Page 81 of Lost Heir
Chief Aryan began to chuckle, which quickly turned into full-blown laughter. Once he calmed himself down, he wiped his eyes and shook his head. “Come, now, Lyanna. I didn’t peg you as the naïve type. Of course not. I refuse to waste a wish on something so trite. We need that wish for far more important things, Your Highness. I’m sure you understand.”
I wish I could say I was surprised by his response, but I wasn’t. Even as Ronan and I cut through Keldara on our way to the so-called sanctuary of the Grasslands, I secretly knew that was Chief Aryan’s plan all along.
I refused to cower or show that his words affected me, even as my insides roiled. “Your actions will start a war with Valoria. Do you understand that? My father will have your head!” I threatened, hoping to change his mind and alter his bloodstained path.
He gave a dark chuckle and the sinister glimmer in his eyes returned. “Valoria can try, but with the almighty fox demon on our side, we’ll be unstoppable.”
I didn’t understand the history and lore of the fox demon, but from what I’d gathered, its incarnation would be as if a god was walking Asteria and the impossible would be made possible. It was a scary thought, especially when I didn’t know what Chief Aryan planned to do with that new-found power. Would he be happy freeing his people, or did he thirst for more?
He met my heated stare unflinchingly. “What do you say, Your Highness? Will you lay down your life to help Ronan and his people by choice, or by force?”
“Fine,” I gritted, staring deep into his cold, crimson eyes. “I’ll go willingly.”
Either way, I was ready to die. Truthfully, I should have died a long time ago. I’d lived on borrowed time for the last ten years. I dropped my gaze to where Ronan slept at my feet and tried to memorize every inch before we were torn apart forever.
He would never forgive his father for this, though in the years to come, he may come to terms with the benefit my sacrifice brought to his people.
“Goodbye, Ronan.”
