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Propriety is for peasants and lower nobles. But Hanna was sister to our queen. She didn’t need to worry about rules made by the court; we ruled the court.
“Hanna,” someone started to say curtly from the doorway, and I nosed Hanna toward my side. She stumbled against my red scales, then scrambled up onto my back.
She clung to me as I soared up into the air, carrying her toward the academy. I had to know she was safe while the last of the Scourge were routed.
And I wanted her safe from anyone who would hurt her feelings, too.
When I landed on the rooftop of the academy, I shifted back. I glanced around, confirming that it was just her and me now.
She pressed her hands to her face.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded.
“I was so scared,” she managed. “I thought I was going to be brave, and then I froze—"
“You’re ridiculously brave, just like your sister. That doesn’t mean you have to always be unflappable.”
Her shoulders shook. Fuck. She was crying.
I stared at her, not sure what to do.
After a moment, I put my arm around her uncertainly. She responded by flinging her arms around my neck.
“I need Honor,” Hanna sobbed. “She’s all the family I have left. What happens if something happens to her?”
Lynx walked in and looked deeply uncomfortable once he saw tears. I made desperate eye contact with him over Hanna’s head. Scourge ran when they saw me, but dealing with these emotions? This was beyond my capabilities.
I began, “I know we can’t leave the city undefended, when the Scourge just attacked—”
“We killed most of them,” Lynx said grimly. “Unfortunately, they also breeched the academy. Our students fought them off, but some of them were taken.”
Something tightened in my stomach. “Numbers?”
“Still accounting for students. I know we lost at least a dozen.” Lynx hesitated. “Not just students. We lost… servants.”
My gaze met his, and he jerked his head in a nod, confirming we’d lost at least one of Honor’s friends. Fuck.
She had saved Arren. But she’d die trying to save them all if she had to.
We needed her… and we needed to protect her.
“It’s time we get our girl back,” I told Lynx. “We can’t win this war without her.”
Lynx hesitated, and I could see how much he wanted to be reunited with Honor on his face. “If we leave, the nobles will take the throne. Put one of their puppets on it.”
“Then they’ll regret it,” I said. “When we kill them and their puppet too. But we can only win this war together.”
Lynx’s face was as blank as a perfect marble statute, but his eyes showed how torn he was.
“I’ll stay,” Lynx said. “I’ll make sure our students work with the knights to protect the city.”
He wanted to go; he was just trying to answer duty first. But I needed my twin by my side. “They can protect the city. They know what they’re doing, as long as Camet doesn’t get in their way. But we need to focus on ending the war. Once and for all.”
Hanna raised teary eyes to my face. “You’re going to let our people die if that’s what it takes to stop the Scourge?”
“They aren’t dying,” I said. “They’re being turned.”
I hadn’t seen Arren yet, but Honor said she’d cured him. That was such good news it was hard for me to believe, but I tried to put my faith in Honor.
