Warrior Witch (The Malediction Trilogy #3)(36)

“How much do they know?” I asked under my breath.

“As much as I do. I’ve explained about Roland, Angoulême, and the King – they understand the factions,” he said. “And this building is ringed with steel, so you don’t need to worry about anyone listening in.”

I lifted one eyebrow.

“Tristan prepared me as best he could in the time he had. How to protect ourselves, and how to fight.” Chris jerked his chin at the group. “They know that much, too.”

I licked my lips, tasting sweat. Tristan had laid the groundwork for building an army, and this was the moment when I’d either build upon that foundation or burn it to the ground. I coughed to clear my throat, then my father stepped in front of me.

“Cécile, is it true what your sister says you’ve done?” he asked, and the anguish in his voice was like a knife to my heart.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Of course Joss had told them. How could I possibly have expected otherwise? My eyes raced around the room, taking in the crossed arms and mouths fixed in unbending lines.

“Did you kill your mother?”

Be a queen.

I lifted my chin. “No. I killed her murderer. I killed the witch who’d stolen my mother’s body and used it as her own. I killed the woman who intended to do the exact same thing to me.”

“You slaughtered the only thing that stood between us and these monsters,” Sabine’s father said. “And where is my girl? Is she well?”

“Sabine is in Trianon,” I said. “She’s staying in the Regent’s castle, and is under the protection of my husband. There is no safer place.”

A flurry of whispers filled the room, and I held my hand up to silence them. “Among trolls, as among humans, there are villains. Individuals who are corrupt, selfish, and cruel. The Duke d’Angoulême is one such troll. He controls my husband’s younger brother, Prince Roland, who is a child graced with incredible power, but also afflicted with violent madness. While it is the Prince who has been delivering wrath and ruin upon the Isle these past days, it is the Duke who is the mind behind the violence, his every move intended to bring him one step closer to his goal: taking the crown. We came to Colombey today to kill Roland.”

“And yet he’s still alive,” Sabine’s father snapped.

Chris coughed. “I’m afraid that’s our doing. Our stunt interrupted their plans, and…” He shrugged. “There was no way to know.”

“If this Duke’s the problem, why not go after him?”

“Because he’s gone into hiding,” I answered. “And by the time we found him, the war would be over.”

Or so my friends believed. Between Tristan, Marc, and the twins, they’d come up with dozens of places related to the Angoulême family, which was almost as unhelpful as coming up with none. They were convinced they wouldn’t find him that way, although I was not so sure. There had been something about the way Lessa had said it. Something about the entire exchange between her and the Duke…

“Why’d Tristan send you to do his dirty work?” Everyone turned to my father, who stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders tensed.

I hesitated. They were owed the truth, but was Marc right? Would telling them do more harm than good? “The Duke is building an army of humans. That’s why all the islanders are being rounded up – so that they can be made to swear fealty to Roland. An oath to a troll is binding,” I said. “And if you don’t believe me, ask Chris or Jér?me what it feels like for a troll to hold you to your word.”

Both of them nodded.

“My husband, Prince Tristan de Montigny, remains in Trianon to protect it. To keep it as a safe haven for all who seek refuge. To come and put an end to Roland himself would mean leaving those many thousands of people undefended, and,” I swallowed hard, “there are other villains who would take advantage.”

“The troll king, you mean,” my father said.

I nodded. “We are fighting a two-sided war, and if we lose…” If the world burns, its blood will be on your hands.

“And if you win?” Sabine’s father demanded. “If this Tristan defeats his brother, this Duke, and his own father, will he be able to control his people?”

“Yes,” I said, uncertain whether it was the truth or a lie.

Mutters and whispers filled the cabin, people turning to those closest to them to voice their opinions.

“But we cannot win without your help,” I said, sensing this was the moment I’d either win them or lose them for good. The door opened behind me, but I didn’t turn around. “You might be safe hiding in the mountains for now, but if the Duke takes the crown, he’ll hunt you down one by one. Now, he is at his weakest, which means now is the time for us to strike.”

“What exactly do you suggest we do?” Jér?me demanded. “Pick them off individually? That’s no way to win a war.”

“He’s right.” Marc stepped up next to me. “Which is why we aren’t going to limit ourselves to a few trolls – we’re going to take away his army.”





Chapter Twenty-Two





Tristan





“I don’t understand how they got past my wards,” I said to no one in particular, peering through the lowered portcullis at the silvery glow moving through Trianon. My first thought was that Cécile’s brother had let in several hundred of what he’d believed were humans, but were actually trolls in disguise. Only the lights weren’t coming from the direction of the gate, so I’d swiftly rejected the notion.