Page 79 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

But Lorian was already switching course, placing me on my feet and practically dragging me toward the closet.

“Let’s get this over with,” he growled.

My core ached with the same frustration, and I pulled on the first dress I saw, found some shoes with a low heel, and followed Lorian out the door.

“I need to ask one of the maids where they’ve stashed her.” Lorian took my hand.

“You’re back,” a cold, irritated voice said.

I whipped my head to face the door so quickly, I gave myself a headache.

Madinia wore leather leggings, a white men’s shirt, and a dark scowl. But she was alive.

Her eyes met mine, and she gave a faint smile at whatever she saw on my face. Some of the ire left her expression.

I didn’t attempt to hug her. Something about the stiff way she stood made it clear she wouldn’t welcome any affection. Not that she was the kind of person who welcomed it most other times.

“You’re alive.” I kept my tone light, placing my hands on my hips. Next to me, Lorian gave her a nod. But I knew him well enough to see the hint of relief in his eyes. If only because he knew we needed her power.

She just nodded. “You’re going to see her.”

“Yes.”

“She’s been asking for me. But I wanted to wait for you.”

I couldn’t blame her. Kaliera had a way of getting inside your head—especially when you weren’t at your best. And it was clear from the strain in Madinia’s eyes that she wasn’t even close to her best.

“Well then, let’s see what she has to say.”

She fell into step on my other side. “I know where she’s staying.”

It turned out, Kaliera’s rooms were disturbingly close to our own, although Rekja had thankfully stationed two guards on the door. They straightened as Lorian approached, the guard on the left casting a wary glance at his pointed ears.

I raised my eyebrow, and when his eyes met mine, his cheeks heated.

Lorian and the others had ceased using their glamour, for the most part. Everyone knew they weren’t human, and as I’d commented recently, if we truly wanted peace when this war ended, humans would need to get used to working and living with the fae.

The first step meant no longer hiding what they were. Hopefully, the humans who had been taught to fear the fae would see they were just…people. But it would take time.

The guard on the right nodded at us, leaning over to throw open the door. Lorian went first—a clear indication of how little he trusted the human queen.

Kaliera was wearing a green dress. It fell elegantly to the floor as she stepped toward us, her gaze scanning me from head to toe. I’d left my hair down, not even taking the time to dry it.

As usual, she looked perfect. Not a hair out of place. But her displeasure was evident in the thin line of her lips. The slight tightness around her eyes.

She studied Madinia, who stared blankly back at her. When Kaliera let out a tiny, dismissive snort, I thought she might burst into flames right there.

Lorian must have imagined the same, because he wedged his body between Madinia and Kaliera.

The queen smirked. “I met your cousin,” she said, returning her attention to me. “He said you turned back time.”

Her words took all of the air out of my lungs, as if someone had shoved their fist into my gut. She’d met Zathrian. It wasn’t surprising, considering I’d seen him working with Regner. But…it was strange. I’d never even had a conversation with the man, who was related to me by blood, and yet Kaliera had met him.

Still, I knew better than to let her see any kind of reaction.

I raised one eyebrow. “I met your general. He laid waste to an entire city.”

“Regner’s general,” she ground out.

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