Feral grins crept up their faces, as if they didn’t regret it for a second. “He was a handsome one,” the other cooed.
“I am here to give you orders. You will receive your sister’s conch back so long as you swim for Isla’s harbor and rid the males on the ships, if there are any, in four days’ time.”
“You think we can swim toIslain four days?”
“I have no doubt in it. You forget I know of your abilities,siren.”
Her tail lashed out of the water and splashed the murky water at me, but I threw up a shield just in time for it to bounce off and slam back down into the swamp.
“Your orders have been given.” All of their eyes narrowed in on me as their mouths remained beneath the surface of the water. “Fight for Elianna Valderre in Isla’s harborand you will receive your sister’s conch. It is quite a simple bargain.”
I cast the portal spell back open behind me and slowly marched backward towards it. “I would just hate to see our queen crush her shell and punch one of you in your pretty little faces again.”
With that parting threat, I was back through the portal in the valley, and they disappeared beneath the tides once more.
Chapter sixty-one
Elianna
Sitting on the outskirtsof the training fields with Nox, I hugged my knees tightly to my chest as I gazed up at the night sky. The stars twinkled as if it were any other beautiful night in the valley—only it now felt empty and cold.
“Nox, what have I done?” My words were barely audible as I leaned into his scale-covered body. He lifted his enormous head and nuzzled his chin on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I couldn't bring myself to confess that I had lost faith in finding solace in anything.
We had sent the soldiers home to enjoy any time they could with their families before our inevitable departure, but I couldn’t bring myself to see my own. How could I look them in the eyes, knowing I had doomed us all? My aide and co-seconds spoke words of comfort and forgiveness, but how could I believe them when I couldn’t even forgive myself?
I had done the unthinkable—I had lost my sister and a member of my court, and now she sits in the hands of the enemy. Not only that, but nearly every attempt to collectmore allies ended in defeat or ruin, only aiding the wicked queen’s victory.
Time was up. There was nothing, and no one else left. My throat felt as if it was being crushed beneath the weight of Idina’s heel, knowing she was winning the great war as we neared its end.
Footsteps sounded behind us, but I didn’t have to turn to know who it was as I remained hugging my body, tucked beneath Nox’s wing.
Jace sat down at my side and leaned against the wyvern. I felt his stare boring into my cheek, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him—couldn’t bring myself to even speak.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he spoke into my mind.
A huff left me. “No.”
His hand wrapped around my own as it fell to the ground. “Okay, then let me rephrase. I need you to talk about it, and tell me what is churning in that head of yours, Lia. I can’t help you otherwise.And I refuse to let you simmer in it on your own.”
I turned to face him then. “I fucked everything up. Not a single thing I’ve done has worked or aided us. She’s always one step ahead of me. No matter how smart I pretend or try to be, she slithers through the cracks and rips everything out from beneath me! Beneath all of us. She’s never set foot in battle, yet she sits on my throne and has seized my kingdom.”
My fingernails dug into the palms of my hands.
“She clawed her way there through deception and murder. There isn’t a single part of her that has demonstrated battle intellect, Elianna.”
I huffed out a grunt as I shoved to my feet, and he mimicked the movement. Nox went on high alert then, his head lifting from the ground as his golden eyes narrowed in on us intently. Jace and I now stood chest to chest.
“No?! Explain then, Jace, please! Everything I have been able to provide for our armies, she has matched. We are cornered in the realm, with nowhere else to go. I was a captain, Jace! Yet she has continued to outsmart me in this war.”
“You’ve done everything right! Broken oaths and malicious lies don’t defineyouand the kind of leader you are, Elianna. The world is not kind, nor is it fair. It’s horrible and wicked and deadly, but we must work to fight against it, or all of this was for nothing!” he bellowed. His stare roamed over me. “So, go on. Let it all out. What else? Whatever else is eating you alive, tell me here and now.” His tone was authoritative—one he never used with me.
Nox let out a low growl. I placed my hand on his side to ease him, and the rumbling ceased. I knew this conversation with Jace was long overdue, but Nox couldn't be here with the tension in our voices—he would work to protect me against my mate, and that was the last thing I needed. What I truly needed was to be protected from myself. And Jace… Jace knew that.
I looked into my wyvern’s stare and said, “I will be okay. Go back to the estate. We’ll find you once we return.”
He let out a huff through his nostrils, and hisstare narrowed in on Jace.
“She is safe with me. You know that,” my mate assured him. And after a grumble of annoyance, Nox shot into the sky.
