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“You’re taking her side.”
The patience was fading from Brion’s gaze. “It’s not a matter of taking sides. It’s an attempt to see the situation clearly.”
“You used to be the first one to jump into a fight. What happened?” His temper and frustration had risen and with it his tactlessness. “Oh, wait. I know what happened. Lysandra happened.”
Any remaining friendliness disappeared from Brion’s face. “That’s a low blow.”
“You’re not thinking with your head when it comes to her. Sorry to break it to you, but taking her side isn’t going to make her fall in love with you. So you should stop following her around like a lost puppy.”
He finally looked directly at his friend, just as Brion’s fist slammed right into his face. Jonas staggered back from him.
“If I want your opinion,” Brion said in a growl, “I’ll beat it out of you.”
Jonas swiped his hand beneath his nose. “Hit me again and we’re going to have a problem.”
This time, Brion shoved Jonas so hard that he slammed into a tree trunk.
Now the rebels were much more vocal than before.
“Come on, Jonas! Don’t let him do that.”
“Knock him out, Brion!”
“Kick his arse! Let’s see some more blood!”
Paelsians always did enjoy a good fight.
“Stop it,” Jonas growled as Brion drew closer, his fists clenched at his sides.
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll stop you.”
Brion had a tendency to brawl at any given moment, but he’d never once fought with Jonas. Despite the warning, Brion approached again, but Jonas was ready this time. He punched Brion in the stomach, then in his chin, knocking his friend backward and to the ground. Lysandra ran to the boy’s side, glaring at Jonas.
“This doesn’t change the fact that I think she’s right and you’re wrong,” Brion managed to groan. “Feel free to go after the king at that wedding, but it’ll be at your own peril.”
Jonas turned to the other rebels, furious now that his best friend, someone he considered a brother, refused to stand with him on this decision. “You know my plan. With or without help I will be at the royal wedding in four days. I will assassinate King Gaius myself. I welcome any volunteers who want to join me. After this, we won’t be put on reward pamphlets, we will be held up as heroes. Think about it.”
Then he turned his back on the lot of them and walked into the darkness of the thick forest to clear his head.
Chapter 19
LUCIA
AURANOS
Darkness became her world, and Lucia was left with two horrible thoughts that echoed, bouncing against each other over and over again. My mother thinks I’m evil.
My mother wants me dead.
Finally, after far too long waiting in the smothering emptiness, there was a dawning, and she found herself once again in the familiar lush, green meadow with its jeweled grass and crystalline trees.
The Sanctuary.
Or, rather, a dream version of the Sanctuary. But it felt so very real—from the warm breeze to the emerald grass beneath her bare feet, to the sight of the glittering city in the distance beneath the seemingly endless clear blue skies. So real it was difficult to tell the difference.
She sensed Alexius’s presence behind her but didn’t turn. “You left me for far too long,” she said quietly.
