Page 65 of The Dragon Queen

Butheshakeshishead. "Theremustbesomeotherway.Someothertime.Leaveyourselfachancetoregroup,justincase--"

"Incasetheyfail?"Ashakybutvitalvoicechimesinfromthedoor.

WeallturnourheadstofindMariutzaandDelayniestandingatthethreshold.Mariutzaisstillfrail,butshe'smadearemarkablerecovery.Rightnow,there'safightinhereyesthatmakesmegladI'mnottheonegoingupagainsther.

Rookhuffsoutabreaththroughhisnose. "Allplansrequirecontingencies."

Raisingherbrowssharply,Mariutzaremindshim, "IftheyfailatbreakingintotheShadowKingdom,webothknowthereisnocontingency."

Acoldshiverrunsthroughme.Butshe'sright.

Thismissiongoessouth?

Andwe'renotcomingbackfromit.

Myinsidesflutter,andassubtlyasIcan,Ipressmyclaspedhandstomyabdomen.Mypregnancyisstillinvisible,butthechildgrowinginsideofmehasapresenceallherown.

Puttingheratrisklikethisgratesupagainstsomethingsharpwithinmysoul.Buttheideaofgivingupalready?Ofnotfighting?

Itwouldmeansacrificingherfuture.

Itwouldmeangivinguponallofus.

Myvoicefalters,butIclearmythroat,andwhenIspeakagain,it'sclearandsteady. "Westrikeanyearlier,andatbest,wetipthemofftoourplan;atworst..."Well,Mariutzaprettymuchsummedthatupalready. "Sufficeittosaythatwedon'tgetinandoutofthattombtwice."

Iglancearoundtheroom.I'mmetwithgazesfulloftrepidation,butalsotrust.Idon'twanttobetraythattrust.Ican'tlivewithmyselfifIsteerthemwrong.

Butthisisourbestchance.

"Iknowthatthisisahugerisk."Ishakemyheadslightly. "AndI'mnotgoingtoorderanyofyoutofollowme."

"Youdon'thaveto."Amystands. "Wevolunteer."

SisterGracerises,too,glancingfromAmytome.SheandAmymaybeinarockyplacerightnow,butthey'reunitedinthis. "That'sright."

FreyaandJettandatleastadozenotherstaketotheirfeetaswell,andmychesttightens.Rafestepsforward,andtherestofmymatestakehiscue,comingtostandbehindme,bothliterallyandmetaphorically.

RhiannonandRookarestillnotablyquiet.

SoIaddressthem. "Iknowyouhaveyourreservations.Anduntilthelastmoment,I'mopentoconsideringallotherpossiblepaths.Butfornow,ItrulybelievethatourbestoptionistowaitfortheDragonMoon--andthentostealtheCrownoutfromunderhim,andattackhimfromallsides."Iswallow,glancingbetweenthem. "Itwouldmeantheworldtometohaveyoursupport."

Rhiannon'seyessoften. "Ember.Youalwayshavemysupport."

Rookremainswhereheis,standingbythewindow,hisshouldersbackandhisgazepitchblack.Ibracemyself,readyforhimtotellmeoffagain--ortovoiceyetanothercaveatorconcern.Beneathhisbeard,hisjawflexes.

Gruffly,hetellsme, "IwillalwayssupporttheDragonQueen."

ButIhearwhathe'snotsaying.Ihaveyettoassumethatmantle;hedoesn'ttrustmyplantodoso.

Andthere,inthatmoment?

Itdoesn'tfeelthatmuchlikesupportatall.

Chapter

Twenty

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