Page 26 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

And so, I changed the subject. “Speaking of power… you used to only be able to heal small wounds. But you managed to save Demos’s life. Before the barrier came down.”

Tibris gave me a faint smile. “It helped that Demos’s power was working to heal him as well. But…some part of me wonders if perhaps I wasn’t using my power to its full potential after my father died.”

I winced at the reminder. Tibris had almost lost his own life while attempting to save his father. “You think you imposed some kind of limit on yourself?”

He shrugged. “Not necessarily a limit. More like a… subconscious protective constraint. But since I left our village, I’ve been forced to push my power as much as I possibly could—again and again. Now that the barrier is down?” His mouth twisted. “What I thought were the depths of my power were only the bare surface. I could have saved my father, Asinia. If Regner hadn’t stolen this magic from me, I could have saved hundreds of lives over the years.” His voice was bitter.

Rage battered my insides. So many lives lost.

I hoped Regner’s most loyal people had enjoyed their horseless carriages.

Stuffing down my bitterness, I locked my shoulder muscles. “We’ll make him pay, Tibris.”

“I know. Some days, I think that thought is the only thing getting all of us through the horrors of this war.” He wiped off his hands. “Well, let’s go see what Herne says.” He winked at me.

Together, we stepped out of the healer’s tent, the light outside momentarily blinding after the restful dimness within.

The camp was a hive of activity, the air thick with the scent of the stew cooking over the fire and the sound of blades clashing in the distance as rebels trained for the looming battle.

A pigeon swooped above our heads, dropping from the sky and landing on Tibris’s shoulder. He gently stroked it with one finger and freed the tiny piece of parchment it carried.

His face paled. “Conreth killed Lorian during the battle,” he said. “Prisca used her power to turn back time and save him,” he said hurriedly, grabbing my arm when I swayed on my feet.

“What—”

“Regner used his mirror to direct Conreth’s power toward their ship. The ship exploded. Prisca almost died, and Telean is only alive because one of Daharak’s pirates managed to save her.” He crumpled the letter in his fist, then smoothed it out. “Eryndan is dead. Now, they need to bargain with Rekja if we are to have any hope of an alliance with the Gromalians.”

Tibris was already turning, pulling me with him toward Herne and Demos. They stood at the edge of the camp, already deep in conversation. Herne’s blond hair fluttered in the wind, the sharp planes of his face catching the light. Demos was a tall, dark shadow beside him, showing no signs he’d been wounded, his eyes scanning the forest as if looking for threats. Herne’s own gaze was on his people. On the children running around the campfire, the mother who lifted one of them into her arms and tickled him, and the sentries who trudged out of theforest, coming off their shifts.

Tibris and I joined them, and Herne acknowledged us with a nod. Demos scanned both of us, his gaze lingering on me. Awareness prickled across my skin, and it felt as if the rest of the world disappeared.

“You’re going to tell me that you need to leave,” Herne said, breaking the spell.

Tibris handed Demos the message.

Demos read it, and his expression turned cold. “I have lingered here as long as I can. But I belong at the front, leading our people.” He glanced at me, and now he was the hybrid general. “Asinia comes with me.” Another glance at Tibris and his expression turned vaguely sympathetic. “You make your own choices.”

I narrowed my eyes at Demos. I wanted to go to the front. Wanted to see Prisca and the others. But if he thought I was another soldier he could command…

I sighed. I longed to be treated like a soldier. Like someone who could contribute. And that meant taking orders. I couldn’t have it both ways.

Herne was studying Tibris. He wasn’t the kind of man who wore his feelings on his face. But his eyes glinted.

“I need to see my sister,” Tibris said. “And…I need to tell her about you. About us.”

Herne’s mouth tightened, but he nodded.

Herne was…allowing it? I clamped down on my lower lip with my teeth, barely preventing my mouth from falling open. Herne’s eyes met mine, and he angled his head.

“I can be reasonable. You are, after all, correct. Those beasts will return to kill all of us if they can.”

“Will you evacuate?” Demos asked.

Herne sighed, and pity stirred in my gut. I knew what it was to cling to something, even if it was no longer truly an option.

“Yes,” he said finally. “If you can guarantee a safe route for those who can’t fight. I doubted you when you said the hybrid heir could bring down the barrier. But you’ve seen many of the people here celebrating that they can access more power.” He gave me a rueful grin. “Not me. Perhaps my power is being stored elsewhere.”

I fought the urge to ask what he could do. Next to Herne, Tibris practically glowed with pride. Something told me he was at least partially responsible for Herne’s new ability to reason. My chest clenched at the thought of them being parted. This war was unrelenting.

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