Chapter 14

It was a strange phenomenon: magic. One moment, unchained power ripped through Rissa’s body and every possibility spread out before her.

The next, her knees buckled, and she fell to the earth without the strength to even stand.

She toppled to the side and rolled onto her back. As she watched the strange silver smoke curl into the atmosphere, her lungs struggled for breath.

Was this what it meant to be all-powerful? To experience weakness as intense as any strength? Adrenaline buzzed in her mind. They’d done it. When they’d first arrived at the village, she’d thought it was lost to them.

But maybe that was the point.

Nothing was lost to them anymore.

Nothing was impossible.

Even Calis Bearne was beatable.

Her eyes found Davion as he ran through smoke and rubble to reach her. And anyone can be saved, she thought.

Davi stumbled to his knees at her side. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t hear the words that escaped his lips. Someone on the other side of her shook her shoulder.

Wren and Mira sat nearby, as spent as her. Mira waved a hand her way and pointed toward the ground.

Rissa hadn’t realized she’d been closing herself off rather than letting the earth’s power flow freely into her. As she slowly dropped her walls, a torrent of magic flooded her. With it came a world in chaos as the silence broke away, yanking her back to the matter at hand.

Davi ran his hands over her, checking for any sign of injury. “Ri. Rissa! Can you hear me?”

She winced. “Can you stop yelling? I’m developing a wicked headache.”

He pulled her to him. “Thank the earth. I thought you’d taken in too much magic and…”

She leaned her head back to stare up at him and raised a brow. “Doesn’t feel good when people make you think they’re dead, does it?”

A slow smile spread across his lips moments before he pressed them to hers. “You aren’t allowed to get hurt.”

“Is that an order from the king’s second-in-command?” she asked against his lips.

Trystan’s voice intruded on their moment. “What if it was an order from the king himself?”

She climbed to her feet to face her brother. “Calis will keep coming.”

“We’ll be prepared.”

She crossed her arms. “Without us, you’d be dead. I wouldn’t exactly call that prepared.”

He ran a hand over the top of his head. “Rissa.” His voice broke on her name.

She couldn’t hold back any longer, not caring if others saw her informality, as she lunged at Trystan and buried her face in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed so tight she wasn’t sure she’d ever breathe again.

When he finally released her, she smacked his shoulder. “Don’t you dare do that again, Trystan Renauld.”

“Hug you?” he asked. “Because I think you’re the one who started it.”

“No, you ass. How many men do you have with you? Two hundred? Three? You sent them riding against Calis’ force. The village was already lost.”

He pushed out a breath. “Ri, this was important. We saw it.”

“What do you mean you saw it?”

“Anna, the young seer, has been dreaming of a village surrounded by blue fire. I had the same dream last night.”

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it when she realized she didn’t know what to say to that.

Trystan continued. “We knew you’d be here.”

She pursed her lips. “Okay… so you were worried about me?”

He didn’t answer, instead his shoulders lifted in a shrug.

“I see. Okay, brother, in case you haven’t noticed, I can take care of myself.” She gestured to the destruction surrounding them. “If we are going to do this—fight Calis—I can’t hold you back. What am I saying ‘if’ for? We’re in this. There’s no going back, only forward. You’re the earth darn king. You don’t get to be a concerned brother. Not now. Dreach-Sciene needs better than that.”

“Ri.” Davi joined them. He gestured toward one of the roads leading into the village. Villagers streamed toward them, but one person walked in the opposite direction. Lorelai’s white-blonde hair was unmistakable among the crowd.

Rissa pushed her way through to catch up with the seer. “Where are you going?”

Lorelai’s voice seemed to be in a far-off place. “I saw this. All of it. For months whenever I closed my eyes, the screams echoed in my mind. People burned.” As she spoke the words, the acrid smell of smoldering flesh reached them.

Lorelai stepped over a body.

Rissa pulled her shirt up over her mouth and averted her eyes. They’d been too late to save many people. Most died in their homes. The lucky escaped into the streets where they risked being run over by the stampede of scared folk trying to flee.

Lorelai continued. “I never saw how it ended.” She led Rissa past the smoky remains of row after row of crude huts. When they reached the center of the village, Lorelai lowered herself to the ground and closed her eyes. “I think I understand now.”

“What do you understand?” Rissa wasn’t sure if Lorelai was speaking to her or the earth.

“The sight. The visions. These events. I only see part of the whole because there is no whole. No end.” She glanced up, her eyes shining. “I thought it was a prophecy of darkness the first time the village appeared to me. But it wasn’t a prophecy at all. It needed to happen to show us the way.”

“Now you lost me. The way to what?”

“I know how we’re going to win this war.”

* * *

Rissa had almost reached the others by the time Lorelai caught up to her.

“You have to see the possibilities.”

“You’re insane.” Rissa sped up.

“No. I want to beat my uncle.”

Rissa turned and found herself face to face with the seer. “And you think I don’t?”

“I think you’re not willing to do everything that might be necessary.”

“Don’t speak of necessity. I have given up everything. My father…” She shook her head. “I am prepared to sacrifice anything.” She glanced over her shoulder at the people gathering for the ride back to Cullenspire. “But if your idea doesn’t work, my people will be sacrificing everything as well. I won’t do it. We’ll find another way.”

“Just talk to Trystan.”

“If you’re so hell bent on this, you can do it.”

“You know as well as I he’ll never listen to me.”

Rissa scowled. “Because he has more sense than I do.” She caught sight of Alixa searching the surrounding crowd and her heart squeezed. “Excuse me. I have to go tell my friend that one of the few people she loves is dead because of you.”

She knew it was harsh. Lorelai had as much guilt, if not more, about Edric’s death. But what the seer wanted to do… Rissa wished a small part of her didn’t believe it was an option.

She brushed by a stunned Lorelai. Alixa ran toward her, a smile stretching her lips. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Ri. And you did it! You got out of Dreach-Dhoun. I was so worried.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Have you seen Edric? I’m sure he’s helping the villagers, but I just wanted to tell him I’m glad he’s back.” She faced Rissa again, her smile dropping slowly as she took in the broken expression on the princess’s face.

“Rissa?” Alixa stepped toward her. “Where is Edric?”

Rissa’s lip quivered.

Alixa shook her head. She clenched her jaw to keep it from shaking. “I’m going to need you to say the words, Ri.”

“Our rescue of Lorelai went off as planned. We evaded Calis and got to the tree cover.”

Alixa stepped forward again and lowered her voice. “I’m not asking for a darned step-by-step account.”

Rissa wiped an errant tear. “There was a Dreach-Dhoun soldier hidden in the trees.”

“How did he go?”

“An arrow to the heart.”

Alixa sucked in a breath. “Quick at least.” She twisted to hide her face. “Earth darn it, Edric.”

“I’m so sorry, Alixa.”

Alixa peered over her shoulder. “Did you take care of it?”

Rissa didn’t have to ask what she meant. The two women understood each other on a level few others did. “The soldier is dead.”

Alixa sniffed and straightened her spine. “We must prepare to move out.” She walked away without a backward glance.

Rissa didn’t need to tell the others about Edric. The news traveled among their party quickly. No one spoke of it as they mounted up. Trystan left a sizable force behind to get the villagers to safety. Some would be taken to Cullenspire village for refuge, others would join the force at the manor.

Her eyes flicked between the faces in their group, knowing for the first time this was it. These were the people she was going to battle with. There were no more rescue missions or lost friends to be found.

All quests were finished, and they didn’t know what would happen next.

Would Calis march across the border? Where would his next strike be? When?

She lifted her eyes to her brother who rode in front of her. “We need to pull the people in from the villages.”

Trystan glanced back at her. “I know.”

Her shoulders sagged under the weight of the realization. Calis could come for any village, and they couldn’t protect them. The people of Dreach-Sciene just got their magic back, but it seemed they were about to lose their freedom now.

For they were all still playing the game. The one that started in a Dreach-Sciene tavern more than fifteen years before when a king met with a seer. Maybe it was time Trystan and Rissa played their own game.

She glanced toward Lorelai.

If Calis Bearne was willing to sacrifice his own family to win, what could Rissa and Trystan put on the line?