Page 124 of Queen of Legends and Lies
I know I should let him rest while he can. But the selfish part of me wants to curl up beside him and revel in his scent.
Instead, I pull a blanket over his shivering body and brush a featherlight kiss across his brow. “Sleep, my love. I’ll keep watch for us both.”
As I settle into a chair beside the bed, I know there will be no rest for me. For Sterling, for this man I cannot bear to lose, I have to be strong. I will find a way.
Somehow.
I stare into the crackling flames of the fire, lost in thought. The palace is too quiet, too still. It’s as if even the ancient stones are holding their breath, bracing for the next blow.
Absently, I rub my arms, trying to ward off the chill that’s seeped into my very bones. My fire magic has always kept me warm, but now, there’s only an unsettling emptiness where that comforting heat once resided.
A soft knock at the door startles me from my reverie. I tense, reaching for a sword that isn’t there. Old habits die hard, especially in times like these.
“Come in.” Not wanting to wake Sterling, I keep my voice low.
The door creaks open, and Healer Luci slips inside, her white apron stained with blood and ash.
Weariness is carved into every line of her normally cheerful face. “I saw the light under your door.” Her voice is just above a whisper. “I thought…hoped you might still be awake.”
I nod, gesturing for her to take the other chair by the fire.
She sinks into it, her gaze drifting to Sterling. “How is he?”
I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair. “Exhausted. We all are. But he…he’s been through so much, Luci. I’m afraid for him. For all of us.”
“You’ll find a way, Your Highness. The same way you did last night. You had a plan in place, and you were able to implement it, saving countless lives.”
I squeeze her hand, drawing strength from her conviction. She’s right. We have to find a way. Because the alternative? The alternative is unthinkable.
But how can we fight an enemy that can corrupt everything it touches? How can we defeat a god that refuses to stay dead?
The merged power we’d achieved—the surge of hope that had filled me when our magic intertwined—is like a distant memory.
We could barely defeat the human traitors. Mortal enemies. Even with our powers combined, even with Sterling and Agnar by my side…it almost wasn’t enough.
The worst part is they’d managed to fool us, to infiltrate our home once again.
Luci grunts as she stands. “One bit of good news. Bastian will be fine. A glancing blow. The kind of head wound that seems tragic but isn’t. He’s already up and trying to get back to the books. He does have a concussion and may be a bit groggy today. But after that, he should be all right.”
Relief eases some of the knots in my stomach.
“Thank you.” I close my eyes, neck bowing from the phantom weight of the crown on my head. The responsibility that accompanies it will never leave me.
I didn’t ask for this. I never wanted to be the one to lead our people through the darkness.
But here I am all the same. And there’s no turning back.
Morning sunlight illuminates the courtyard as I approach the fire paddock, my footsteps heavy with fatigue and despair. Despite my exhaustion and hearing the good news about Bastian, I couldn’t sleep.
I’m too restless.
Guards patrol the perimeter, but I barely notice them. My eyes are fixed on the sky above, where three dragons soar in a protective circle, their wings casting shadows on the ground below.
I fly over the paddock wall, my heart aching as I take in the sight before me. Dame, Chirean, Kaida, and Tanwen lie in a heap, their scales dull, and their eyes closed. Ryu and the other dragons have piled on top of them in a protective embrace. They’re keeping their wounded brethren warm and safe, just as we humans try to do for each other in times of crisis.
Ryu lifts his head from Tanwen’s back. When his golden eyes meet mine, I feel a swell of gratitude, a wordless thanks for saving his friends. But even as I nod in response, the guilt twists in my gut like a knife.
If I’d caught on sooner, they never would’ve been in danger in the first place.
