Page 102 of Children of Blood and Bone

That’s more than enough dessert for you—

No.

No more. I have lived that life before and lost my dearest friendbecause of it. Now that I’ve escaped, I shall never return. With my escape, I must do more.

“I am a princess, not a prop. Do not treat me any differently. My father is responsible for this pain.Iwill be the one to fix it.”

Tzain jerks back and raises his hands in surrender. “Alright.”

I tilt my head. “That’s it?”

“Amari, I want you here. I just needed to know it was your choice. When you took that scroll, there’s no way you could know everything would turn out like this.”

“Oh…” I fight back a smile.I want you here.His words make my ears burn. Tzain actually wants me to stay.

“Well, thank you,” I say quietly, sitting back. “I want to be here, too. Despite how loudly you snore.”

Tzain smiles, and it softens up every hard line in his face. “You’re not so quiet yourself, Princess. The way you snore, I should’ve called you the Lionaire this whole time.”

“Ha.” I narrow my eyes and grab our canteens, praying my face isn’t flushed. “I’ll remember that the next time you need help grabbing a roll of bandages.”

Tzain grins as I leave the hut, a lopsided smile that lifts my very steps. The brisk night air greets me like an old friend, thick with the scent of ogogoro and palm wine from the celebration.

A hooded woman spots me and breaks out into a wide smile. “The Lionaire!”

Her call incites the cheers of those around her. It makes my cheeks flush, but this time the name doesn’t sound so wrong. With a shy wave, I skirt the crowd, fading into the shadows.

Perhaps I made a mistake.

Maybe a lionaire lives in me after all.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

INAN

THE DESERT AIRis lifeless.

It cuts with each inhale.

Without Kaea’s steady instruction, every breath blurs together, marred by the magic that took her away.

I never realized how riding alongside Kaea passed the time. Traveling alone, minutes merge into hours. Days blend into nights. The food supply dwindles first. Water follows close behind.

I grab the canteen hooked to the saddle of my stolen panthenaire and squeeze the last droplets out. If Orí is really watching me from above, he must be laughing now.

Maji attack.

Kaea killed.

Pursuing the scroll.

—I

The message I sent home with the soldiers should arrive soon.

Knowing Father, he’ll dispatch guards the moment he receives it, order them to return with the culprit’s head or not at all. Little does he know the monster he hunts is me.

Guilt rips at my insides like the magic I fight back. Father’ll never understand the extent to which I’m already punishing myself.

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