Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms 4)

nodded weakly. “The man she was with, he murdered Lys. She tried to protect me, so he blasted her with fire. And then she was . . . just . . . gone.”

The pain in Jonas’s voice was a living thing. Magnus felt its sharp claws dig deeply into his chest.

Lucia and the man who’d tried to kill him with fire magic had been haunting his dreams ever since her visit.

“He must be a powerful witch,” Magnus said.

“I don’t think he’s a witch,” said Nic, his earlier bravado all but disappeared. “I’ve seen him twice now and it . . . he seems much more powerful than that. Princess Lucia must have claimed the fire Kindred. And somehow she and Kyan figured out how use its magic. He’s in control of it now.”

Magnus remembered the elemental wildfire that had broken out during the rebel attack on the road camp in eastern Paelsia. Whenever the fire touched a person, its flames burned blue, then shattered its victim like an ice sculpture.

To think that this power was out there, controlled by someone traveling with his sister . . .

“Why did you go there?” Magnus asked when he’d found his voice. “What did Princess Cleo want you to find for her there?”

“Cleo had nothing to do with it,” Nic insisted. “We were visiting a market to search for a gift, just like I said. That’s all.”

Magnus could have the boy tortured, beaten, put into isolation—but he knew his story would never change. As for Jonas, he was already half dead by the look of him.

If the rebel had truly been broken by this, he’d be of no use to Magnus at all.

“What about our deal?” Magnus asked, looking directly at Jonas.

He lifted his gaze. “You’re choosing now, of all times, to ask me about that?”

“I am. And I demand an answer.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know about anything anymore.”

“I empathize with your pain, Agallon, I truly do. But this is a new day, which will be followed by another and then another after that. Your friend is dead, and that’s a tragedy, but nothing else has changed. Do you remember what you agreed to?”

“Yes.”

“And are we still in agreement?”

There was an extended silence, through which Magnus waited patiently.

“We are,” Jonas finally said.

Magnus summoned the guards back into the tower. “Unchain these two, feed them, clean them up, and bring them to me in the throne room. We have an important matter to discuss.”

• • •

Jonas and Nic were brought into the throne room, both wearing fresh clothes and no longer smelling like they’d been traveling for days without a wash.

“Sit,” Magnus instructed.

Jonas took a seat, then Nic reluctantly did the same.

Magnus pushed aside a stack of papers and picked up a message he’d received by raven that very morning. He slid it toward Nic. “Read it. Out loud.”

With a sullen look on his face, Nic picked up the message, squinting at it in the dim late afternoon light.

Your Highness, Prince Magnus Damora,

Since I’m currently in Kraeshia, let me be as blunt as its people. I have been working as your father’s bodyguard during his trip here. He has offered the air Kindred to Emperor Cortas in exchange for sharing power over all of Mytica and Kraeshia.

Nic paused, then looked up. “The king has the air Kindred?”