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I recoiled at her words—at the promise of who I would become and a shiver ran down my spine. And though I tried to deny it, I knew she was right. Knew that I would burn the world down before I let anyone take another piece of my heart from me.

Chapter twelve

ATALIIA

“I’mnotfuckingdoingit,” I hissed at Landers from across the small kitchen. “I have already agreed to let him into my mind, I refuse to babysit him while I’m working.”

“Well,” Landers said, bringing a mug to his lips and sipping. “That is the beauty of being King, I do not have to ask your permission.”

I scoffed, looking to Pri for support.

I could see it in her features that were now set in hard lines, that she was just as unhappy about this as I was.

“So,” Pri started, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back wall of her cottage across from Landers. “You want us to just take him on an assignment and pray that he will not betray us, that he will not give away our position?”

“Correct,” Landers casually responded.

“If I may,” Dukovich started from the corner of Pri’s small kitchen.

“No, you may not,” Pri snapped, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

“Let him speak, Prianaan,” Landers commanded and my back straightened at the sound of her full name rolling off his tongue.

The room fell silent only for a moment before Dukovich pushed from the counter’s ledge and stepped toward us.

“You do not trust me, I understand that. I would not trust me either after everything that has transpired between us, but this fight is tired. I have passed every test you’ve given me, have followed orders like a loyal dog. but just because I am not part of your little family does not mean that I do not care about winning this war just as much as you. There are people in The Silliands who have suffered because I chose to help you. Families and children that will be slaughtered because I am no longer there to protect them. You may not like how I chose to help you, but that does not change the fact that Ihavehelped you. This is war, we do not have the luxury of time.”

The room fell silent again on the tail of his words. There was truth in what he said, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

I watched his jaw flex before he spoke again.

“There is no stopping what comes next. The truth of who Hyacinth is,what she is, has spread to every corner of Nimbria and you know that as well as I do. She has given the people of the realms hope. Those who want change—who want freedom from the confines of their realm and to use their magic without being murdered for it, are already rising up against the Houses of High, and the Priest and Priestesses of Ammord and The Silliands know this. So they will not stop until she is dead, until they can snuff her power out.” Dukovich’s words clasped around my organs, twisting them together as the truth of them settled into my bones.

He was right and I was letting my hatred for him blind me to the fact that this was not about any of us. This was not aboutwhat he had done to me or some cruel punishment Landers was giving me for how I’d been behaving.

I looked to where Landers sat at the small square table pushed against the wall and swallowed my pride.

“Okay,” I finally said, breaking the heavy silence. “If this is what you think is needed, I will do it.” Surprise flashed on all of the faces staring back at me and I avoided Dukovich’s gaze as my eyes fell on Wren and watched him nod in approval before pulling Pri into his side.

“If we decide that Dukovich . . .” Wren paused as he looked at Dukovich. “If we decide that you are needed, this assignment will help us gauge the responsibility we are comfortable putting on your shoulders.”

“Understood,” Dukovich said, clasping his hands behind his back.

“I still don’t like it,” Pri hissed, twisting her golden locks to the top of her head as her eyes locked on Dukovich. “But I will let you dig your own grave.”

Dukovich smirked back at her as my eyes fell to Landers in the chair beside me. He stood, straightening his tunic as his gaze moved between me and Pri.

“Wren and I have some business to tend to in Nethkar,” Landers said, passing me as he strode to the door. “Make sure Dukovich is briefed and ready to leave with you in the morning. And, ladies,” Landers grinned at us. “Play nicely.” He winked at Pri then stepped from the cottage.

Wren wrapped his arms around Pri’s waist, planting a kiss on her cheek as I watched that rat scurry under the table and sighed to myself.

I really needed to hit something.

“So,” Dukovich started, as Wren pulled away and headed for the door. “I guess we’re partners now.”

I rolled my eyes and Pri whirled on him the moment the door shut behind Wren.

“Let me get one thing straight.” Pri snarled, pointing a finger toward him. “If you so much as blink without permission, I will cut you down and make it look like an accident. You are not to speak to anyone, you are not to follow me or Ataliia while we work, and you donot, under any circumstances, breathe a word of anything you have seen or heard since you came to Lodragoon. Do you understand me?”