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Talisyn’s lips tightened as if he understood.
“Zehr was about to die,” she said. “I had to save him. He’s the only one who saw the birth of the Scourge and knows how to break the curse.”
“And?” I demanded.
Her chin rose, the way it did when she knew I wouldn’t like her answer. “I needed a leader of the Scourge I could trust. To break the magic once we collect all the Scourge stones.”
“What did you do?” I already knew, but I needed to hear it. Fury coursed through my blood.
I’d spent my whole life trying to protect this girl, and she had thrown it away in an instant.
“Meet the new Lady of the Scourge.” She said lightly, but there was no hiding the edge of defiance in her voice.
“Oh, Honor.” Talisyn wrapped her in his arms, his face carved with sorrow. It was a different emotion that I felt at the moment, which was almost entirely white-hot rage. “You didn’t have to run. You didn’t have to face that alone.”
“Yes, she did.” My voice came out a growl. “We would’ve stopped her from doing something so stupid. We never should have left her alone.”
I stalked away, furious, as Tal and Honor’s soft voices murmured to each other behind me. He was obviously comforting her, which was hardly what the stubborn girl deserved at the moment.
When I paced back toward her, she and Tal exchanged a look. Without needing to say anything, Tal squeezed her one last time, then they disentangled from each other.
Honor turned to face me with a petulant look on her pretty face, as if she were already prepared for what I had to say.
“Talisyn, can we have the room?” I asked, my voice calm.
Tal hesitated, and I gritted my teeth as Honor promised him, “It’s alright. Damyn and I can talk it through without violence, I’m sure.”
“Hopefully you won’t have me eaten by the Scourge,” I said.
“That would be one way to break your habit of scolding me when I’m supposed to be your queen,” she shot back.
Talisyn reached the door and turned back to close it when he was in the hall, so I caught a glimpse of his face as he rolled his eyes. At both of us, I was pretty sure.
Before I could scold her, she asked softly, “Does this change how you feel about me?”
The words hung between us, sucking all my anger out of the room.
“As a queen,” she managed, but neither of us thought that was what she meant.
I exhaled. My emotions were still a roil, and I wasn’t sure if fury was the primary thing I felt.
“When you were trapped in Joachim’s tower,” I cut her off, “I made friends with the guard. His name was Liem, by the way, and he had a very young, very pregnant wife and a two-year-old son who he adored. He had a tender heart for wayward orphaned servants—especially the ones who brought him meals as he was on watch—and he taught me to play cards. He even brought me home and fed me dinner once, so I knew his wife and played with his son.”
I remembered the wave of longing I’d felt, seeing how he scooped up his son and covered his round cheeks in kisses. The little boy shrieked and giggled as he was tickled by Liem’s beard.
“Liem was kind, at times, but he stood by and held the key while you were suffering. Joachim and Pend wanted information from you, and they didn’t particularly want you alive. He tried to help you in his own little ways.”
“And I… I made him help you in a big way. I put a sleeping potion in his drink, and I went in and freed you. Liem woke with no prisoner and a death sentence over his head. I did that to him… to protect your life.”
My voice came out bitter, and I didn’t try to hide it. “But how carelessly do you treat that life?”
“It’s my life to live.” Her eyes flashed at me. “Or to sacrifice. I don’t owe you anything.”
“I’ve always been in the shadows, trying to protect you.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that!”
“Lysander did!” I exploded.
