Page 224 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

“Don’t wait too long.”

She smiled again. And then she turned and walked toward Daharak’s ship.

My gaze caught on a man who’d appeared farther down the dock. He stood so still, it was as if he was a statue, his hands planted on his hips, body language intent. Something about the way he stared at Madinia made my skin prickle.

Madinia’s cloak fluttered in the wind, revealing the grimoire tucked within her inside pocket.

The man went unnaturally still. And then he was striding toward her.

Daharak strode halfway down the gangplank, a smirk on her face. She said something that made Madinia laugh, and the man hesitated for the barest moment.

Madinia stepped onto the gangplank, and the man began to sprint.

Realization slammed into me. I knew that man. I’d been imprisoned with him once, in Regner’s cells.

Calysian.

He was going to catch Madinia. And something told me that if that happened, it would be very, very bad.

I stopped time with a thought. But only for him.

Daharak waved to me. Madinia turned, raising her own hand, and I forced myself to wave back, as if they weren’t taking the tiniest piece of my heart with them.

“They’ll be back,” Lorian murmured in my ear, his arms coming around me.

“I know. In the meantime, I have someone to question.”

I wiggled in his arms, turning to survey Calysian.

My heart stopped.

He was gone.

Pelysian’s mother Ravynia stood nearby, her gaze on the ship. For some reason none of us could understand, she’d chosen to make our kingdom her home. Perhaps it was because she was less likely to be bothered here. I’d certainly had enough of seers and their prophecies to last a lifetime.

“That girl is going to regret ever leaving this place,” she said.

My heart resumed beating, and I glowered at her. “Madinia is going to have a long life filled with happiness and adventure.”

She just frowned at me. “She goes, traumatized by life and armed with one of the dark god’s grimoires. You have loosed a woman who has the potential to become a monster.”

Lorian’s grip tightened on me. “Mind your words, woman.”

“Have youseenher become a monster?” I asked.

The seer shook her head slowly. “Her future is currently closed to me.”

I blew out a breath, and Ravynia tutted. “This is not a good thing, girl.”

“Madinia’s life is her own,” I said. “All of our lives are our own.”

She tutted again, turning away. But I was already gazing up at the man who’d changed everything for me.

“My life is yours,” he reminded me. “Every life.”

I smile at him. “Every life.”

LORIAN

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