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“I have no desire to be shackled to that kind of responsibility, but it seems fate has herded me onto a path that only leads in one direction. And I do not feel worthy of such a role… I can’t imagine I ever will… But I have made a vow to help you rule… And I don’t know anyone outside of yourolana kah’heiwho wouldn’t exploit the role simply for its wealth and power… So, yes, I am as ready as I’ll ever be. And in doing so, I will do my best to serve that role, and thus our people, justice. To give them what I never had.”
“… And what is that?”
“Hope.”
A powerful melange of both pride and sadness swelled in my chest for mysoulbound.I bowed my head and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, my tail appearing to coil around her waist as fervently as my arms held her against me.
“Do you know how Iknow,even without my Knowingness to confirm it,that you will be the best Queen Atratus has ever seen?”
Her breathing stilled as if taken aback by my words.
“Because you know what it is to suffer. You know poverty. You know war. You know violence. You know oppression. And yet you remain unbroken. Instead of bowing beneath the weight of adversity, you becamestrong.You are powerful. And despite all this, instead of becoming cruel, you are compassionate. I know you are haunted by the deeds of your past, deeds enacted on Zurie’s behalf, but you are not remorseless. You did not lose your conscience or become desensitized. Through that, you have learned the many ways in which Zurie haserred.And now… because of all of this violence and suffering… You will not be blinded by your power like so many others before you were. Youwillbring peace and prosperity to Atratus, Mareina.”
My hand slid up Mareina’s throat to draw her gaze to mine so she could see the gravitas of my words written on my face.
“Wewill bring peace and prosperity to Atratus,lohane thili.”
* * *
When we arrived in the first small town after passing through the Wildlands a few hours after the sun had descended beyond the horizon. I’d watched as Mareina’s face tightened at the sprawling poverty before us. I hadn’t been to Bastrina in many years, but I couldn’t imagine that it had changed much. For the most part, Bastrina was a haven of wealth. While there were poorer areas and slums, they were few and far between and, thus, easily ignored.
Thiswasteland, however,Toluna,was one of the best examples of just how little Zurie cared for her people. The land and surrounding mountains, nearly barren and over-farmed, were riddled with mines and quarries. The town laid in the center of a small valley between two mountains. Despite how much industry and export the town provided, the town was bleak at best.
Nearly all of the homes and businesses were made with the grey stone from the mountain. The roads were all made of dirt and mud, with little to no trees orlifeto be seen for miles, with the exception of its people, who all seemed to have a hungry, desperate look in their eyes that set my teeth on edge.
Thankfully, we passed straight through and made our way a few hours outside of it to a small village,Darporr,the one nearest my mother’s.It was quaint by comparison, though still quite poor, with thatched-roof houses and dense forests. Its people were mainly fairy folk, dwarves, orcs, dryads, and a number of other mountain and forest-dwelling peoples.
I watched as Mareina tipped her head up to the towering bloodwood trees surrounding us, her eyes nearly identical to the deep green hue of their thick, needle-like leaves. They were the tallest trees in all of Atratus and had sap the collar of blood, hence their name, which was said to have healing properties.
“There’s something you should know… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner… I… I didn’t know what to do…,” Mareina said quietly, out of earshot of myolana kah’hei.“Zurie is sending some of her men to Vyssini to hunt down members of The Uprising. They’ll likely arrive around the same time we do.”
A little more of my resentment towards her dissolved as my heart swelled with no small amount of gratitude. By confiding this information, Mareina would be saving the lives of at least two dozen males and females that were absolutely imperative to the success of The Uprising. I could only pray that they weren’t dishonorable like the ones that had captured Mareina…
Holding her tightly against me and squeezing, I returned my nose to her neck, nuzzling her affectionately. Her throat worked on a swallow, and her heartbeat doubled.
“Thank you for telling me… You’ve saved lives because of it.”
Chapter
Forty
MAREINA
“It’s just there,” Nakoa murmured in my ear. I’d just begun to fall asleep and realized I’d drifted to sleep against him again. Both of his long, thickly muscled arms held me against him and my head was leaning against his chest. I straightened, making Nakoa give a soft growl of displeasure.
All I could make out in front of us was the steep incline of a mountain with a layer of trees peppering it. Behind us, hisolana kah’heitrailed behind.
“Where?”
Nakoa lifted his arm, holding the reins, and pointed toward the densest copse of trees. “She keeps the entrance glamored, but it’s just behind there.”
Twilight had given way to the blanket of night as we arrived, crickets chirping. Nakoa dismounted Pumpkin to then lift me off her, cradling my waist between his strong hands. Despite my efforts to suppress it, the action made my heart flutter.
Nakoa’s hold on me lingered for a moment as he studied me in the pale moonlight, his face inches from mine.
“Thank you,” he offered, voice warm and gravelly.
Shifting on my feet, I nervously licked my lips. His eyes tracked the movement, bleeding black briefly. So intimately being the sole focus of his attention was as disarming as it was nerve-wracking. I cleared my throat as though it would dissipate the tension between us.
