Page 60 of Reign of Stars and Fire

“I didn’t want to leave them, My Lady.” His eyes were rimmed red in shame. “But I-I didn’t know what would happen to my brothers, to my little sisters. The bastard planned to drown the babe in front of my father at the dawn, so I found the nurse who’d taken her and . . . I had to kill the woman.” Magus studied his dirty palms. Smooth and not accustomed to work or swordplay, now soaked in blood. “I had to. I had to save the babe.”

“Lord Magus—” I started, soft and low, but paused when he shook his head.

“I ran with as many as I could, but my sister is still there. My parents . . . I don’t know if they live.” He sniffed and steadied his voice, eyes on me. “My vow may not mean much since I did not stand strong right away, but I swear to you, to all of you, I am with you. I will fight against this monster to my last breath.”

A thick, tragic silence held our tongues. Two tears dripped down Magus’s smudged cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away.

It ended when Niklas slid open the door and stepped inside. He held up a vial. “The blood is not the same, Saga. They do not suffer from whatever claims the tracker and Ari’s blood.”

Magus slumped in relief. I felt much the same. It would’ve been horrid if children were forced to be bound and blindfolded like Bo.

“I only speak for myself.” I rose slowly from my chair, hands clasped in front of me. “But I tire of Davorin thinking he has claim to our land.”

A few grunts of agreement filtered through the circle. Gorm nodded and pounded his fist against his chest.

I met the eyes in the circle. “Fae kind, from Night Folk to Alvers, are our people. Davorin plans to corner us, to starve us out perhaps. He plans to overtake the isles and set his sights on every kingdom. I say we show him we are not so easily trampled.”

More shouts. Cuyler and Bjorn stomped their feet and grinned. Stieg winked, nodding at me to go on.

I looked back to Magus. “My brother divided these lands to keep the people safe. We are reuniting, but I plan to carry on what he started. I plan to fight for all folk. Magus, where was Davorin keeping you?”

Magus opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a soft rasp.

“Walk among the stars to sing the song of the king of scars.” Eryka’s eyes had gone pale. She rocked side to side in her seat and repeated the same line three times.

Without hesitation, Gunnar wrapped an arm around her shoulders and encouraged her to keep speaking.

She said nothing more, merely blinked until her eyes refocused, and she beamed at me. “A grand speech, Queen Saga.”

“Eryka, you spoke again.”

The princess sighed. “Did I?”

“When Saga asked him where they’d been kept, you said if we walk among the stars we’ll sing a song by a king of scars?” Gunnar gave her a soft smile.

“I said walk among the stars?” Her voice tilted in panic. She looked to Magus. “Serpent Lord, were you . . . were you held anywhere close to the Court of Stars.”

Magus paled. “Yes. In the royal house, My Lady.”

“And . . . and what of the royals?”

“Lady Celeste and Lady Iris were being kept with my mother and the rest of the women.”

Eryka’s chin trembled.

Gunnar pulled her close and whispered, “They’re alive. We’ll get them.”

She didn’t speak of her mothers, merely hugged the prince’s waist, nestling closer to him. “Your arms are so safe.”

I bit my cheek to keep from showing the rush of nerves. It was true then, Davorin had taken the isles. First, the overthrow of the Borough, the Court of Serpents, and now his stronghold was in the center of the Court of Stars.

We were the last resistance against him.

Chapter21

The Golden King

“There ismuch to learn here, Ari.” Wraith said. He pushed against the heavy doors and led us back into the throne room of the old palace.