Page 24 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"And," Dani added, pulling Kallie back from her thoughts, "I needed time to think it through. Cetia was right. The plan was made in haste, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad idea."
"I thought you said we needed to return to Pontia?" Kallie asked, confused.
"Both can be true."
Kallie narrowed her gaze. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
Dani leaned back on her palms. "Because I do not wish for more blood to be spilled if there’s a way to prevent it."
"I thought you didn’t trust me."
"Here’s how I see it." Dani held up a finger. "You’re either successful and stop the war before it’s even started." Anotherfinger joined the first. "Or you fail, and Domitius kills you for trying to best him." She flicked her hand dismissively, as if it was a matter of which dress to wear to a ball, not a matter of life or death, of saving everyone or dooming Vaneria.
"Dani," Ellie chastised.
"I’m not going to lie to her just because it is the nice thing to do," Dani said, unfazed. Then, directing her full attention to Kallie, she said, "Am I still angry at you? Yes, and I probably always will be. But Graeson had a point when he said that many people have sacrificed a lot to rescue you from Domitius' grasp. Those sacrifices will be for naught if we let this war go on. Trading you for Lysanthia might be our only chance at squashing this war before more are hurt."
It was as if Dani had taken the words right out of Kallie’s mouth. Ever since the meeting, Kallie couldn’t stop thinking the council had made the wrong decision. She would rather risk her life than let war strike Vaneria. Graeson might have viewed it the opposite way, but what was the point of any of it if war befell them? If Domitius won?
Dani stretched out her legs in front of her and ran a hand over her stomach. "Do you think you can manipulate him?"
Kallie chewed on her bottom lip as she thought back to when she would try to bend Domitius’ will as a child.
"I—I’ve tried before," Kallie admitted, wiping her palm on her trousers. "But that was years ago, before I had truly gotten a grasp of my ability."
"What happened when you did?" Dani asked.
Kallie rubbed the back of her neck, trying and failing to work the kink out of it. "I couldn’t," she said, defeated. There was no point in bending the truth. She had failed every time.
Sylvia leaned forward. "Because you weren’t strong enough?"
Kallie winced as if she had been slapped. But it was true. Kallie hadn’t been strong enough. Although she now knew that wasn’t the only problem back then.
"I think Myra’s influence also played a part. Whenever I tried to command him, I would always feel like I was betraying him. But now that she no longer has a hold on me…" her words trailed off.
"Do you think you can now?" Ellie prompted.
Kallie folded her legs under her and considered it. "I think so."
"Youthink,or you know?" Dani asked, twisting her wedding band around her finger. "The difference is important."
Kallie’s gaze fell to her lap. She didn’t know if she had an answer to Dani’s question. She felt no attachment to Domitius, only rage and hurt. But was there any point in even contemplating this plan?
"Graeson will never agree to do this," Kallie said.
"Does he speak for you now, princess?" Ellie asked, brows arched.
"No, but?—"
"But nothing," Dani said.
It was then that Kallie remembered Dani had defended her right to choose her path during the meeting. Was Dani’s reasoning simply because she did not care about the dangers Kallie would face and would rather let her take the risk? That should have been a warning signal, yet it didn’t prevent Kallie from considering it. This was what she wanted. To choose, to fight. To dosomethingright for a change.
"He doesn’t need to know," Ellie added.
Kallie blew a stray piece of hair away from her face. "He’ll find out. I can’t just sneak out of this castle without his notice while he boards the boat to Pontia."
The others exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation passing between them that Kallie wasn’t privy to. And Kallie didn’t know what she was more surprised by: that they had clearly discussed this already, that they wished to hide it from Graeson, or that Dani had not insulted her once.
