There is great magic inside the ark of Heart. Amara was the strongest of us. And after I’m done with the heir, you can kill her, and the people of Heart will die. Only then will the land stop fighting you.

Rion chewed on those words. “And what do I get in exchange for all of this? Freeing the Lord of the Underworld?”

Herric chuckled again, the sound like chains dragging over stone.

Why stop at Heart? You seek a source of the most powerful virulence in existence, and I am surrounded by it. You want to use it and learn to control it. You want to know everything it is capable of.

I can teach you, King Rion of The Aurora. I can show you where I failed.

I can give you everything.

CHAPTER 47

LOR

PRESENT DAY

Morning comes all too soon. I wake up wrapped in Nadir’s arms, his warm breath dusting the back of my neck. We stayed up late talking with Rhiannon and fell asleep instantly after returning to our room.

We slept later than I’d intended, but we aren’t scheduled to meet with the other rulers for another hour. Still, we should get up, have something to eat, and dress.

When I shift, Nadir groans and tightens his arms around me, dragging me closer.

“Where are you going, Lightning Bug?”

“The meeting is soon,” I say.

He groans again. “Great.”

I roll over to face him, studying his eyes. They swirl with specks of blue and green. He gives me a small smile.

“What are you thinking about?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. Everything.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

I give him a tight smile. We still haven’t discussed the bombshell that Cloris dropped about one of us giving up our crown. Nadir said it would be him, but I still want to confirm that he’s sure about this or at least talk about how he’s feeling. But it’s like we’re moving a million miles a minute, and there hasn’t been time.

Finally, we drag ourselves out of bed when breakfast arrives. I eat lightly because my stomach is twisted into knots. I don a simple red dress with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that Rhiannon supplied. It’s time to remind everyone of who I am.

“Ready?” Nadir asks.

“Not really,” I say.

He cups my cheek with his hand and drops his forehead to mine. “Let’s go, Heart Queen.”

At the top of the stairs, we see Rhiannon and Etienne talking in low voices, their heads bent close. She touches his arm and then looks up at the sound of our approach. If I fail to save Heart, Rhiannon and Etienne will lose everything, too.

“Good morning,” she says brightly as Etienne dips his chin. “Everyone’s here.”

Nadir and I clasp hands and make our way down the hall.