Page 210 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

I poured my fire toward the black cloud of magic, and something dark roared back at me.

Moments. I’d have only moments.

Desperately, I continued flicking through the pages. I couldn’t explain exactly how I knew, but I was certain the page I needed would—

There.

It seemed to glow, dragging my attention to it.

The words were foreign—a language my mouth had never been meant to speak—but they came to me easily.

For a single, terrifying moment, I wondered if the book had tricked me. But the dark, malevolent power seemed to howl its displeasure.

The words rolled off my tongue as if I had spoken them every day of my life.

Regner had used oceartus stones to steal, transport, and gift human power.

He’d used the curse of his webs to turn those who loved their family and friends into traitors.

I would undo what he had done.Thiswould be my legacy before I left this continent.

I spoke the final word. The book thumped closed. For a moment, it seemed as if nothing had happened.

And then the screams sounded.

Horror sliced through me. But…

The screams were jubilant. Celebratory. Joyful.

Sparks began to rise from Regner’s body. And from every general nearby.

In the distance, back toward our camp, human rebels were raising their weapons in the air. Many of them glowed with magic.

I’d done it. I’d taken the power from where it wasn’t supposed to be and given it back to those it truly belonged to.

My knees buckled. Jamic hit the ground. And it was Demos who caught my arm. He nodded at me, his eyes filled with…respect.

Prisca limped over to me. And she was using that red stone once more as she spoke. “Let it be known across all four kingdoms. The human power was returned by Madinia Farrow.”

I winced, and she laughed, the sound rolling across the shore.

36

Prisca

The war was over. Regner was dead. We shuffled back toward our camp, and I stared unseeingly at the remnants of the battlefield.

And the bodies.

For a long time, I simply stood, Lorian’s arms around me as I trembled, grief and horror swamping me until it felt as if they might drag me under.

“We won,” I mumbled against his shirt. “I should be happy.”

He stroked my hair. “You will be. For now, feel however you need to, wildcat.”

Slowly, I eased away from him. My face was wet, and I gazed down the beach to where the others were gathered.

“I need to see Telean. And Tibris.”

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