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“Underestimated them? The man holds three fae amulets, along with the hourglass. The symbol of your kingdom. And you want to wage war against him?”
“Iwillwage war,” I said. I glanced at Lorian.
He pulled his amulet out from beneath his shirt, sending the king a wicked, deranged grin. Power darted along every inch of his body, crackling, sparking.
“Sabium holdstwofae amulets.” Lorian flashed his teeth at Eryndan. “Temporarily.”
The Gromalian king’s hands tightened around the arms of his throne. And he speared his guard with a furious scowl. “You allowed the Bloodthirsty Prince in here with his full power?”
The guard had turned ashen. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t know.”
“Get out.”
The guard fled. Meanwhile, Lorian was still sparking. I squinted at him, and he packed his power away.
It was time to put all our cards on the table. Eryndan wasn’t going to help us otherwise. There was nothing in it for him.
“Sabium’s real name is Regner,” I said. “He has been alive all this time.”
“Don’t beridiculous.”
Lorian’s smile could never be mistaken for amusement. “Careful,” he said, his voice low, his eyes flat. He focused on Eryndan with a predatory stare, and everyone froze.
The guards barely breathed. A furious flush climbed up Eryndan’s cheeks. Next to me, Telean sighed. So far, all we’d done was antagonize and frighten the king in his own castle. Unless I could communicate exactly how dangerous Sabium was, Eryndan’s ego would prevent him from listening to us now.
“I would like to hear this theory,” Rekja said quietly. Eryndan snarled, but I was already talking.
“It’s not a theory.” I told them everything I knew. Well, I told them most of it.
When I was finished, both the prince and the king sat in silence.
“You still haven’t told me how this is relevant to me,” Eryndan finally said.
“You can’t be serious,” I breathed. “Do you think he’s aiming to conquer every inch of this continentexceptfor Gromalia?”
“I think you would say anything to get what you need for your war.”
I took a steadying breath and reached deep for a spark of patience. “It doesn’t have to be like this,” I said. “People on this continent don’t have to suffer and bleed just because one man has decided he wants to play at being a god. We can make a better future.”
“You’re a child playing at being a queen.”
Behind me, Asinia sucked in a breath. My hands shook with fury, and I buried them in the folds of my dress.
I needed to be diplomatic. Tactful.
“In that case, don’t come to me once Sabium has learned not to fuck with the hybrids or the fae. When he decides to turn his attention to easier targets.”
So much for diplomacy.
Next to me, Lorian shook with silent laughter. He’d likely been waiting for me to reach this point. My temper was almost as bad as his.
“And you’d allow that, would you? You, who just spoke to me ofhopeand a better future. What of the humans who live in my kingdom?”
I shook my head. “Clearly, you can’t be reasoned with.” I thought about what Conreth had said. “My loyalty is to my own people.”
He sneered at me. “Instead of attempting to ally with us, you stand next to the Bloodthirsty Prince. And I know you’ve been in the fae lands with their king. You’ve certainly cozied up to the fae since you’ve left Eprotha,Your Majesty.”
Those two words oozed sarcasm. We weren’t going to get what we needed here. I turned to go.
