Page 76 of Crown of Betrayal and Blood

His torment causes my heart to fracture even further. I hate that the man I love is haunted by the specter of what might come. Fear claws at my insides, but it’s hope that keeps me rooted here. Hope that we can fight this, that we can survive whatever twisted game the drachen are playing.

I shudder, scanning Sterling’s face for any sign of the sudden shift I dread. “Agnar was attacked weeks ago, and he seems okay.”

“Then maybe there’s a chance for me yet.” Sterling’s words are a half-hearted attempt at reassurance. We all know it’s not that simple. “At least until we both start changing.”

“Stop. Thinking the worst won’t help any of us right now.”

If only my thoughts matched my words. I keep thinking about what would have happened if Agnar had attacked at the same time as Leesa. Sterling would probably be dead. Maybe Bastian and I would be too.

Working together, with the element of surprise in their favor, they could’ve slaughtered us all.

“We can’t lock you up, so don’t even suggest it.” Agnar’s piercing blue eyes bore into Sterling’s. “The kingdom’s still reeling from Jasper’s death. We all need you to take your place on the throne. And hells, we don’t even know if you will turn.”

“You’re right.” Sterling nods, shoulders slumped. “Just keep me unarmed. And guarded.”

“Of course. I’ll be one of those guards.” Agnar clasps Sterling’s shoulder. “If this gets worse, then we’ll consider more drastic measures. House arrest could be spun as an illness. A malady brought on by stress, nothing more. To protect your reputation until we can find a cure.”

“And wewillfind a cure.” Bastian frowns, rubbing his chin. “Was Leesa really able to control your fire, Lark? I know you used your magic to protect us when she was attacking, but when you defended, it looked like you had to struggle against her.”

“You didn’t miss anything. When I threw up fire to keep her from assaulting me, she pushed my flames back against me.” I shake my head in disbelief, wrapping my arm around Sterling’s shoulders as I recall my terror. “I couldn’t believe how strong she’d become. She’s never been able to overpower another person’s magic like that, let alone mine.”

Bastian frowns. “She must have accessed eyril somehow.”

Sterling scowls. “From where? I thought we got rid of it all.”

I chew the inside of my cheek. “Maybe she had some with her when she was taken from Flighthaven and has been hoarding it this whole time? Or maybe we missed some of the smuggled eyril, and she got ahold of that.”

Agnar clears his throat, breaking the weighty silence as his eyes dart between Sterling and me. “I’m going to leave you alone for tonight, but I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. I’ll make sure a guard isn’t too far away. That all right?”

I don’t miss his meaning. He’s going to give Sterling and me one last night together before he and the other guards are with him at all times.

Sterling grunts. “Yes.”

Gods bless Agnar. He’s been through hells tonight, yet he’s holding his shit together and ensuring we’re taken care of. I could kiss the man.

Sterling reaches for Agnar on his way out the door. They embrace each other, their foreheads touching. I catch soft murmurs, followed by a strangled sob.

“I know, brother,” Sterling whispers. “I know.”

After one last back thump, Agnar straightens and leaves.

Bastian, a shadow of concern in his hazel eyes, stands too. “I’m going to check Leesa’s quarters. Maybe I’ll stumble across some clues regarding whatever else she was doing.”

“Okay.” My smile feels more like a grimace. “We’ll get her back, Bastian.”

As Bastian and Agnar leave us alone in the room, Sterling shakes his head. “I should have been paying more attention to Leesa’s behavior and realized she must have gotten her hands on eyril.”

I inch closer to him, my heart aching. “No one could have known this would happen.”

“You knew something was off.” He looks at me, his brown and gold-flecked eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. “You even found a healer to help figure out what was happening.”

Hopelessness takes root in my chest, creating an almost physical ache. “But there was nothing I could do for Leesa. We still don’t know how to stop this corruption beyond the lead about finding phoenix tears in the Hidden Valley.”

He says nothing as he swipes a thumb over my cheek.

When it comes away crimson, I remember Blair’s blood splattering on my face.

Before Leesa licked it from her knife.

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