Pain throbs through my chest, my heart, my throat. “It is the truth, Jasce. You just refuse to face it.”
“Annora.” He moves closer, the scent of smoke and sandalwood washing over me as he places his hand against my arm. “We are going to unite our houses, but it will take time.”
I pull away, my eyes burning. “At what cost? Who will die for that peace? My family?” A bitter taste floods my mouth as I stumble away from him. “I cannot build a life with you, knowing I will have to chop down branches of my family tree to have it. I won’t sacrifice them for us.”
“Annora.” He reaches for me again, his callused fingers brushing against my arm before I jerk away, backing up until the rough stone wall presses into my back.
Three more steps take me even further from him. “You cannot promise me that you will not engage her. You cannot, because if you did promise that, you would have to sacrifice your family and your people, and I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“I love you, Annora, and I believe in us. In our bond. You are the one who doubts it,” he says, his words echoing in the empty corridor.
Unshed tears burn my eyes as I shake my head. “I don’t doubt you. I doubt our ability to bring peace between our houses. You read Asha’s words. She wants you dead, and she will not stop until she achieves what she wants or...” I swallow hard, unable to say the unthinkable words out loud. Unable to voice my deepest fear—that this conflict will end in tragedy for those I love.
He straightens to his full height and locks his gaze with mine. “Iwilldefend this city, and Iwillquell this rebellion, but I promise you, Annora, I will try for peace with your sister first.”
I turn away from him, unable to face this impossible situation, unable to face the idea of Asha’s fierce armies clashing with Jasce’s forces in a bloody battle that will tear our land apart.
The heavy footsteps of someone else echo down the torch-lit stone corridor before coming to a stop near Jasce. I turn as a guard bows before Jasce.
“You’re needed in the War Room, My Lord,” the guard says, his gravelly voice low and serious.
I swallow hard past the bile rising in my throat as both men turn and walk away. Sadness swells within me as I reach for my necklace and squeeze my fingers around the seashell pendant, as if it could somehow protect me from the storm to come.
But it cannot.
Nothing can.
ChapterThirty-Seven
JASCE
As I stepinto the War Room, I look around, expecting my council. Instead, my brothers stand in the room. All of them, even Reeve.
He closes the distance between us in a few quick strides and embraces me. I throw my arms around him, returning his embrace.
It’s been too long since I last saw him. At least a summer.
As we step back, I study his face, noting the new lines near his eyes, the set of his jaw. He looks older, more mature. But then again, so do I.
“What compelled you to leave Karra?” I ask.
“You needed me,” he says simply. “And I’m here.”
“Great.” Jude grins as he continues. “Now that we’re all here, the rebellion doesn’t stand a chance—it’s like they’re bringing a quill to a sword fight.”
“Or a boy to a council meeting,” Aleksander says as he gives his brother a pointed look.
Jude folds his arms. “I am twenty-two, and I have been with more women in the last month than you have ever been with.”
A smirk edges the corners of Aleksander’s mouth. “That’s because I’m selective. You will fuck anything that smiles at you.”
I move to sit at the head of the table. “Are we talking about women or the rebellion?”
“Both?” Jude shrugs.
I shuffle the stack of parchment in front of me. “In that case, what happened with Arian?”
“Nothing.” Jude yanks up his goblet and takes a quick drink of wine.
