Page 96 of The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom 2)

“It was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“Right.”

“I just needed to get her out of my system.”

Jor handed him back the bottle. “You could bed that woman every night for the rest of your life and never get her out of your system, Aren. That’s the trouble with love.”

Aren clenched his teeth, wishing he could will away the ache in his chest.

“Ithicana is never going to accept a queen they can’t trust. Especially not one who has already caused so much hurt and loss. And if you stay with her, it won’t be long until they don’t trust you either.”

Part of Aren wondered how his people could trust himnow.Wondered why they still followed him after all the endless mistakes that he’d made. Continued to make. “I made my choice.”

“Then you need to send her away now. Keep her around andthat”—he gestured in the direction of Nana’s house—“that will keep happening. It needs to be over. A clean break.”

The thought of leaving Laranow,when she was at her weakest, made him want to vomit.

But Jor was right.

Taking one more mouthful, Aren stood. “Gather everyone and get the boats ready. We move on Midwatch tonight.”

52

Lara

Lara rose slowlyfrom the depths of sleep, her eyelashes sticking as she peeled open her eyes and blinked in the faint light filtering through the window. The throbbing ache of her leg was rivaled by that of her skull, and her mouth felt as dry as sand.

Pushing up onto her elbow, Lara eased her legs over the side and stood, wincing at the pain that lanced through her body as she limped over to the table where a pitcher of water sat next to a glass. Someone obviously brought it in the night.Was it Aren?She immediately rejected the thought. He’d meant what he’d said: Last night wasn’t an error he’d repeat.

Her eyes stung, but she rubbed at them furiously, refusing to cry anymore. It was done. They were done. All that mattered now was liberating Ithicana and having her revenge on her father.

But the only way that was going to happen was if she could prove that she could keep up. That she could still fight.

Going to Nana’s shelves, she searched the contents for pain suppressants as well as stimulants to compensate for exhaustion. Shoving them in a bag along with clean bandages for her injury, she started down the path to the village.

Her skin prickled with unease at the silence, the only sound the roar of the ocean in the distance and the faint breeze rustling the tree branches. The air smelled of damp earth and vegetation, but she caught no trace of woodsmoke or cooking food. Peering upward, she tried to pinpoint where the sun was through the clouds and the trees, but it was next to impossible to determine the hour. Given Aren had planned to leave in the morning to take Midwatch, it must still be early.

Then the clouds shifted, revealing a sliver of sunshine to the west.

Ignoring her pain, Lara broke into a run.

She reached the village in minutes, her stomach plummeting as she searched for signs of someone. For anyone. But the Ithicanians were gone.

Aren had left her.

A scream tore from her throat, and Lara dropped to the ground, hammering her fists into the dirt in a fruitless attempt to ease her anger. Her frustration. Her hurt.

What was the point? Why was she even trying? She wasn’t wanted here—not by the Ithicanians and not by Aren. So why should she stay?

Because you promised. Because you said you wouldn’t stop fighting until Ithicana was free.

Then the faint sound of a horn filled her ears, distant. It repeated, closer this time, then again farther off, the signal moving north. Passing the word.

Word that the Valcottans had been victorious at Southwatch.

It was over. Just like that, it was over.

Ithicana was free.

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