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No. I refused to even contemplate that. Lorian wasn’t going to die. Because I wouldn’t let him.
“What is it?” Daharak frowned at me.
I would have preferred to talk to her about the next subject once I’d already succeeded with her weapon. But I couldn’t risk rumors from the castle reaching her ears first.
“You know, some people would say that the time and power I will have to spend on this is much, much greater than the time and power you spent finding a hidden cove for Lorian and me to sneak into Gromalia.”
Her mouth twisted. “What do you want?”
“I want another blood vow.”
Her eyes lit with interest. “And what are you offering me?”
“I know you want that barrier down more than anything else.”
“That’s not exactly a secret.” She pulled a chair from the other side of the cabin and sat down.
“If I bring it down, I want your fleet and your vow to ally with us in this war against Regner.”
She laughed. “You really believe you can do it, don’t you? You think you can bring down the barrier you’ve only just learned exists.”
I shrugged. “We don’t need the barrier down. It’s too late for us to get help from any other continent. What we need is a fleet that would rival Regner’s and Eryndan’s.”
“You’re forgetting I know how that barrier went up. You would need to pry Regner’s son out of his hands and find a way to use him.”
If she knew we already had Jamic, she’d know we were planning to take the barrier down anyway, and I’d lose all my leverage.
It was a good thing Regner would have kept that information to himself. And my people weren’t talking.
“Leave that to me.”
Her gaze flashed with skepticism. “You’re delusional. But…knowing my mother has her hand in this makes me more likely to believe you can accomplish such a thing. If there’s the smallest chance you’re not insane, then yes, I’ll make that vow. My fleet in exchange for the barrier down. But I want a time limit.”
“I’ll bring it down within three weeks.”
She burst out laughing. I just smiled at her.
I wouldn’t need three weeks. If everything went according to plan, I wouldn’t even need one week.
Daharak wiped at her eyes. “Fine, Hybrid Heir. We’ll vow.”
Just a few minutes later, I felt the vow slide into place, next to the other two marks.
Triumph blazed through me, until it took everything I had to keep my expression blank. I’d gambled on the fact that Daharak wouldn’t yet have learned that Regner himself wanted the barrier down. Or that his son had been taken. Likely, she would have learned that information within days. But it was too late now.
The line on my palm proved it.
* * *
Beneath vast, open skies, the salt-tinged breeze danced across my skin, carrying whispers of faraway lands. If I closed my eyes, I could see almost feel myself walking through crowded spice markets and bustling foreign ports.
This ship was made of endless potential.
It was the closest to peace I’d ever felt.
Finding one of the fae amulets around Jamic’s neck had been a stroke of good luck. But there was still one remaining amulet waiting to be found. As much as I ached to yank all that power from beneath Regner’s nose, our timeline had moved up significantly. We would need my power when we attempted to bring down the barrier.
According to our spies, Regner was already positioning his troops at the fae border, ready to bring down the ward—likely in an attempt to find Jamic and take him back.
