Page 147 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

Realization trickled into me. Slowly, my limbs became heavy, as if the dread had seeped into them. It felt like I was sleepwalking from his tent. Distantly, I heard Galon’s voice. But all I could think about was getting to Lorian.

And then he was there. His huge body surrounded mine, pulling me into his arms.

“What happened?” he rumbled.

I gave myself a single moment to press my head to his chest, soaking in some of his strength.

“It was a trick,” I whispered. My eyes met Lorian’s, “Regner moved his forces down into Gromalia and let our spies learn of his weapon. He wanted us to think he was attacking on all fronts to remove our wards, so we would split our attention. In reality, he was readying his armies, gathering his monsters, moving the last amulet tothe capital—” My voice broke.

Lorian’s face turned stark. It was as if even those dark-green eyes lost some of their color.

“He’s going to the pass.” His voice was hoarse as he made the connection. “He’s going to kill all of the hybrids who are attempting to get back to Lyrinore.”

Sickness rose, clawing at my throat. I panted through it. “Anyone who can’t fight. Women with young children. The sick. The old. He’s going to murder them all.”

The horror of it engulfed me. Regner would deal a blow that would not only kill our most vulnerable—the people we’d sworn to keep safe—but…how would our soldiers find the strength to fight, knowing they had lost everyone they loved?

“Do you believe Zathrian?”

“In this? I do. He said…he said something strange has been happening in the sea. What if…what if Regner’s using the same magic that hid his fleet from Daharak to get his people into position?”

Lorian cursed, rubbing a hand over his face. “We need to check,” he said. “Let’s get messages out to our spies immediately. While we’re waiting to hear back, we need to warn the others. But Prisca…there’s not enough time.”

My throat was so parched, I could barely speak. “Asinia, Demos, Telean…they need to know. We need to tell them to get to the Asric Pass. The soldiers guarding our people will be expecting Regner to have left a regiment or two to cut them off. They won’t be prepared to meet all of his forces. We need to get a message to Tymriel and the rest of the elders as well. If they truly want to help ourpeople, this is their chance.”

Lorian pulled me along suddenly, until we were stepping into one of the central tents. A large map had been hung on one of the canvas walls, and I stared at the Asric Pass. I should have sent more soldiers. Why hadn’t I sent more?

Lorian pointed at the center of Eprotha—and the regiments Regner had stationed there. “We’d thought they were going to move south.” He ran his finger toward the fae lands. “But they’ll attack from behind.” He shifted his finger to the entrance to the Asric Pass, between Eprotha and the fae lands. “I kept wondering what Regner was waiting for. Now we know. He was waiting for our order to evacuate. When our people would be moving toward the pass.”

My head spun. Thousands of our most vulnerable, along with a third of our army…they would be trapped between Regner’s forces.

“Vicer only took three thousand hybrid soldiers to help with the evacuation.”

“Regner will position more soldiers on the coast.”

“Yes,” I said. “As soon as he kills us, his plan is to use the ships he has kept hidden to invade the hybrid kingdom once again, wiping out every single hybrid still alive.”

LORIAN

Orivan was grim. Silent. We’d immediately told him what Regner was planning, and he stood, hands on his hips as he contemplated the hybrids going about their day around us. Prisca looked shellshocked, as if she was unable to reconcile what she had just learned. I couldn’t blame her. Even after everything I’d seen and done, some part of me refused to believe the extent of the evil Regner had committed.

I squeezed her hand. “I want to find the hags. They allowed your cousin to set up his camp this close to their territory for a reason.”

And the stone women were known to be close to the dead. There was a chance one of them could help reverse whatever was happening to me.

As much as I wanted to be able to see Cavis, I couldn’t afford to be distracted by the death I had wielded across this continent. Not with Prisca surrounded by those who could prove to be enemies. If Cavis were here, he would urge me to do whatever it took to keep her safe, just as he had done for his own wife and child.

Her gaze darted across my face. I couldn’t tell her about the hags’ connection to the dead. Not in front of Orivan. But after a long moment, she nodded. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Yes. I wanted her with me every second of every day, with a ferocity that occasionally disconcerted me, even now.

But the dark circles beneath her eyes contrasted concerningly with the wan appearance of her skin. She was so pale, it cut at something inside me.

“Stay here, wildcat.” I glanced at Galon, who nodded at me. “Try to get some rest. I won’t be long.”

She frowned, her teeth worrying at her lower lip. But she didn’t argue. That, more than anything, encouraged me to hurry. If she wasn’t resting by the time I returned, I’d haul her to our tent myself.

“I’m coming with you,” Marth said.

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