Page 90 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

My mood was dark as I strode through the castle, searching for some distraction—a way to replace the image of the disappointment in Prisca’s eyes.

She had no business asking me for such things.

Darnis’s tiny face flashed before my eyes. And I was suddenly back in that forest, the weight of a child in my arms and the weight of the lives I was responsible for on my shoulders.

A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I couldn’t linger on it. There were more important things to think about. Such as my plans after this war.

It was time to talk to the pirate queen.

Rekja had put us all in the same wing, but there were enough rooms to search that by the time I found Daharak, the sick feeling in my gut had almost dissipated.

She sat in an elegant sitting room with a view of the ocean. She stared at the water with longing. But her face was bloodless.

“What is it?” I asked.

Daharak’s eyes stayed on the majority of her fleet, anchored close to shore. “You mean other than the thousands of my people lost to the sea?”

I studied her face. Since the moment I’d seen her in this castle, she’d been quiet, solemn, withdrawn. But thisreaction was different. She looked as if she’d been gut-punched, slapped across the face, and thrown into a cold lake all at the same time.

“I can’t use the weapon,” she said when I didn’t respond. Her voice was hollow, empty.

The memory of our conversation on her ship trickled into my mind. “You’re speaking of the weapon you used your blood vow with Prisca to find.”

She nodded. Daharak was usually someone who commanded attention. When she walked into a room, people noticed. Now, though, she seemed somehow diminished. Her shoulders slumped and she looked smaller, as if some of the life had been drained from her.

I sat next to her. “What’s so special about this weapon?”

Reaching into her cloak pocket, she pulled out a blue orb. It looked as if it was made of glass, but something about it made me shiver. I was both drawn to it and tempted to demand Daharak put it away again.

“Rumors are that the orb is gods-touched. My father searched for it, and his father before him. We have enemies, and the weapon can do almost anything. There are limits to its power, of course, but…with the barrier down, it is only a matter of time before our ancient feud is reignited.” Daharak lifted her hand, and the sunlight spearing through the window made it appear as if a blue fire burned within the orb. “It would have finally finished things.”

I listened to what she wasn’t saying. Daharak had clearly planned to use the weapon to wipe out her enemies as soon as we won this war.

“Why can’t you use it?”

“I made a deal with someone for the location of the weapon. After years of keeping the location from me, he finally told me—on his deathbed. What he failed to mention was that only someone pure of heart can wield it.”

I bit my lip, attempting to hide a smirk. “You don’t believe you’re pure of heart?”

Daharak gave me a poisonous look. “Pirate. Queen. The things I’ve done would give you night terrors. Which means I can’t use this unless I feel like sacrificing my life to it.” Her mouth tightened in a grim smile. “And as much as I’d like my enemies to pay, I plan on being around to see it.”

Moments like these made me certain the gods were playing with us. A weapon powerful enough that Daharak Rostamir had hunted it all these years and she couldn’t even use it on her enemies.

Worse, none of us could use it either. Pure of heart? All of us had killed. I’d killed and enjoyed it. Wished I could repeat it. Likely, I would again.

I sighed. “Don’t tell Prisca.”

That caught her attention. Daharak’s brow lifted, her gaze settling on my face. “Why?”

“Because the idiot will do something stupid like attempt to sacrifice herself for the good of everyone else, and Lorian will finally lose control and lock her away somewhere. I don’t want to have to deal with the dramatics.”

Humor flickered in her eyes. “Fine.” Daharak placed the orb back in my hands, and I frowned at her. “Perhapsyour new life will give you an opportunity to find someone who can use this weapon for good.”

“We’re not going to pretend I’m pure of heart?”

Daharak snorted.

I sensed movement by the door. I snapped my head around, and Daharak launched herself to her feet with a curse. Asinia narrowed her eyes at me, and her gaze lingered on the orb in my hands. “Keeping important information from Prisca isn’t going to help us.”

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