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The same words my sister uttered the night she murdered Blair.

“I’ve spent the day sending squads southward. Before long, Tirene’s forces will march to a different drum, one beat by the drachen.”

A cold dread wrenches my stomach at the thought of our entire military turned against us in the same way as Sterling and Leesa. Joined with the forces I saw marching toward Kamor. Our men, our dragons, all captive like that…

No, I won’t let that happen.

“Why would you do such a thing?” I try to twist my hips to the side, to get some distance between us, to get him off balance. Anything.

His well-trained body blocks my attempts with ease. I can’t shift his center of gravity and wrest free of his control. “Because it must be done.”

The acrid taste of bile invades my mouth.

The creature wearing Sterling’s skin slides his hand down around my throat and squeezes it tight. “I’d relish killing you, but you’re still useful to us.”

“Useful?” I rasp. “How?”

That cold, empty smile stretches across his face. “Answers will be revealed in due time. For now, you’re coming with me.”

The hells I am.

Fire magic pulses at my fingertips. “You really think the guards won’t come running as soon as I scream?”

“Such spirit.” His laugh is mirthless and hollow, not the warm, throaty one I know and love. The harsh noise crawls beneath my skin like hundreds of little spiders. “Admirable, but futile. No guards are going to rush in and save you. Humans cannot win alone. We are one mind. And we are spreading as planned. Your minds are small, contained to one body. You’re easy to separate. That is why you must join us. All of you. The world will know peace through bloodshed, body by body, kingdom by kingdom. We cannot be stopped this time.”

“That will never happen.”Help me, Ziva.“Where you find weakness, I see strength. Our diversity, our individuality, that’s what makes us resilient.”

“Let’s test that theory.”

Before I can blink, he slams my head into the wall.

My right temple crashes against stone. Stars explode in my vision, pain ricocheting through my skull.

Chirean roars with anger. In my mind or outside the palace, I can’t tell.

The door crashes open.

“Lark!” Agnar bursts in with his sword drawn. He marks my crumpled state, and horror twists his expression when he faces off with Sterling. “What have you done?”

The momentary relief that floods me dissipates, only to be replaced by fresh terror at the sight of Sterling retreating into the shadows near the curtains.

“You won this battle, Lark. But we will win the war.”

He steps through the window and disappears.

Agnar pauses, like he’s torn between checking on me and going after Sterling, before crouching by my side. He brushes the loose hair off my temple. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Pain, terror, and sorrow swell inside me, clogging my throat. I swallow multiple times before I can force the necessary words past the blockage.

“I’m fine. Go after him!” I gasp as agony sears through my body. “He’s been corrupted!”

I want to howl at the universe. Rage at the gods and demand they fix this.

I want to do anything but accept the truth.

My Sterling is gone, and unless Agnar finds him and brings him back and I quickly figure out how to use the phoenix tears to heal corruption, he may be lost to us for good.

ChapterThirty-Five