The Cursed Queen (The Impostor Queen #2)(65)

“Ansa won’t hurt anyone,” Thyra says to Efren, then turns her authoritative gaze on me. “She’s smarter than that.”

“You still haven’t told me exactly what you’re planning. And don’t give me that ‘whatever I have to’ dung. I don’t want to hear it. Are you stirring some sort of rebellion?”

“We don’t need either of you for that,” says Halina. “But you could help save lives. Krigere and Vasterutian both.”

Thyra sighs. “Haven’t you ever questioned our way of life, Ansa?”

I squint at her. “Why would I?”

“We live by taking from others.”

“Because we are warriors. What else are we to do?”

“Here in the south, they trade with one another.”

“So? Why trade when you can simply ride in and snatch what you want?”

“We don’t treat our andeners that way.” Her jaw tightens. “Or, we shouldn’t.”

“Our andeners are tribe.”

“Ask Nisse how he’s treating them next time you see him.”

I groan. “What are you getting at?”

“Ansa, do you ever wonder what happened to your parents? Your real parents. The ones who birthed you and loved you?”

I edge backward. “No. And I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

Because it’s too painful. “Because they were victims!” I jump to my feet, my breath rushing from my throat in a cloud of frost as the image of my mother invades my mind. She reaches for me with eyes full of love as she bleeds and burns and dies. “Because they were weak,” I say, my voice cracking. Too weak to protect me from the monsters.

I push the thought away yet again before confusion can swamp me.

When I open my eyes, Thyra has risen to face me. “Look at her,” she says, pointing to Halina, who is hunched protectively over her child. Efren and Ligaya are in front of her, putting themselves between the children and me—the enemy. “Is she weak, Ansa? Is she a victim?” Thyra leans forward. “She’s still fighting. Just not with daggers or axes.”

I look into Thyra’s blue eyes. “Is she like you, then? Does she fight with poison instead?”

Her gaze flickers with suspicion. “What exactly did my uncle tell you?”

“That he never tried to assassinate Lars. But that you did.” I watch her, waiting for her to bluster with the outrageous accusation.

She goes still. “And you believed him?”

“I never would have. Never.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “But now, after that night in the fight circle . . .”

“I had no choice!”

“You sound so righteous, Thyra. I think you could convince yourself of anything.” And me too, sadly. But not this time. “Is that why you framed Nisse for the crime? Because you had no choice?”

Her face is like polished granite, so perfect, so unyielding. “I saw the chance and took it. And if I see another chance, Ansa, I’m going to do the same. Halina told me you met with Nisse this afternoon. The fact that you’re still breathing only confirms what I suspected—he wants to use you. And that means you might be the only person who can carry a message to our trapped warriors.”

“What about Sander?”

“I haven’t talked to him or seen him since that night in the fight circle. Please, Ansa. Do this for our warriors. Tell them that we can liberate ourselves from this city and make our way north again. Nisse might have sealed the exits to this city, but with the help of the Vasterutians, we could get out. In return, we’ll help them get their city back.”

I stare at her in disbelief, then suck in a deep breath, pushing the ice and fire down, down, down. “I am such a fool,” I whisper, my teeth chattering. “I actually felt bad for lying to you about Hulda and Aksel. Your anger was so sharp that it pierced my heart. And here you are, telling me how you’ve been lying to me all along, and you’re not even sorry.” I look over at Halina. “She’s the one responsible for what happened here! If she hadn’t schemed to get Nisse banished, he never would have come here!”

“You don’t think Nisse was urging my father to sack this place as well?” Thyra asks. “The Torden itself couldn’t quench his thirst for power and domination. He wants to turn the entire south into his domain.”

“And you unleashed him, and your silence kept everyone from knowing the truth of your part in it.”

“My father forbade us to speak of it at all! It seems I’m the only one who honored his wish, though. And as for you . . . I was scared, Ansa. I didn’t know how to help you, and we were nearly to the gates of the city when you killed Aksel. I knew what awaited me here, and I was afraid that if you were close to me, it would expose you to more scrutiny and suspicion, right when you seemed most vulnerable to being discovered. I had to keep you at a distance.”

“You’re a liar. You were only trying to protect yourself,” I say in a mockery of her voice, her words. “Now be honest, because I see how you look at me. You’re only talking to me because you want to use me. But you’re still disgusted and horrified at what I’ve done.”

She puts her hands up, as if trying to calm me down. “Ansa, that’s not true.”