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“Asinia.” Demos’s voice was as unyielding as iron.

“No. If he’s going to blame you, then he can look at his own actions.” I turned my attention back to Tor. “Orlack of them. Even Vicer never forgot about Demos. He made sure Prisca knew to get him out. Meanwhile, you moved on.” I curled my lip at him. “Demos said you were once like brothers. If that’s the case, I’m glad I’m an only child.”

Tibris canted his head but stayed silent. Demos reached for my hand and rubbed his thumb over my wrist. His hand was so warm, his touch soothing. I took a long, deep breath and let the air shudder out of me.

Tor dropped his gaze to our hands, his expression contemplative.

Demos was silent for a long moment, and his words from the camp circled through my mind.

“I don’t want him to join us out of guilt. I want him to join us because he has hope.”

I didn’t care why Tor joined us. Only that he did.

“I want you to understand the choice you’re making.” I met Tor’s eyes. And now I could see the war that raged within him. “Without you, we have no chance of killing Regner. His wards are just too strong. All the people you lost? They’ll never be avenged. And more will die. More and more and more, until this continent is steeped in death.”

Tor watched me. And the barest hint of a smile flickered around his mouth. His eyes met Demos’s. “Always knew you’d find a woman just like this.”

I squinted at him. “Like. What?”

“Fierce.”

I opened my mouth. Truthfully, I’d expected him to call me something much worse. And the way Demos had snarled told me he’d expected the same.

I shrugged.

Tor sighed. “At least tell me how it would work.”

PRISCA

Daharak was taking no chances as we sailed north along the Gromalian coast. At least two hundred ships sailed with us. When I’d mentioned that this could be somewhat concerning to the Gromalians, who might fear an invasion, she’d shrugged.

“We’ve been in their waters since the barrier fell. If that spoiled prince doesn’t know you’re on the same side by now, then he’s useless to us.”

Thora’s lips had curved at that.

When Daharak had learned who Jorvik was—and that he’d managed to get onto her ship under false pretenses— she’d practically breathed fire. Zathrian’s little messenger was currently residing in the brig, where he would be staying. According to Marth, Jorvik hadn’t had a chance to pass on anything that would harm us irreparably.

In the distance, the unmistakable green banners of the Gromalian fleet whipped in the wind, their ships cutting through the water and approaching us with a caution that bordered on hostility.

“What were you saying about the prince knowing we were on the same side?” I muttered to Daharak.

A smile played around her mouth, and she merely raised her hand. The air was thick with tension, and Ilicked my lips, tasting salt. A Gromalian ship peeled away from the others, slowing as it neared us. The Gromalian captain, tall and solid in polished armor, called out across the water.

“State your purpose in our waters.”

Lorian watched him, seemingly unconcerned. Daharak squinted into the sun, holding up a hand to shade her eyes. “Idiot,” she muttered to us. “You don’t want to know the amount of armor we’ve found at the bottom of the ocean, their owners decomposing inside it.” I wrinkled my nose, and she raised her voice. “We seek an audience with your prince in Sorlithia. He will wish to speak to us.”

Silence stretched as the Gromalian captain considered her words. We would, after all, need to sail past the capital. And yet, the natural harbor protecting Thobirea made the city impossible to invade by water.

The captain’s eyes met mine, before flicking to Lorian, Galon, and Marth.

“Let them pass,” he commanded. “But your remaining fleet may not dock.”

Daharak nodded easily. We hadn’t expected to be able to dock. Not just because of the logistics of bringing this many ships with no warning, but because of our currently fraught relationship with Rekja.

Still, the threat of those ships should keep us safe as we made our way to Sorlithia.

The fleet continued northward over the next few days. As the coastline began to curve inward, the silhouette of the city started to emerge on the horizon, and we adjusted our course toward it.