The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)(46)

“You aren’t going to die,” Jyn said, her small frame vibrating with anger. “I’ll kill the girl myself, and—”

“Try it, and you’ll have a sword through your heart before you can even finish shifting,” Gabril held his blade steady.

“You can’t kill two dragons in one blow, human,” Trugg sounded furious. “And if you want to hurt either Jyn or my king, you’ll have to go through me.”

“This is the only way.” Kol sounded stoic, but his hands trembled, and Lorelai could see the fear in his eyes as he looked at her. “Please. Promise me you’ll save Eldr.”

The others erupted into arguments and protests while Lorelai’s thoughts raced. If she promised to help Kol with her magic and let him die for betraying his blood oath, Irina would know that her huntsman had failed, and she’d search for another way to find the princess. Lorelai didn’t need the distraction of staying one step ahead of the queenwhen what she really wanted to do was put into place her plan to honor Leo and take Irina down.

She needed a way to make Irina believe Kol had succeeded in killing the princess. If Irina believed Lorelai was dead, she’d send her magic through the used-up, dying Ravenspire ground into Eldr, which might weaken the queen, and that would give Lorelai an advantage she couldn’t afford to pass up.

She studied Kol, his eyes full of determination and regret, his spine straight though his hands shook, and admitted that while she was furious with his choices, she couldn’t truly blame him for them. She didn’t like him, but he didn’t deserve to die for Irina’s treachery.

“All of you, be quiet. Quiet!” Lorelai whipped her hands into the air, and white light blazed in her palms. Jyn’s mouth snapped shut. Gabril hefted his sword a bit higher and watched his princess. Trugg stared at her hands and whispered a curse.

“Nobody is going to die,” Lorelai said. “And Irina is going to honor her side of the blood oath. Now listen carefully. I have a plan.”




EIGHTEEN


KOL WATCHED LORELAI pace the clearing, her bird swiveling its head to maintain eye contact with him no matter where the girl went. Skies, the bird’s unblinking gaze was creepy. He looked away from the gyrfalcon and asked, “What kind of plan do you have?”

“We’re going to trick Irina,” Lorelai said without looking at him.

“That’s suicide,” Jyn said, her voice rising. “At least for Kol. Nobody tricks a mardushka—”

“Except another mardushka.” The princess gave Jyn a look that would’ve made a lesser Draconi tremble.

The gyrfalcon caught Kol’s gaze and snapped its beak at him, its intentions clear. He did his best to ignore the bird, but he couldn’t ignore the mess he was in. He had been reluctantly willing to honor his blood oath when he’d thought Irina was Eldr’s only salvation. But he wasn’t going to kill the girl who’d saved his life. And he wasn’t convinced she could trick Irina. He appreciated her attempt to once again spare his life—the thought of dying made his hearts ache miserably—but what he really needed was the princess’s promise to help Eldr. He had no leverage, nothing to offer, but he’d seen the rage in her eyes when she realized he’d been in Nordenberg helping Irina the day her brother was killed. He’d seen the sparks of power glowing in her palms as she stalked toward him while he was defenseless.

And he’d seen the moment she pulled back from her rage and decided to let him live long enough to explain.

The furious man with the sword who watched Kol every bit as closely as the bird did was right. Lorelai was a threat who held her power in restraint because she was just. She was kind. She was committed to doing the right thing, even when it cost her.

He had to make her believe that helping Eldr was the right thing.

“How do you plan to trick Irina?” the man with the sword asked without lowering his weapon.

“And what will it cost Kol if you fail?” Jyn snapped.

The princess lifted her chin. “If the trick fails, he’ll pay with his life. It’s the same price he was willing to take from me.”

“He doesn’t deserve to die,” Trugg said.

“Neither do I. Neither did my brother.” Lorelai’s tone dared anyone to argue with her. “But Irina doesn’t care about any of that. She only cares about power. And because of the blood oath, she owns Kol.”

Lorelai looked at the man with the sword. “I have to test a theory before I know if this plan will work. Gabril, I’ll need your help.”

The man nodded and limped carefully across the wreckage of the trees Kol had destroyed as he’d chased the princess through the forest. As he walked past Kol, Gabril said quietly, “Don’t let the bad leg fool you, son. If you hurt my princess, I will be the nightmare you never see coming.”

“I understand the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love,” Kol said. He didn’t add that those lengths were what had put them all in this situation to begin with. Or that he wasn’t through fighting for Eldr.

The older man studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable, and then the princess said, “Gabril, let’s get started.”

Gabril turned from Kol and approached the princess as her bird lifted from her shoulder and flew into the sky.

“Where’s Sasha going?” Gabril asked.