Page 65 of Queen of War and Ruin

He tilts his head toward the mountains. “Vsenrog’s armies are coming over the mountains, you fucking asshole. Did you know Ethiria was next on their list?”

Anger flares inside my chest, hot and bitter.

“You think I deliberately led my wife into a trap?” I ask.

Gerard crosses his arms over his chest and glares at me.

“Fuck you,” I spit.

My hands clench into fists, and my gods, I want to punch this man.

But we don’t have time, damn it. I clench my jaw and force myself to turn away from the asshole with the intensely punch-able face. For the second time tonight, my body tenses, expecting a blow between my shoulders.

Nothing. I exhale slowly, then drop to my knees and crawl under the oak tree. It’s awkward and painful to scramble down the ragged trunk, but it doesn’t take long. Gerard drops out of the tree a moment later, and we stare at each other in the thin light of the waning moon.

“Look,” he says, tilting his head toward the mountains.

I follow his gaze. My breath catches in my throat.

Holy hells. The guard was right. A line of torches snakes down the mountain, following the road. They’re too far away for me to make out any details, but it must be hundreds of people, marching in orderly lines.

Straight toward the palace of Ethiria.

“Gods above,” I whisper.

Something touches my arm. I jump back, my hand dropping to the dagger around my waist.

“Shit,” Gerard growls, pulling his hand away from my arm. “You’re a touchy bastard. Come on. They’re waiting.”

The palace courtyard is in chaos. People rush in and out of every door, and frantic, whispered conversations echo in every corner. No one pays any attention to Gerard and me as we make our way to the stables.

We slip through an open door and fumble our way past rows of darkened stalls. The horses inside nicker and stomp, as if they can sense the tumult in the courtyard. Low lamps flicker near the stalls for visiting horses, and I make out Lilias’s voice as we approach, whispering something low and soft.

She’s bent over the neck of a chestnut mare, scratching her behind the ears as she adjusts her bridle. I freeze in the middle of the stables. Something inside my chest snaps in two as I stare at my wife.

I should have stayed in the palace, I realize, far too late. I should have let her leave without me.

Weak, my mind hisses.

Lilias glances up as Gerard approaches, and the fear on her face melts away when her eyes meet mine. There’s a look in her eyes that I’ve done nothing to earn. When she steps toward me, I almost pull back.

“Zarek,” Elrick says, stepping out of the stable beside Lilias. His tone is so warm that it takes me a moment to realize he actually said my name.

I stare at the prince of Marion numbly as he takes my hand in his.

“Thank you,” Elrick tells me.

I blink, trying to understand what in the nine hells is going on.

“You got us out,” Elrick continues. “I wouldn’t have thought of going over the roof.”

I nod. Some distant part of my mind whispers that I should probably be smiling at the prince. Instead, I open my mouth.

“You’re not out yet,” I say. “Take the western gate. The one we took when we went to the cliffs this morning. Follow the road to the river, then loop around and go back through the town.”

“Someone will see us,” Gerard objects from behind me.

“Of course,” I say. “But I don’t think they’ll care. Not with the army in the⁠—”