“But, Laurel, I swear—” he chokes up as he continues. “I swear to you, we did not know it would be that bad. We thought it was an attack on infrastructure, that they’d destroy and loot shops to distract from the real mission. I thought Fionn and Silene could help divert the worst of the damage, and that I could keep the rebels from getting crates of thayar.” His eyes are pleading, and I can see the guilt written clearly across his features, despite his surety about the decision.

“I believe you,” I say, because I do.

“Do you know—do you know how many were injured?” Fionn interrupts. I hear the unspoken words. Do you know how many died? Despite his stony demeanor, there’s an internal turmoil inside of him. I had previously misjudged him as nothing more than a burly husk, but he has a depth I should have noticed before.

“Not yet,” I answer gently. “But the property damage alone is catastrophic. It will take us a very long time to rebuild, and I fear for the people who’ve lost their livelihoods.” Fionn crumbles, and I make a note to ask Hawthorne or Silene about this later. He walks around to sit beside Hawthorne, anger and weariness gone from his features.

“I’ll do what I can to help them rebuild,” he says firmly, and I give him a nod of appreciation. The enormity of what rebuilding will entail threatens to break my carefully constructed calm. Before I can even process leaving again, Hawthorne is looking at me with eyes that see too much.

“Laurel, may I speak with you in private?” he asks. “Is there somewhere we can go where we have no chance of being overheard?”

Laurel

After the Golden King met the prophesied Princess of Thayaria, a deep uneasiness settled over him—Princess Laurel’s magic made him uncomfortable. Since she was so young, he pushed aside his worries, wanting to give her a chance to prove she wasn’t the monster he feared. King Mazus agreed to court her at her father the King of Thayaria’s insistence, both of them hoping he could help shape her into a force for good. Unfortunately, she revealed her vile magic and witch tendencies, and the Golden King was forced to launch a war on Thayaria to stop her.

The Witch Queen and Her Treachery

I tense at Hawthorne’s request, unsure why he’d want to speak with me without Fionn and Silene present. My gaze tracks to the two of them, hoping for a clue, but they look just as surprised as me. When I study Hawthorne, the intensity in his gaze makes me agree.