The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1)(68)

I should’ve taken off my gloves.

That doesn’t answer my question. Who killed Leo? His voice was gentle.

I failed him.

Maybe in hindsight that’s how it looks. But why were you in Nordenberg in the first place? Why did you have to run? What poison was running through his blood? He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face until he could look her in the eye. This is important, Lorelai. It’s the difference between drowning and moving forward. Who killed Leo?

She stared at him as the answer slowly bubbled to the surface. Irina.

He waited while the truth settled. While she found her equilibrium and her compass.

It mattered that Lorelai was strong enough to defeat Irina, and she’d spend the rest of her life wishing she’d known that all along. But it mattered more that she remember that Leo wouldn’t have died if Irina hadn’t decided that staying in power was worth sacrificing the lives of her people.

The exhaustion that swept through her dissolved into anger, which hardened into purpose once more.

She couldn’t change the past. She could only move forward and make better choices now.

Slowly she climbed to her feet and then reached down to help Kol up. His hand was warm in hers, and she wanted to say thank you, but he already knew.

Gabril came around the corner, his face creasing into a scowl when he saw their joined hands.

“The bridge is clear for now. No soldiers in sight. Sasha scouted back the way we came. Since she didn’t give me any warnings, it seems we haven’t been followed.”

“Because Irina will use magic against me when I make my next move,” Lorelai said.

“Agreed.” The scowl on Gabril’s face deepened. “Are you going to stand there holding hands all day, or are we going to do this?”

Kol let her go. Cold air swept over her skin in the absence of his warmth, and she felt ridiculous for noticing the way his hair curled over his ears and the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Careful now, he said as he brushed past her to follow Gabril. We might need to add a ground rule about noticing inappropriate things at inappropriate times. He sounded amused.

I can’t help that I’m an observant person. And speaking of being observant, we need to watch for Irina’s counterattack. I’m hoping that when I use magic again, she’ll be ready to send something nasty our way.

That’s not really the kind of thing I’d hope for.

It’s the whole point of this plan. The more magic she uses, the weaker she gets. Now let’s stop the ogres in Eldr and start causing Irina more trouble.

How are you going to stop the ogres? His thoughts were a blaze of desperation bound with a thin thread of hope.

I’ll ask the heart of the river our kingdoms share to do my bidding. If I can convince it to submit to me, then I can send a wall of water into Eldr and have it remain as a barrier between the ogres and your people.

I’m not sure water alone will do anything but slow the ogres down. There were flashes of horrifying scenes in his memory—children and elderly Draconi running from enormous, gray-skinned beasts who smashed everything to pieces—and he shivered.

It won’t be just water. She met his gaze. I’ll bind my magic to the river’s heart. As long as I’m alive, nothing will pass through the barrier. And if I die . . . just stay close to me. If I die, take my heart to Irina. Technically, you didn’t agree to kill me. You agreed to bring her my heart. Her blood oath would force her to honor her promise. Either way, Eldr will be safe. Now let’s get across this bridge so that I can get started. They rounded the bend and came upon the bridge.

It was an enormous structure, wide enough for four wagons to travel abreast at once. The ancient wood was bleached and weathered, but it stood sturdy, braced by crossbeams and thick pillars sunk deep into the river’s bed. The water ran deep, its current strong. From her standpoint on the north side of the bridge, Lorelai could just see the bank on the south shore. Four pairs of statues of kings and queens long buried in the royal tomb stood guard at each end of the bridge, silent stone sentinels three times as tall as Lorelai.

There were other ways over the river—smaller bridges to the west, ferry docks to the east, but this was the avenue that connected the main road in the north to the main road in the south. This was the fastest way to get to the capital. Once this was gone, it would take weeks for Irina’s northern army, currently stranded in the Falkrains, to reach her.

By then, either Irina or Lorelai would be dead.

You’re not going to die. Kol’s voice was fierce, and she heard the whispers of his collar crawling across his mind, urging him to destroy instead of protect.

I might. She didn’t look at him as she walked past Gabril to study the bridge and plan her attack. She wanted to live, but she wanted the safety and well-being of her kingdom more.

I will lay down my life for yours. It’s the least I can do.

She saw the resolve blazing through him, a brilliant light that filled him the way his determination to protect Eldr filled him, and her heart beat a little faster. The whispers from his collar grew louder, begging for her blood, but he fought to ignore them and focused on the debt he felt he owed her.

Eldr needs its king, she said as she walked between the first pair of weathered stone statues.

And Ravenspire needs its true queen.

She lifted her chin and met his eyes. We’re allies now. We’ll just have to save each other.