Page 83 of The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom 2)

Aster stepped away from the group. “You still consider her your wife?”

Yes,Aren thought, but he shook his head. “No.”

“Queen?”

“No.”

“She leaves as soon as this is done?”

Aren didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t. Not if he wanted to get Lara out of this alive. “Yes.”

Aster exchanged long looks with several of the other soldiers, and then he nodded and pulled a horn from his belt, tossing it to Aren. “I think you best tell Ithicana you’re home, Your Grace.”

Taking a deep breath, Aren raised the horn to his lips, then he called his kingdom to war.

46

Lara

In true Ithicanian fashion,there were no delays.

And for that, Lara was profoundly grateful. For three days and nights, Aren strategized with Jor and Aster, horns blaring constantly as the plan was conveyed the length of Ithicana, the soldiers scattered across all the tiny islands massing together, careful to conceal their movements with darkness or mist. The Midwatch garrison swelled to close to three hundred, and every time another boat arrived with more soldiers, Lara clenched her teeth, knowing what was to come.

Not threats.

Not attempts on her life.

Not further requests for Aren to execute her.

What they gave her was the truth, and that was a far worse thing. One after another, they’d sit down and tell her what they’d endured because of the Maridrinian invasion.

Because of her.

Aster had been the first. “My girl Raina was part of your brother’sescortthrough the bridge.” His voice was flat. “Your people slaughtered her, then hung her corpse beneath the bridge to rot with her comrades.”

Lara blanched, but Aster wasn’t through.

“They killed my nephew. But not before they made him watch his wife die. I know it because their son witnessed it from where he was hidden in the jungle. We found the boy and a few of the other children half-starved, living off the scraps they could find in their burned-out village. Living with the corpses of their parents because none of them were big enough to move them.”

Lara threw up, guts heaving even when her stomach had run dry. “I’m sorry.”

He only looked at her with disgust. “My wife and other children are in Eranahl. Haven’t seen them in almost a year. Don’t even know if they’re alive, only that if they are, they’re hungry. Scared. And I can’t get to them.”

“I pray you’ll see them again.”

He only shook his head at her. “Likely not in this life.”

A female soldier had been next. “My three boys are in Eranahl. It has always been a sanctuary. But now . . .” Her voice cracked. “Ileftthem there.”

“It was the right choice. They are safer there than they are here.”

The woman shook her head slowly, eyes full of hate. “They shouldn’t have been in danger at all.”

A boy, sixteen if he's a day, had followed. “They’ve got my sister as a prisoner on Gamire Island.” His hands balled into fists. “Do you know what your people do to prisoners?”

God, but she knew. “We’ll try to get her back.”

“You mean we’ll get what’s left of her back.” He spit in her face. “Traitor.”

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