“Keep ordering me around, and I’ll start a proper war right here, right now.”
“You’re already dangerously close to that, Lady Ingrid,” Audric said, his voice tight. He tried to look left, but Ingrid pressed the blade closer. “Lu?”
“I’m here,” came Ludivine’s tearful voice from a few paces away. A soldier was binding her hands behind her back. Then he shoved a cloth sack over her head, and she let out a terrified cry.
“Lu?” Audric shouted, struggling in Ingrid’s grip.
Ludivine choked out, “I’m all right. Please, Audric, don’t anger them further. It’s all right.”
Stay calm, Ludivine instructed, her angelic voice much steadier. Ilmaire is still our friend and ally.
Which is worth nothing to us, as his own soldiers are ignoring him, Rielle seethed. Take control of their minds. Make them release us.
I will not.
Ludivine…
No, Rielle. It isn’t as dire as that yet. We can still win their friendship.
Rielle’s nails dug into her palms. As soon as Audric is safe, I will burn Ilmaire and his sister, and their soldiers, and their entire rotten kingdom, to the ground.
You will not, Ludivine said sternly. This is exactly what Corien wants—for war to divide your countries so it will be easier for him to ruin you.
“What’s the meaning of this, Ilmaire?” Audric snapped. “We came here to help you!”
Ingrid spat on his face. “Fuck your help. We need none of it.”
“A war will tear our nations apart. We must forget the old, bad blood between our countries and unite against whatever is killing our soldiers. And the storms that have ravaged your coasts cannot be a coincidence.” His gaze flew to Rielle. “The prophecy—”
Ingrid kicked his spine, then pressed her mouth against his temple and smiled cruelly up at Rielle. “You should have thought about your precious prophecy,” she snarled, “before you murdered my sister.”
Audric’s expression was so ferocious that Rielle hardly recognized him. “Commander Lysleva, Celdaria is not responsible for Princess Runa’s death.”
But before Ingrid could reply, one of the Borsvall soldiers let out a sharp cry, soon picked up by the others. Ludivine’s captor released her roughly. She stumbled forward, catching herself hard on the rocks at her feet. Rielle hurried to her, helped her up, and then looked at the horizon, where the soldiers were pointing, their frantic voices overlapping and their faces drawn with sudden fear.
Abruptly, the anger clouding Rielle’s vision fell away.
That line of black clouds at the horizon hadn’t been clouds at all.
It was a tidal wave, rushing fast for the shore—so monstrously tall that it blacked out the sky. Even from this distance, Rielle could see that it would easily crest the mountains and destroy the capital in one fell blow.
Rielle’s mind cleared, a slow tingle warming her body as she faced the sight of a disaster too mighty for anyone but her to prevent.
That is, if she cared to. And she wasn’t sure that she did.
Do it, now, Ludivine urged her, her presence sharp and eager in Rielle’s mind. This is the perfect opportunity to win their allegiance.
Then, distantly, curling and coy, another voice echoed Ludivine’s: Do it, now. This is the perfect opportunity to show them the power of the woman they’ve crossed.
Ludivine’s presence turned cold. Her deft fingers started pulling closed the doors of Rielle’s mind.
But Rielle stiffened and held fast to the sly voice that so sweetly caressed her. Where are you?
Corien did not reply.
Ingrid roared at her soldiers in the Borsvallic tongue, silencing their panicked cries. Ilmaire hurried to her, his words swallowed by the wind. Ingrid glanced at Rielle, then down at Audric, whom she still held pinned by his own blade, then back at Rielle.
Scowling, she released Audric. Once he had risen to his feet, she thrust Illumenor toward him, refusing to meet his eyes.
Audric took it from her, his expression cold and hard, and came at once to Rielle.
She turned away from him. “Don’t ask me to. I won’t do it.”
“This is why we came here,” he insisted, coming around to face her. “We came to help them.”
“That was before they attacked us and held a sword to your throat. Don’t ask me to help the people who would have killed you.”
If you don’t, any chance of friendship with Borsvall will be lost forever, Ludivine said quickly.
Ilmaire approached cautiously. “Audric, I don’t know how I can ever apologize to you for what’s happened here today.”
“You can’t,” Rielle spat, whirling on him. “If it weren’t for Audric and Ludivine advising me against it, I would have already burned you and your sister to ashes.”
“Please, Lady Rielle,” he shouted, the storm’s eerie light casting wan shadows across his skin. “The situation in my court is…complicated. But the plight of my people in this moment is simple.” He faced her, his words thick with despair. His eyes traveled to the white city sitting high in the nearby mountains. The narrow ivory towers of the castle Tarkstorm, the city streets winding like bands of pearls through the mountains. “If you don’t save them, they will die.”
She turned away from him. If she looked for one more moment at his face, she would punch it. The sky opened and rain began to fall in gray sheets.
“If we leave them now, when we could have saved them,” Audric said urgently, “it will surely start a war.”
“They invited war when they attacked us,” she replied. “They invited war when they threatened your life.”
“And if you save their capital, they will have no choice but to accept our terms of peace.” He cupped her face with his free hand. The rain plastered his dark curls to his forehead. “And accept you as the queen you are.”
As she looked up at him, angry tears filled her eyes. She knew he was right, she knew it—and yet she imagined these people’s bodies swept up by the water, bashed against the mountains until their skulls shattered. She imagined their grief when the wave crushed their city flat and drowned their families, and felt nothing but gladness at the thought.
But Audric was right, and if she turned away from this opportunity now, he would never forgive her for it.
She whistled for Atheria, and a few moments later, with a hawklike cry, the chavaile landed beside them and knelt at Rielle’s feet.
Rielle stepped on Audric’s clasped hands and clambered onto Atheria’s back, and when she threw one last glance back at Ilmaire and Ingrid, she was gratified to see them cowed by the sight of her astride her godsbeast. How small they looked, and pathetic, their furs drenched. o;Keep ordering me around, and I’ll start a proper war right here, right now.”
“You’re already dangerously close to that, Lady Ingrid,” Audric said, his voice tight. He tried to look left, but Ingrid pressed the blade closer. “Lu?”
“I’m here,” came Ludivine’s tearful voice from a few paces away. A soldier was binding her hands behind her back. Then he shoved a cloth sack over her head, and she let out a terrified cry.
“Lu?” Audric shouted, struggling in Ingrid’s grip.
Ludivine choked out, “I’m all right. Please, Audric, don’t anger them further. It’s all right.”
Stay calm, Ludivine instructed, her angelic voice much steadier. Ilmaire is still our friend and ally.
Which is worth nothing to us, as his own soldiers are ignoring him, Rielle seethed. Take control of their minds. Make them release us.
I will not.
Ludivine…
No, Rielle. It isn’t as dire as that yet. We can still win their friendship.
Rielle’s nails dug into her palms. As soon as Audric is safe, I will burn Ilmaire and his sister, and their soldiers, and their entire rotten kingdom, to the ground.
You will not, Ludivine said sternly. This is exactly what Corien wants—for war to divide your countries so it will be easier for him to ruin you.
“What’s the meaning of this, Ilmaire?” Audric snapped. “We came here to help you!”
Ingrid spat on his face. “Fuck your help. We need none of it.”
“A war will tear our nations apart. We must forget the old, bad blood between our countries and unite against whatever is killing our soldiers. And the storms that have ravaged your coasts cannot be a coincidence.” His gaze flew to Rielle. “The prophecy—”
Ingrid kicked his spine, then pressed her mouth against his temple and smiled cruelly up at Rielle. “You should have thought about your precious prophecy,” she snarled, “before you murdered my sister.”
Audric’s expression was so ferocious that Rielle hardly recognized him. “Commander Lysleva, Celdaria is not responsible for Princess Runa’s death.”
But before Ingrid could reply, one of the Borsvall soldiers let out a sharp cry, soon picked up by the others. Ludivine’s captor released her roughly. She stumbled forward, catching herself hard on the rocks at her feet. Rielle hurried to her, helped her up, and then looked at the horizon, where the soldiers were pointing, their frantic voices overlapping and their faces drawn with sudden fear.
Abruptly, the anger clouding Rielle’s vision fell away.
That line of black clouds at the horizon hadn’t been clouds at all.
It was a tidal wave, rushing fast for the shore—so monstrously tall that it blacked out the sky. Even from this distance, Rielle could see that it would easily crest the mountains and destroy the capital in one fell blow.
Rielle’s mind cleared, a slow tingle warming her body as she faced the sight of a disaster too mighty for anyone but her to prevent.
That is, if she cared to. And she wasn’t sure that she did.
Do it, now, Ludivine urged her, her presence sharp and eager in Rielle’s mind. This is the perfect opportunity to win their allegiance.
Then, distantly, curling and coy, another voice echoed Ludivine’s: Do it, now. This is the perfect opportunity to show them the power of the woman they’ve crossed.
Ludivine’s presence turned cold. Her deft fingers started pulling closed the doors of Rielle’s mind.
But Rielle stiffened and held fast to the sly voice that so sweetly caressed her. Where are you?
Corien did not reply.
Ingrid roared at her soldiers in the Borsvallic tongue, silencing their panicked cries. Ilmaire hurried to her, his words swallowed by the wind. Ingrid glanced at Rielle, then down at Audric, whom she still held pinned by his own blade, then back at Rielle.
Scowling, she released Audric. Once he had risen to his feet, she thrust Illumenor toward him, refusing to meet his eyes.
Audric took it from her, his expression cold and hard, and came at once to Rielle.
She turned away from him. “Don’t ask me to. I won’t do it.”
“This is why we came here,” he insisted, coming around to face her. “We came to help them.”
“That was before they attacked us and held a sword to your throat. Don’t ask me to help the people who would have killed you.”
If you don’t, any chance of friendship with Borsvall will be lost forever, Ludivine said quickly.
Ilmaire approached cautiously. “Audric, I don’t know how I can ever apologize to you for what’s happened here today.”
“You can’t,” Rielle spat, whirling on him. “If it weren’t for Audric and Ludivine advising me against it, I would have already burned you and your sister to ashes.”
“Please, Lady Rielle,” he shouted, the storm’s eerie light casting wan shadows across his skin. “The situation in my court is…complicated. But the plight of my people in this moment is simple.” He faced her, his words thick with despair. His eyes traveled to the white city sitting high in the nearby mountains. The narrow ivory towers of the castle Tarkstorm, the city streets winding like bands of pearls through the mountains. “If you don’t save them, they will die.”
She turned away from him. If she looked for one more moment at his face, she would punch it. The sky opened and rain began to fall in gray sheets.
“If we leave them now, when we could have saved them,” Audric said urgently, “it will surely start a war.”
“They invited war when they attacked us,” she replied. “They invited war when they threatened your life.”
“And if you save their capital, they will have no choice but to accept our terms of peace.” He cupped her face with his free hand. The rain plastered his dark curls to his forehead. “And accept you as the queen you are.”
As she looked up at him, angry tears filled her eyes. She knew he was right, she knew it—and yet she imagined these people’s bodies swept up by the water, bashed against the mountains until their skulls shattered. She imagined their grief when the wave crushed their city flat and drowned their families, and felt nothing but gladness at the thought.
But Audric was right, and if she turned away from this opportunity now, he would never forgive her for it.
She whistled for Atheria, and a few moments later, with a hawklike cry, the chavaile landed beside them and knelt at Rielle’s feet.
Rielle stepped on Audric’s clasped hands and clambered onto Atheria’s back, and when she threw one last glance back at Ilmaire and Ingrid, she was gratified to see them cowed by the sight of her astride her godsbeast. How small they looked, and pathetic, their furs drenched.