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“Three hundred thousand years ago, the par animarum and I made an agreement with the rulers of this world and the rulers of Matriaza.” Lux’s voice was deep, not much different than the draken growling in the sky above. “When the maalaichte cnihme return to our world, we will bring our people here and to Matriaza while we annihilate them. That was the treaty.”

She poured a glass of clear liquor, still giving him a look as she sipped. “I’m aware of the treaty.”

“They went behind our backs and made a deal with the maalaichte cnihme. They expect us to hand over our people to those fuckers. Were you aware of this?”

The queen held his gaze for a moment. Then she walked to her throne, sat, and took another gulp of her wine. “Of course not.”

That was not the reaction of someone who was unaware. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” She smiled. “And what are you lying about, Lux? Since liars know one another so well and all. Why do you reek of death?”

“That’s none of your—”

“Oh, it is. I’mveryconcerned.”

Lux had no time for banter.

He lapsed before her and grabbed both arms of her throne, caging her inside. Immediately, her blue eyes brightened to glowing orbs. Before she had time to speak, Lux deepened his voice, lowering it in volume. “Did you or did you not make an agreement against the par animarum and myself in alignment with the maalaichte cnihme?”

“You will get the fuck back before I answer that—”

Lux closed a hand around her throat, slamming her head into the Elvan ore throne. “Answer the fucking question, Prinna. Did you or did you not make a treaty with the maalaichte cnihme?”

She rammed her knee into Lux’s groin.

He only growled his annoyance. All those souls inside of him weren’t helping his mood in the slightest, and her lack of compliance was making it that much more difficult to control his temper.

“Yes or no.”

“Yes,” she barely made out.

His hand trembled around her throat. It took everything in him to keep from squeezing until it snapped.

But he did.

He loosened his hold.

“Why?”

“Becausemypeople come first.” She glowered up at him. “They offered me and my people eternal immunity.”

He flung her backward into the chair, not giving a damn when her head slammed off the stone throne. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

Standing, she straightened her shoulders. There was no way that shove hadn’t injured her skull in some form, but she stood like a warrior. She was eternal, so it wouldn’t have killed her, but it should’ve at least disoriented her. “The twenty-five of you are the fools.”

“Because we betrayed Taeral?” The leader of the maalaichte cnihme. “Because—”

“Because you think you can defeat them! Do you think I wanted to align myself with those swine?!” She rushed in on him, eyes glowing like fires. “I did it because I had no other fucking choice. They’ll kill my people if they don’t kill yours.”

“And giving the souls of our world over to him is giving him the power to destroy yours!”

“If they destroy mine, they’ve destroyed yours—”

“All the more reason to not side with the enemy!”

They were only inches apart, screaming in each other’s faces. If not for all those souls inside him, yearning to escape the confines of his body, Lux may’ve found this titillating. She was a beautiful woman, and he did enjoy fighting beautiful women.

But today, all he had within him was fury and a burning need to protect.