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Ber drewhis sword before the king finished speaking, and their bodyguards followed soon after. Fear pounded at him, but he pushed it aside. He had to focus on defending Tes and their child. Nothing else mattered—not even himself.

“Tor,”he sent quickly.“I’m going to need a lot of power.”

His brother said nothing, but thankfully, he delivered. And just in time. Three arrows flew toward Tes, crackling and popping against her shields like the one outside. Equally draining, too. Ber channeled the new energy into his wife’sshields at once, even as several of Ryenil’s guards rushed forward.

Twelve of them—nearly half had thrown down their weapons and stepped aside, the cowards. They’d decided not to support the king in attacking Tes, but they weren’t brave enough to defy him by fighting for her. Instead, the five bodyguards who’d accompanied them into the throne room were forced to take the brunt.

In front of Tes, Ber joined their line, dealing injury and death with his sword as often as he could. But it wasn’t easy being outnumbered, not with Tes and Selesta in the middle. These guards didn’t dare to attack Selesta, but again and again, they tried to break through to reach Tes. And all the while she stood, a storm building on her face.

It didn’t bode well.

Suddenly, a wave of her magic swept past him, crashing into the soldiers struggling to reach her. The force of it toppled them over, and the crack of metal armor on stone thundered through the room as they fell hard. But her father—he only wavered on his feet before kicking his way past a fallen archer to advance.

“Is this what you wanted, Lora?” Ryenil asked. “To fight me?”

Ber’s chest squeezed tight. As he’d learned when Aony was murdered, the king knew immolation spells. He couldn’t get close to Tes. Absolutely couldn’t. So Ber shifted to block Ryenil’s path.

The king laughed. “You stabbed me once, but I’m better prepared now.”

“Let him by,”Tes sent, her mental voice tight with rage.“Let him by, and try to send me some of your energy. I can immobilize him.”

“But—”

“If you ever hope for me to be your queen, then you’ll do as I command.”

It went against his every instinct, but she was right.

“I will confront my father,” Tes said aloud.

Though his stomach turned, Ber stepped aside. Then he did his best to send as much energy as he could to his wife.

The power hummedthrough her blood until it almost burned, and for a fleeting moment, Tes wondered if this was how Toren felt. She tried not to think of the risk—would too much energy harm her baby? Would the spell even work? But of course, they needed to end this now. The guards she’d immobilized would wake soon, and she had to focus the next spell fully on her father.

Unfortunately, their magic was too similar, so he’d withstood her weaker, more dispersed blast. But this power wasn’t entirely hers—or even mostly. With any luck, her father would have less defense against this. She had no other option but to defeat him completely.

“I amnotyour mistress, Lora,” she said. And at once, she knew what she wanted to be called. “I am Etessa Bryamiri, Princess of Centoi and soon to be queen. The tyranny of the Breren line ends with you. Ber and I will begin a new dynasty.”

Her father snarled. “As soon as I reach you, you’ll burn like Aony. Don’t dare to—”

“No,” she interrupted.

Then she took a deep breath and let the spell loose.

The magic flew from her in a rush, hitting him between one breath and the next. Her head spun, and for a moment, she couldn’t think about the thud of his body hitting the floor. She could only concentrate on her spinning stomach and the ache in her muscles. Then Ber sent her more energy, and the worst of the effects faded to the edges of her mind.

Drawing her sword, Tes marched toward her father’s prone form. Her legs trembled, and the hilt slid slightly against her damp palm.Almost over.As Ber joined her, she reinforced her guard. Her shields had been weakened and needed patching. It didn’t have to be perfect, though. Only a few minutes more.

She altered her grip and lifted her sword to plunge it into her father’s heart. But as the blade sliced downward, her father’s arm lifted, and a knife glinted in his hand. She tried to alter her course, but momentum kept her moving forward.

Tes could only pray her armor held.

Chapter 59

The Toll

Ber reached out to grab Tes and pull her back, but it was too late. The knife connected in the same moment her blade pierced her father’s heart. She yelped and released her sword, her hands shifting to the hilt protruding from her abdomen.The baby.Pain pierced Ber’s heart like the blade tilting awkwardly in the king’s chest.

No.