Page 49

She looked so put out, I swiped my hand over my mouth in an attempt to hide my smile. Asinia’s dark eyes narrowed, and she shook her head at me. “Suddenly, it’s not so surprising that you two are related.”

I burst out laughing. After a moment, she joined me. The hybrids at the table next to us were staring, and my laugh trailed off. I attempted a smile. One of them smiled back, while the others simply continued to stare until his friends whispered something into his ear.

Asinia glanced at them. “I could eat again. Let’s get some food and take it to my tent.”

We loaded up our plates, and a few minutes later, we were sitting in her tent. The meat was tender, the root vegetables flavorful, and the bread fresh.

“I never thought we’d get to do this,” Asinia said, taking a bite. “Just sit and eat together. When I saw you that day in the dungeon, I was so fucking angry at you. Because I thought you’d end up burning right next to me. But you did it, Pris. I know I’ve said it before, but…thank you.”

I grabbed her hand. “You never have to thank me for that.Never. At no point did it cross my mind to leave you there. And I know it wouldn’t have crossed yours either.”

Her eyes filled, but she blinked the tears away. “Do you remember when you’d just turned thirteen winters and we snuck up onto the bakery roof?”

My mouth trembled. “That roof desperately needed to be repaired. We’re lucky we didn’t fall through it.”

Asinia grinned back at me. “We’d just learned about fae blood vows.”

I winced. “And we decided we would make a vow of our own.”

“Sisters of the soul,” Asinia said. “Sisters by choice, if not by blood. No matter where life took us.”

I reached out and squeezed her hand. “Neither of us knew the other had power. Do you think we…broke our vow?”

“No. I think sisters protect each other, no matter what. If one of us had been caught and a truth-seeker used on the other…at least one of us would have been safe.”

“It’s only looking back now that I can admit I was in such a dark place. I thought about telling you, you know. Then I wondered if you’d ever forgive me for my dishonesty.”

“Put it away, Prisca. It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is what we do next. So, why don’t you tell me everything that’s happened since the city gates.”

I filled her in. I told her about Daharak and my blood vow. Mumbled darkly to her about the fae woman who’d practically sat in Lorian’s lap in that inn. Explained just how difficult it had been traveling with him, and how the iron guards had found us.

“You’re lucky you escaped.”

“Lorian had three bolts in his back, and he acted like it was nothing.”

Her lips twitched. “For a woman who swears she no longer wants him, you certainly sound…admiring.”

I gave her a mock scowl. “I was admiring hisform. The way he swung his sword.”

She smirked. “I bet you were admiring hisform. And hissword.” Her expression sobered. “Are you ever going to forgive him, Pris?”

“I don’t know.” It was difficult to hate him when I saw how he risked his life for me. When I saw just how committed he was to protecting his people. And I’d…wanted to believe him when he implied he wasn’t the one who’d killed my family. But there was too much at stake for me to risk being wrong.

Asinia nodded. “I’m here when you’re ready to talk about it.”

For now, a change of subject. “Tell me about what it has been like here.”

She pulled her knees into her chest, her brow furrowing. “I’ve been talking to the other hybrids. Some of them have no real hope left. They believe they’ll live and die in this camp. Others think it’s only a matter of time before Regner finds a way to break the fae wards and they’re all slaughtered. But some of them…some of them remember what it was like.”

“What it was like?”

“Our kingdom, Pris. The hybrid kingdom. At night, the hybrids sit around their fires and tell the younger ones stories of children laughing in the streets. Of magic and peace and strange creatures…”

A memory flitted through my mind. A tale my father had once told Tibris and me before bed.

“Once upon a time, there was a kingdom soaked in magic. And in that kingdom lived all kinds of creatures. Strange, terrifying, beautiful creatures.”

“Did they eat people?” Tibris asked, shifting closer.