitter. I didn’t doubt Telean was right—and that there would be repercussions. But I couldn’t bear the thought of Prisca being the one to face those repercussions.

And I kept having the strangest feeling that I was being watched.

Behind me, the door opened, and I hissed out a breath, turning.

Conreth stood in the doorway. His eyes lingered on Prisca for a long moment. Long enough that I showed him my teeth. Usually, that would have at least resulted in an eye roll,perhaps a pithy comment. Today, he just gestured silently for me to join him.

I hesitated, glancing at Prisca. But she was sleeping, and at the very least, I needed to bathe and eat.

Still…

Making my way to the door, I stepped past Conreth, finding Rythos craning his neck, attempting to look into the room. I might have mocked him for his fretting, except that I also couldn’t restrain myself from checking she was still breathing.

“Stay with her.”

He nodded, slipping into the room. My eyes met Conreth’s. “What is it?”

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