Page 71 of Boundless

Then the whispering began.

How,someone said.Why? How do you bring back the dead?

Maera squeezed my hand to give me comfort, looked at me for a moment. She was concerned now, too. Of course, she was—we were surrounded by sorcerers on all sides. Even more of them had gathered, and they were following us. They were coming closer by the second.

Fucking hell, it was getting really hard to breathe easy.

“Keep moving,” Maera whispered when she caught me shaking my head.

“Why are they following us?” I said through gritted teeth.

“They’re just curious. They won’t attack.” Except shereallydidn’t sound like she believed that herself.

“And if they do?”

My words seemed to hang there in the air right over our heads. Maera didn’t answer, didn’t look at me at all.

Three more steps, and I felt like I was being suffocated by the very magic that was spreading underneath my skin like fucking ice shards trying to tear me apart from the inside. I lost controlof my own self so quickly that I took evenmeby surprise when I stopped. Took my hand back and turned around.

The two other werewolves who’d been walking behind us were confused, but they immediately stepped aside, backs turned to me, to Maera. And the crowd of sorcerers who’d been following us was bigger than I thought. Fifty people at the very least, most women, a few men, all bald for whatever reason. All watching me—and they all stopped when I did.

My magic slipped out of my hands. I couldn’t keep it in if I tried—and honestly, Iwasn’ttrying just now. I wanted them to see.

“Nilah, what are you doing?” Maera whispered in my ear from behind.

“My name is Nilah Dune. I amnotthe Ice Queen,” I said slowly, so neither of them missed a word.

Whispers erupted all around me.

“However, I do carry her magic. You can all feel it.” I raised both my hands, lit up from within with the light that wasn’t silver or gold, but something in between. The silver white shimmer that slipped out my fingertips spread about my hands, too, as if eager to make its presence known. “We’re passing through Mysthaven to get to the faelands. If someone tries to attack us, Iwillfight back.”

All those words made my shoulders feel heavy, but I knew they had to be said. I didn’t want to continue to endure the pressure without knowing what was to come. If they wanted to attack me, I might as well let them know theyweren’tgoing to win. Hopefully.

If they wanted to attack me, they could just do so now and be done with it.

The people absorbed every word I said.

Then a woman to my left moved forward, pushed aside two others who’d been in front of her. Her nose was gigantic, barelyany silver hair attached to the sides of her head. She looked like she should have been dead a long time ago, yet she stood proud, with her head up and her shoulders back when she said, “It’s good to have you back, Your Majesty. We’ve prayed for your return. We were not your enemy then, and we are not your enemy now.”

To say I was shocked would be an understatement.Did you not fucking hear what I just said?!

These words died on my tongue before I convinced myself to say them, though, when the rest of the sorcerers began to mutter their agreement, and they all brought their hands to their chests, too.

“All we ask is your ear when you claim your throne—that is all. As it has always been,” the woman said, and others spoke out loud now, said,yes, yes, Your Majesty, your ear!

“Tell them what they want to hear—now.” A whisper from behind. Maera’s order was clear. “I will not lose you in a fight with sorcerers, Nilah. Speak.”

Except I wasn’t going to lie to these people, not when I knew how seriously they took everything around here.

But the magic was no longer slipping out of my fingers. My frostfire wasn’t raging because suddenly I wasn’t as afraid as a moment ago. Suddenly, Ibelievedthese people who stood there among trees and watched us. I didn’t know much about their history with the Ice Queen, but I knew that the Frozen Court royals had given sorcerers this land, and they’d stood side by side through wars. Vair had told me so, and I’d also read tales in the books on the Ice Queen’s shelves.

No, I wasn’t going to lie to these sorcerers even though Maera ordered me to do it, but if I ever for a moment considered that I might be in a position to speak to them, then…I would.

It was as simple as that.

“If I ever claim the Frozen throne, you will have my ear. I will sit down with you to discuss anything you want to discuss.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I meant them. If there was a universe in which I really was a queen of any kind, I would sit and talk to the people who used live beings as sources for their magic—fuck yes,I would. I’d stop whatever the hell that was in any way I could, whether it was to force them or threaten them or even to give them an alternative, I’d do it.

After all, there were apparently rivers of power flowing about this entire continent. There would be ways. Better, way less crueler ways.