The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

Poppy shifted her attention forward, to where the horizon shone as if it had been bathed in blood. “How long do you think it will take for us to reach Padonia?”

“About a day’s ride, less if we push. But I don’t think these horses can handle that.”

“I don’t either.” She patted the mare. “They’ll need the rest.”

We traveled a few more hours. Along the way, Kieran snooped around the abandoned farmhouses, alerting us when he found something of use in those that appeared recently vacated. A few blankets here. Bundles of cured beef there. The draken spotted cherry bushes near the old road. It wasn’t much, but we’d make do.

The sky was turning a shade of deep blue and violet when Poppy pulled herself from her thoughts. “After we find Malec and make sure the curse is lifted…” Poppy rested against me, but her body was slowly becoming taut with tension. “We need to end this.”

End this.

I’d spent the better part of my life working toward destroying the Blood Crown. So long that it almost felt surreal now that we were on the cusp of doing it.

That we’d come to a point where the end was in sight.

“We do.” I moved my thumb in a slow, steady circle on her hip, knowing she liked it as much as I did. The ancient Temple Isbeth had designated as a meeting place formed in my mind, a blurry memory from many years ago. “The Bone Temple is outside the Rises of both Carsodonia and Pensdurth, situated in the shadow of the capital. Our armies should be able to enter Carsodonia through their northern gates.”

“It’s not an ideal entry point,” Poppy said. “We’d be coming in through Stonehill and Croft’s Cross, and we wouldn’t be able to give people any warning.”

“No, we wouldn’t be able to.” That knowledge settled heavily in my gut. “But the gates there won’t be as reinforced as the main ones.”

She nodded, exhaling slowly. “Those white cloths on the doors of homes? Windows? In Masadonia, they meant that one was cursed—infected by a Craven. I had no idea they meant anything else, especially not that they designated a haven for Descenters.”

Neither had I.

“How many?” Reaver asked of Malik, and I tensed. “Do you know how many?”

Malik lifted his head. “Thousands, if not more. All who would give aid the moment they realized that Atlantian armies were at the Rise.”

“Thousands,” Poppy murmured. “That’s…that’s a lot.”

“But there are hundreds of thousands that believe you to be the Harbinger,” Malik added. “And what happened in Stonehill won’t do much to sway their minds or loyalties.”

Poppy stiffened.

“Shut up,” I warned.

“It’s not personal,” he said, looking at Poppy. “I’m just telling the truth.”

“I know,” she replied quietly. “What I did won’t help our cause.”

By sheer force of will, I managed to stop myself from launching from the horse and doing worse than bloodying my brother’s nose again. There was a whole lot of shit between us. I could’ve eventually accepted why he’d chosen to remain under the Blood Queen’s fist—fuck, I’d do the same if she had Poppy. I wasn’t a big enough asshole not to admit that. But it was him. The Dark One who haunted Poppy’s nightmares. And he was looking at her for far longer than he fucking deserved.

Poppy squeezed my wrist, and I unlocked my jaw, forcing my attention from him.

“I can’t believe you are all actually planning to give her Malec.” Malik faced forward, adding his two-fucking cents that none of us had asked for. “That you would do anything she wants.”

“Perhaps I knocked your head around a little too hard since it appears you’ve forgotten that we don’t have a choice.” My eyes narrowed on him. “We will not let any harm come to Kieran.”

Malik’s gaze cut to the wolven, who eyeballed him as if he wanted to take a chunk out of his leg. He shuddered, stretching his fingers where they were bound at his back. “I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you. It’s not like I don’t care.”

“You know what I don’t care about?” I smiled tightly. “Your opinion on this.”

“Real mature,” Malik spat.

“Go fuck yourself.”

Poppy’s hand tightened on my wrist once more. “She won’t be able to keep him because she will be dead soon afterward,” she told him. “And it’s not like Malec is a risk. He can be in no condition to be a threat to us or anyone. At least, not in the short period of time he will be in her presence. But even if freeing Malec poses a risk, we’re still taking it.”

The draken frowned. “Are you all really that worried about the curse?” He asked what had to be the most idiotic question one could.

“Yes,” Poppy stated flatly. “We’re really that worried.”

His head tilted. “The curse probably won’t work on your wolven—” He stopped himself. “Well, then again, it might work. The essence the Revenant used carried Kolis’s stench. That was a Primal curse. So, maybe you have a right to worry.”