Page 31

Chapter Thirty-One

brIAR

T he three of us spilled through the Citadel’s main doors in a desperate rush. We sprinted down the steps as the building began to collapse behind us, its columns swaying like trees in a storm.

Sylvie stumbled, and I caught her arm. Tanyl steadied her from the other side. He still held Skycleaver, the blade dripping with Silas’s blood.

“Keep moving!” Tanyl shouted over the thunderous rumble, and we rushed forward.

My body felt strange—lighter yet stronger, like I’d shed an invisible weight I’d carried my entire life. Sounds were sharper, colors more brilliant. With every beat of my heart, more energy coursed through my veins.

Chunks of marble crashed to the grass around us as we cleared the Citadel. Rivven sprinted past us, armor jingling. Men shouted to each other, their voices thick with fear and confusion. Later, I’d feel guilty for depriving them of the only home most of them had ever known. Right now, I had to get Sylvie and Tanyl to safety.

We ran faster, following the path that led down the hill. A roaring sound rose behind us. Finally, we reached the outer wall that bordered the Citadel complex. Chests heaving, we stopped and turned.

For sixty-five years, I’d lived, worked, and prayed in the Citadel. Now, I watched it crumble. Domed towers collapsed. Gleaming white walls cracked and fell. The waterfalls that had cascaded from the upper levels stopped flowing, the water choked by tumbling debris.

Within moments, the Citadel was a mountain of rubble, dust billowing into the sky like smoke. At last, the sounds of destruction ceased, leaving only eerie silence.

Rivven stood around me, their dust-streaked faces stunned as they gazed at the ruined Citadel. Some had come from praying the Hours, their feet bare and simple white robes belted at their waists. Others wore full armor. Swords hung from their hips. More weapons nestled in holsters and pockets the average person—or elf—was unlikely to find.

I held my breath as I waited for my brothers to swing toward me in anger. Tanyl and I exchanged a look, and pain shot across my heart. I wasn’t the only one in danger. Tanyl had killed Silas. If the Rivven turned on us, we had no hope of defeating them.

The first man to turn was an older warrior with gray-streaked blond hair. Dust caked his shoulders. His breastplate was dented, and blood seeped from a cut on his chin. The faintest outline of a cresting wave circled his thick throat.

Aleric. He’d taught me how to swing a mace.

He limped forward, his gaze touching on Tanyl and then Sylvie. When it settled on me, he stopped, his eyes roaming my sigils and newly pointed ears.

My heart thumped painfully. My fingers twitched at my side as I prepared to draw a knife.

Aleric went to one knee. “Perun has chosen,” he said, touching his forehead and then his lips.

The rest of the Rivven looked at each other. The, one by one, they followed suit, kneeling in the dust. Young pledges barely into their training. Battle-scarred veterans with gray hair and beards. Healers with pouches of herbs on cords around their necks.

“We pledge ourselves to your service, Sir Briar,” Aleric said. “Guide us to a new purpose, and we will follow. Perun protect you.”

“Perun protect you,” the men around him echoed.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. My mouth opened, but no words emerged.

Tanyl’s hand settled on my shoulder, his palm warm and steady. “You seem speechless,” he murmured in an amused voice.

Panic threatened to close my throat. “Should I give a speech?” I whispered.

He kept his grip on my shoulder as he moved in front of me. The sun had risen higher in the sky, the full light of morning spreading over Mistport. The rays turned his hair to honey and put sparkles in his eyes. He’d never been more beautiful, the Prince of Spring who had stolen my will and captured my heart. But I’d been willing. Always, I’d been eager to give him everything.

Sylvie stepped to his side, and my knees loosened. Suddenly, I knew why Tanyl called her Beauty . She stood at his side, slender and fierce with eyes the color of the most mysterious parts of the sea. Her full, pink lips curved, and it took my breath away, that smile.

A good wife. A good queen. Beloved of the gods.

And me.

My throat burned as I drank them in, the king and queen I’d fallen in love with. I was going to cry. I was going to embarrass myself in front of everyone. I’d been brought back from the dead by Perun himself, transformed into an immortal elf, and I was going to weep like a child.

“You don’t need a speech,” Sylvie said softly. She pressed her hand to the center of my chest, and my heart thumped against her palm. “Speak from here, my love. Your heart hasn’t steered you wrong yet.”

I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her fingers. Then I stepped past her and stared over the Rivven. Finally, I let my gaze fall on Aleric.

“Rise,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “The Citadel is gone, but we are not. The lies Silas told are gone, but we still have purpose.”

The men stood, their expressions ranging from hope to wariness to relief. But no one looked angry. I could work with that.

Drawing a deep breath, I continued. “For too long, we’ve served a false cause. We believed we needed the Scarrok to give our lives meaning. But our true purpose—the reason the gods created us—is to protect. And the gods created us exactly as we are. None of us, my brothers, is lacking.”

Murmurs rippled through the men. A few chests swelled. The Rivven exchanged looks, pride on their faces.

“I don’t have all the answers,” I said. “But the gods have given us a second chance. Perun himself allowed us to escape the Citadel. Life is a gift. We shouldn’t waste it.”

More murmurs rose. Heads nodded. Hope buoyed in my chest, and I spread my arms.

“From this day on, the Rivven will be the protectors we were born to be. Rivers need bridges. Let us serve as a bridge between the human and elven realms, offering prayer and protection to both sides. We have one foot in each realm. We’ll foster friendship, not division.”

Tanyl stepped forward, slanting me a smile before facing the men. “Any Rivven who wishes to make his home in the Spring Court is welcome. We’re honored to have you.”

Aleric looked at the men around him. Then he stepped closer to me. “We’ll follow you, Sir Briar. Where do you travel now?”

The panic threatened to return. I hadn’t thought past the end of my speech. Now, dozens of Rivven looked to me for direction.

Tanyl took Sylvie’s hand. Then he took mine. He faced the Rivven and lifted his voice. “As most of you probably know, I’ve temporarily lost my crown. My first order of business is to get it back. Sir Briar will accompany me across the Covenant.” He looked at me, a smile playing around his lips. “And when I get that crown back, it will be our crown.”

A hush fell over the men. I tried to keep emotion from showing on my face, but it was hard to maintain my composure with my heart fluttering like a trapped bird in my chest.

“Our crown?” I asked hoarsely.

“Our crown,” Sylvie said, smiling at Tanyl. “The way it was meant to be.”

Aleric nodded. “Sounds good.” He turned to the Rivven and raised his voice to a shout. “What do you say, brothers? Do we fight?”

A cheer went up, swords quickly following. A shiver went through me as the Rivven pledged themselves to Tanyl’s cause.

And Sylvie’s.

And mine.

Hands linked with theirs, I let the joy trembling in my heart enter my voice.

“Our crown.”