She nods. “Prepare the troops. We march at first light.”
First light.The words echo in my mind over and over again. “So soon?”
“Every moment we delay gives Jasce time to strengthen his defenses,” Asha says. “We can’t afford hesitation.”
Desperation claws at my chest, my throat, my voice. “Asha, I beg you. Please reconsider.”
Her eyes soften just a fraction before hardening again. “This is our only option.”
“War is never the only option.” My throat tightens with each word. “We’ve seen what it brings. More loss, more grief. Is that what you really want?”
She sighs, and I hear the depth of her sorrow, her sadness at having lost her son. “What I desire no longer matters. This is greater than us.”
“It’s always been about us,” I insist. “About our choices.”
A smirk tugs at Aleksander’s upper lip. “Touching, but naïve. Power doesn’t yield to sentiment.”
Frustration flares through me as I round on him. “And what do you gain from this? Do you think you’ll be chieftain?”
He shrugs. “Balance. Order restored.”
“At the cost of countless lives.”
His eyes glint as he leans toward me. “Some prices are worth paying.”
Anger burns hot in my chest. “Not to me.”
Asha places a hand on my shoulder. “Annora, please. Trust me.”
I search her face, looking for any sign of the sister I once knew. “I want to, but you’re making it so hard.”
Gently, she squeezes my hand, as if we’re sisters again, as if a pit full of vipers doesn’t stand between us. “You’ll see. In time.”
Brathen steps forward again. “We should proceed with the preparations.”
“Of course,” Asha says, dropping her hand. She gives me one last look before turning away and leaving the room.
The Watchers file out, their footsteps echoing like distant thunder.
Aleksander lingers, his gaze heavy on me. “Don’t trouble yourself with matters beyond your control.”
I lift my chin. “I won’t stand by and watch innocents suffer.”
“What will you do? Fight us? You can’t even control your own magic without me.”
The truth in his words steals my breath, but I refuse to let him see how he affects me, how he makes me want to grab a torch and set him on fire. I’d gladly watch him burn if it meant saving my people.
“Maybe not, but I can still make choices.”
He laughs. “Choices? Like siding with Jasce? Do you think he will welcome you back after everything?”
I gulp in a slow, steadying breath. “You underestimate both of us.”
“Perhaps,” Aleksander concedes. “But time will tell.”
With that, he leaves me alone in the throne room.
I gaze up at the mural of the intertwined forest, wishing I could lose myself among those ancient trees.
