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I stilled—every part of me going quiet. What she said was so similar to the voice—that strange, smoky voice—I had heard when we neared the city limits of Saion’s Cove. It had to be a coincidence because that voice had not been hers. “But what measures has Atlantia taken to compromise since the end of the last war?”

“Some would say allowing Solis to exist would be the greatest compromise we ever offered,” she returned.

“I would say that doesn’t sound like a compromise at all,” I stated. “It sounds like Atlantia basically closed their borders and spent centuries preparing for war, biding their time instead of trying to negotiate with Solis, despite the failures of the past. Meanwhile, the Ascended continued to grow, to kill, and to terrorize. So, no, that doesn’t sound like a compromise. It sounds like complicity to me. And trust me, I would know since I was complicit for years. The only difference is that I didn’t know the truth—and that is a poor excuse when all I had to do was open my eyes to what was really happening. However, those within Atlantia always knew the truth and did nothing, allowing the Ascended to take root.”

A sense of wariness radiated from Kieran as Queen Eloana left the blossom alone and looked at me. But if my words angered or upset the Queen, I truly did not care at the moment. She had basically just told me that my brother would be killed—that it didn’t matter if any of the Ascended were capable of change. And yes, I had my doubts, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t. And the innocent people who would die were sure as hell worth at least trying.

“Brave,” the Queen murmured. “You are very brave.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know if it’s bravery or not. I know that Atlantia’s involvement would’ve been complicated, but neither Casteel nor I want war.”

“But you said—”

“I said I wanted to see the Ascended destroyed,” I cut in. “And I do. I want to see the Blood Crown destroyed, but that does not mean I want an all-out war. I may not have been alive during the last war, but I know the innocent will suffer the most—the people of Solis and the Atlantians. Maybe those within Atlantia cannot feel sympathy for those in Solis, but they are not the enemy here. They are also victims.”

“Part of what you said is correct. We have been biding our time,” she said after a pause of silence. “But what you are wrong about is our lack of empathy toward the people of Solis. We know that they are victims. At least, the vast majority of us know that.”

“I hope that is true.”

“But?”

I said nothing.

One side of her lips curled up. “You haven’t had the greatest experiences with the people of Atlantia. I can’t blame you for doubting that.”

That did factor into my disbelief, but it wasn’t the only reason. “If the Atlantians are sympathetic to the people of Solis, then they should be willing to try to prevent war.”

“But again, the ones who make that decision are those who have lived through the last war or grew up in its aftermath. Their thirst for retribution is as strong as an Ascended’s hunger for blood,” she countered, and once more, her word choice snagged my attention.

“What are you really saying to me, Your Majesty?” I asked.

“Call me Eloana,” she offered, and I blinked, not exactly understanding at what point in our conversation we’d gone from formal titles to intimate names. “What if your ultimatum fails?”

The fact that she didn’t answer my question didn’t go unnoticed. “Then, like you said, sometimes war cannot be prevented.” A chill that was hard to ignore swept over me as I said those words. “But at least we tried. We didn’t just take our armies into Solis and set the kingdom on fire.”

“And that’s what you think we will do?”

“Isn’t it?”

“We want to be able to make use of those lands, Penellaphe. We do not want a dozen more Wastelands on our hands,” she pointed out. “But we would burn Carsodonia. Cut the head off the snake. It is the only way.”

I stared at her, aghast. “Millions of people live in Carsodonia.”

“And millions could die,” she agreed, exhaling softly. I felt a spike of anguish, one I didn’t think had anything to do with Malik. “I don’t want that. Neither does Valyn. Gods know we have both seen enough blood—spilled enough of it. But we have decided, as have the Elders, to go to war. It is done,” she advised. My heart thumped heavily in my chest. I hadn’t expected to hear this today. I could sense that Kieran hadn’t either. His shock was just as potent as mine as Eloana’s jaw clenched and then relaxed. “Only the King and Queen can stop war from happening now.”