“Stop!” Gahalatine shouted, his eyes blazing with panic as Trynne pressed her blade to his sister’s bare neck. His hand was outstretched. His shout came with all the force of his magic, but it could not sway her. He stared at Trynne, stared at the smudges on her face, and slowly his eyes widened in recognition and surprise.

Trynne yanked down her chain hood, revealing her face, her hair.

“Yes,” Trynne said to him, glaring at him. “It is I. Do you yield?”

An exultant smile spread on Gahalatine’s face. His worry at seeing his sister murdered was ebbing. Perhaps he believed Trynne wouldn’t kill her. He lowered his outstretched palm, but still held it out before him, as if coaxing friendship from an angry wolf.

“It is you,” Gahalatine said. “I’d not suspected. Yes, I will discuss terms with you. After vanquishing your king’s champion, I was going to insist he send you out to discuss terms of surrender.”

Trynne gave him a glowering look. “We have no intention of surrendering, my lord.”

A reckless sort of smile shone on his mouth. “Then treat with me, Tryneowy. My sister is your king’s hostage. Come back to my pavilion with me, and we will broker a truce between our kingdoms. You and I. If we cannot come to terms, then I will exchange you for my sister and we will continue this war. But I believe—I dare even hope—that one word from you will resolve this. Will you come?”

Trynne lowered the sword deliberately and looked back at King Drew, seeking his orders.

There was a new look of hope in Drew’s eyes when he met her gaze. “I empower you, Trynne Kiskaddon, to negotiate on my behalf.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR Submission

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Submission

It was like a river current was tugging her away. The scene was almost unreal. Captain Staeli on the floor, unmoving, his face turned away from her, his tunic soaked with blood. He was lost to her. Fallon was also one of the fallen, gripping his wounded knee as he stared at her in horror. He knew she was being swept away from him. Morwenna looked broken, defeated. Trynne gazed at them, one by one, and then walked to Drew and handed him Firebos. The king looked vulnerable, but there was still hope in his eyes. He was depending on Trynne to find a way to stop the violence from spreading further.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and then turned back and crossed the hall to Gahalatine, who stretched out his hand to her. His sister had risen, her armor broken and split from Trynne’s attack. Her eyes were fierce and angry, but she had accepted her brother’s decision. She remained behind.