Page 192 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

And when he spoke, it was clear he expected to be obeyed.

“Jamic…”

Shaking his head, he handed me the dagger. “You know what you need to do.”

My hand trembled as he reached for it. And then he pulled it away several inches until our eyes met once more. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“You won’t.”

In the end, it would be Jamic and me ruling this continent.

And no one would ever dare to hurt us again.

PRISCA

Bodies lay scattered across the battlefield like fruit rotting in an orchard.

Our wounded were carried to safety whenever possible—taken to healers’ tents, where I knew Tibris was saving as many lives as he was able. I’d heard from Asinia that Telean had planted herself in there with him and was helping however she could.

Lorian had sent Marth and Galon for me. And they’d wedged me between them as we fought our way toward the front lines. It was time to use my power.

Lorian had used much of his own power turning thousands of the terrovians to ash when we’d arrived. But he still struck again and again, his lightning targeting Regner’s most powerful.

When he switched to using only his sword, I knewLorian was conserving the last of his power for Regner.

I could taste dirt and sweat and blood on my tongue, infiltrating each of my gasps for air amid the relentless onslaught.

Above our heads, the sun had almost disappeared, a heavy cloak of ash and smoke hanging low in the sky.

There was nothing left but the cacophony of steel clashing against steel, the sparks of magic slamming into wards, and the anguished cries of the fallen. Beneath my feet, the hardened sand had been churned until each step was a struggle. Exhaustion pressed down onto me, reflected in the faces of each and every soldier fighting on both sides.

Reaching for the threads of my own power, I panted, holding as tightly as I could. Our soldiers had gotten used to the way their enemies would go unnaturally still now, and they knew they had to kill as many of them as possible while I leashed time itself.

With each attack, our people rallied, cutting down those who would gladly kill us.

And as I let time resume, I saw death where there had previously been life. I heard screams as Eprothan soldiers fought next to their friends one moment, only to see them dead at their feet the next.

The battlefield became a bloodbath. A horror so great, part of me wondered what a life after this could possibly look like for me. I would see these men in my nightmares for the rest of my days.

But even with all the death we wielded, it wasn’t enough. We were being forced back, our numbers simply too small against Regner’s army.

“Now!” Lorian roared, and I clutched the hourglass around my neck. I no longer had to fight with the hourglass to drain my power slow and steady. It was as if discovering my power hidden within me had unlocked some new facet of control.

Demos was suddenly at my elbow as our soldiers surged forward. He pulled me back, nodding at Lorian, who yelled something to Marth and Galon. A moment later, Lorian was falling back with me while the others moved farther into a sea of blood, launching themselves toward the front lines.

Demos pulled me to where our archers had taken their stand. Asinia appeared exhausted as she shoved several arrows into her quiver. When I looked between our barricade and the battle raging to our north, it was evident just how much ground we had lost.

Hevdrin and Blynth approached. Both generals looked grim.

“We’re too heavily outnumbered,” Demos said. “We have to think smart. Have to take Regner by surprise in some way.”

Hevdrin wiped at his sweaty face with the back of his arm. “What are you suggesting?”

“We put everything into our left flank. And we hit hard.”

With the water to the west, Regner’s soldiers would have nowhere to go—unlike the soldiers closest to the mountains, who could turn and flee.

“We take soldiers from the rear lines to funnel into the left flank,” Demos continued. “Those on the front must stand their ground. And not cede an inch.”

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