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My eyes stung at the screams. But Demos wassuddenly standing next to me. “Ready, Pris?”

“Ready.”

“Now!” He roared the word into his trowth stone, and I strained, tiny dots appearing in my vision as I clutched at my hourglass and willed my power to give me more. After using so much power, I was tiring, my hands shaking, my eyes blaring. My knees wobbled, and I gripped Demos’s arm to steady myself.

The thread snapped.

I hadn’t been able to hold time for long—perhaps a minute at most. Our soldiers were still moving from the center lines and the right flank. Conreth and the others were attacking with everything they had. Hopefully their distraction would help hide my own failure.

It wasn’t enough.Iwasn’t enough.

“Nelayra.”

I ground my teeth at the sound of Zathrian’s voice. He was supposed to be on the front lines, a sword in his hand.

Demos slowly turned his head. “What is he doing here?”

“I brought him,” Telean said.

I glanced over my shoulder. Demos kept his gaze on Zathrian, who stood next to Telean, his shoulders square, his head oddly canted, as if bracing for a blow.

Demos’s eyes filled with cool disdain. “When we need someone to neutralize Prisca’s power, we’ll let you know.” He turned back toward the battle. “Ready to go again?” he asked me.

“Yes.”

“Neutralizing isn’t all I can do,” Zathrian said frombehind us. “Allow me to show you. Please.”

Demos ignored him. But…Telean had asked. And she was giving me that calm, steady look that demanded I listen. “You will need your power to help strip Regner of his wards,” she said. “If you use all of it now, we are doomed. You know I would not ask this of you if it was not necessary.”

No, Telean would never expect me to work with the man who’d risked our kingdom unless she knew it could truly make a difference. My gaze dropped to his wrists, and I sighed. My aunt had already removed the manacles he’d been wearing.

“Fine.”

Demos didn’t argue. But he drew his dagger, his hand clenched around the hilt as if it was taking everything in him not to plunge it into our cousin’s heart.

Zathrian merely nodded at Demos. “Ready.”

Demos lifted the trowth store with his other hand. “Now.”

I reached for the thread of my power, and a cool wind swept through me. The shock of it was almost enough to make me drop the thread of my power. But that cool wind seemed to make iteasierto lift that thread somehow. I yanked my power to me and held it. And this time…it was lighter. It was as if the thread was balanced, and I merely had to hold it gently. My vision didn’t blur. My knees didn’t tremble. I could still feel the drain, but it was tempered this time, bolstered by the icy gust of Zathrian’s power.

Demos must have felt me jolt, because he grabbed my arm. “Hold on,” he urged.

And together with the cousin whose parents were responsible for the loss of my own, the cousin who had killed my husband and mate while challenging me for my throne…

We held time hostage and gave our people everything we had.

33

Prisca

On my right, Demos roared orders into the trowth stone, choosing the best possible moments for me to use my power. To my left, Zathrian poured everything he had into me, and I gladly took what he had to offer.

The three of us were the last of my grandmother’s bloodline.

I hoped she was watching. And I hoped that even if we died today, some part of her would be proud.

Finally, just when I was convinced this had been the worst possible decision…A hint of movement in Regner’s right flank.