Page 186 of The Queens and the Kings
Shrugged.
“You know what I want,” he said simply.
Pedr eyed him. “You have absolutely no idea what you’re asking. Youwant to plunge into the otherworld, find Agnes, and bring her back.”
Einar stared.
Hard.
“In the same way that you thirsted for revenge,” Pedr straightened, releasing the wheel to face Einar more fully, “you’re going to be disappointed. Chasing Agnes into the Arcanist of Soul’s grotto is a recipe for regret.”
“She can return. You said it yourself.”
“Shecan, but it isn’t the same. She’s been through stuff. So have you. You’re telling yourself lies if you think it’ll be the same, Einar, and you need to know that upfront.”
Einar’s jaw hardened. “It’ll be fine. I’ll figure it out when I arrive, but Iwillarrive. I’m chasing her. You can’t stop me.”
Pedr rolled his eyes. “I absolutely canstop you. Only an Arcanist can approach an Arcanist, unless that Arcanist, for some reason, decides they want to speak with you. One thing I can promise is this—the Arcanist of Souls is never going to speak with you. Not voluntarily. Not withoutme.Unless you’ve died, and you’re giving him your final choice,” he added.
Annoyance lined Einar’s calm reply, “I understand.”
You don’t,Pedr silently said. But how could he? Einar dabbled in the human world of grief and the arcane. He had no idea what he put himself up against, and so foolishly, at that. And yet . . . could Pedr hold a candle to it?
Didn’t he do the same for Mila?
Perhaps that’s why he was willing, even reluctantly, to help Einar. To lead him, lamb before slaughter, to his inevitable demise. Einar would see Agnes again, all right.
When he died.
Because there was little chance either of them would survive what lay ahead, yet neither would they back down. Downthatpath lay cowardice. Also, no Mila. The ethics could remain in question so long as he held her in his arms again.
Pedr said, “The Wyvern Kings know me and my sister. They won’t know you or Henrik, which will either work in our favor or against it. Considering the substantial win you just managed against His Glory, it should help.”
“How?”
“They can smell victory.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Pedr replied flatly. “Don’t question me. As soon as we leave Stenberg, we’ll come up with a more detailed plan, but the goal is basic. Stenberg doesn’t have the resources all of you will need, so we’ll stop by Kapurnick first. After we resupply, we’re going to approach the Siren Queens.”
“Why?”
Pedr’s nose twitched. He trod dangerous ground in answering this very basic and fundamental question. The answer revealed perhaps a bittoomuch of Pedr’s personal and internal motivations, which drove nearly all of this. Sure, theycouldlet the Wyvern Kings and Siren Queens fight this out amongst themselves, but that left Mila in harm's way. No, it signed her death warrant.
Not to mention all the humans it would later impact if the Siren Queens prevailed yet again.
“The Siren Queens have something I want and need.”
“What is it?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does,” Einar parried.
Shite piece of stinking salts! Why didn’t he let things rest? Britt and Henrik were minutes away. He pulsed the current again.
“I’ll tell you later.”
