Page 178 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

But Rythos told him of the spiders. He told him about Cavis and exactly what had happened to the man he’d considered a true brother. Brevan’s eyes had flashed at that, and Rythos simply continued speaking. He told him of Cavis’s sacrifice and warned him of just how many spiders Regner had in various courts.

Finally, Rythos fell silent, his voice hoarse.

But not before telling his brother one final thing.

“If you help us, I promise I will never return.”

Brevan studied him. And I couldn’t read his expression. “That would be too easy.”

Confusion flickered across Rythos’s face.

“You neverwishto return,” Brevan clarified. “For you to stay away and live a life of ease and little responsibility would be a reward. One you haven’t earned.”

“He has spent his life fighting for the future of all four kingdoms,” I snarled. “What exactly have you done?”

Brevan ignored me, although those lines had appeared near his eyes once more.

His gaze was steady as he looked at Rythos. “When this war is won, you will not go to the hybrid kingdom with your friends. You will not live out your days in indulgent luxury. No, you will return here. And you will serve beneath me when I am crowned.”

“You fucking bastard,” I breathed.

Brevan glanced at me then. “I suggest you hold your tongue.”

Rythos took a deep, shuddering breath. And I watched as he pictured his future—the life hehadearned with each drop of blood spilled for the hybrids and fae. Grief hunched his shoulders and twisted his mouth. And Rythos let that future go.

“I agree,” he said.

We’d spent so much time in such close quarters that even the way Rythos breathed currently irritated me. And yet my stomach churned at the bleak hopelessness in his eyes.

Brevan nodded. “In that case, I will order the council members here tomorrow.”

Rythos jumped to his feet. “Tomorrow is too late.Brevan, please—”

“It will have to do.”

Getting to his feet, he turned and walked out of the corridor.

PRISCA

Regner wasn’t here. But he was close.

I could practically feel him as our army marched toward the wide shoreline where his monsters had pinned our people. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Tor riding like he’d been born in the saddle, Rekja close to his side. The Gromalian prince had personally guarded him every moment since we’d left.

Wild green eyes met mine. And the steadiness in them calmed the worst of my fear. “Are you ready, wildcat?”

“Yes.”

Lorian’s power swept out of him, the fae fire incinerating at least ten thousand snarling creatures.

Pulling at the threads of my power, I froze time for the creatures that remained too close to our own people to risk using fae fire.

And I paused time for the fae fire too.

This would have been impossible just weeks ago when we brought down the barrier. Now, it was as if I had stepped into my power in a way I had never imagined I could.

Galon urged his horse forward, his water ready.Marth already had a huge canvas sack of damask powder, and as we watched, he threw it into the air.

Right into the path of Galon’s water. It soaked into Lorian’s fae fire, ensuring that when time resumed, it wouldn’t spread to the forest—and to our own people.

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