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“Have you not thought about the outcomes of this?” Lux’s eyes rapidly shifted between hers. “Have you not considered what happens once they take all the souls we’ve created? Do you understand how strong they’ll be?”

“It’s a good thing I have a treaty with them then.”

Lux laughed, but there wasn’t a trace of humor in it. “You have a treaty with the son of a bitch who raped your queen.”

“Ah, and I’m arguing with another who did the same.”

Thatbrought Lux nearly to his breaking point. “I never raped Véa.”

“You think she ever would’ve fucked you if you hadn’t made her marry you?” Her glare could cut diamonds. “You’re as useless as he is. Just a little man with a big temper and an ounce of power.”

Lux’s jaw clapped to a tight line. His hands balled to fists at his sides.

Once, he had been that. A little man with a big temper and an ounce of power. He relinquished it when he recognized that he was undeserving. He’d gained control over his temper since then.

But now he had power again. He didn’t want it. He wanted to let all these souls out, but the abyss could not handle so much death at once. There was a balance to the afterlife. Thrusting so many souls into it at one time was an ingredient to a massive disaster, a disaster worse than the one he’d already made.

He was not alittle man, and he would never be like Taeral.

“How about we see what abiggerman than me thinks, then?” Lux took another step in, towering over her. “How about you repeat everything you just said to my brother? Or, oh, I know. Why don’t you say it to a ‘chraobh?”

Prinna’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not afraid of Véa.”

That was a mistake no one should make.

Lux huffed.

He spun around.

Just in time to see the door slam shut.

As he’d tried to lapse from the Conclave Hall, he tried to lapse from this room.

Again, he only vibrated.

“Don’t do this,” Lux warned, staring at the ore door. “Whatever you’re planning, don’t do it.”

“You shouldn’t have come here, Lux.”

Lux shut his eyes. He pulled in a deep breath and eased it from his nostrils slowly. “I’m not myself at the moment, and whatever you’re planning will fail. Do not do this.”

Even with his eyes shut, he could see. Astral projection made that possible. The astral version of himself stood a few feet ahead, seeing Prinna retrieve a vial from between her breasts.

He wasn’t intending to astral project. He’d closed his eyes to calm himself. With all the power inside him, practically bursting at the seams, he had no choice in the matter, just as he had no control over that lightning in the sky in the distance.

“Having this conversation breaks my treaty,” she said, popping off the cork of the bottle. “We have to amend that.”

“Let me out of this room before you regret it, Prinna.”

Just as she tossed the vial, Lux lapsed to the other side of the room.

He hooked an arm around her throat from behind. “Let me out.”

She slammed her elbow into his ribs.

Lux was fighting with everything he had to keep from exploding. He didn’t want to do to Morduaine what he’d done to Matriaza. He’d hardly come to grips with what he’d done, but he didn’t want to do it again.

He just wanted to go home. He wanted to tell his brother. He wanted to talk to his father. He wanted Véa to know the queen she and her mother had appointed to rule their land went against them.