The woman cuts me off with a wave and a glare. “Them? They ran away after one of the monsters ate their captain. We”—she nods to a ragged-looking assortment of Grenwyr’s fishermen, merchants, and farmers—“were the only ones who didn’t flee or hide. We trapped the last two monsters here and threw torches at them. They were outnumbered. Didn’t know who to grab or which way to turn.”
I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, gazing around. Some people are dispersing from the crowd, calling loved ones’ names. A few boys start moving the bodies of the fallen into neat rows where their families can identify them. And a tall willowy girl raises her arms to the sky in a sort of elegant dance, squeezing rain from the heavy clouds to put out the remaining flickers of fire around us with magic worthy of a master weather mage’s robes.
Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much about this city and its people. It turns out Karthia can take care of itself, just like Hadrien thought.
Someone taps me on the shoulder. Before I can turn around, a familiar voice says, “Thank Vaia you’re all right! Meredy said you were headed to the palace alone to confront Hadrien. I was so worried for you, I nearly threw up. Also—hello.”
“Valoria!”
As I turn to face the princess, time seems to slow. Everything around us fades into the distance. Studying her soot-blackened face, her matted blond hair and crooked glasses, I wonder if she’s ready to hear that she’s now queen. To hear what I had to do. But there are other pressing matters. Too many of them.
“Have you seen Meredy and Danial?” I blurt. “Are you hurt? Are they?”
I can’t bring myself to ask about Jax and Simeon.
“I’m fine, thanks to the quick thinking of the good people of Grenwyr.” Valoria tries to rub some of the ash off her face, but she just smears it around. “But . . . your trip to the palace . . .” She frowns, searching my eyes. “What happened up there? Where’s Hadrien?”
A heavy weight fills my stomach as I hear the ache in her voice. “I’m sorry, Valoria. But he gave me a terrible choice,” I explain slowly, hoping she can sense my regret. “He had his hand around my neck, and he said one of us had to die. To think of what was best for Karthia. So . . . I chose.”
She stops me with a look. “After everything he did . . . I’m just glad I didn’t have to do it myself.” She bows her head, then takes my hands.
For a moment, we’re joined in silence.
Necromancer and queen.
Friends, after everything.
“But . . . I can’t be queen,” she says at last. “I never thought I’d—I don’t know the first thing about leading. I hardly left my tower until I met you.” Her cheeks redden as she continues, “And the Dead—those who are left—they’re terrified of what Hadrien’s brought out in people. I don’t think they’d welcome a living ruler. I want to cure the sick and study our magic, but . . . I don’t want the crown if it’s going to make me set in my ways and completely unaware of the plight of everyone who needs me. Or one who frightens and bullies people into giving me more power.”
I gently poke Valoria in the shoulder. “Enough. You’re not him. And you’re not King Wylding, either.” I squeeze her hand, earning a reluctant smile. “You’re exactly what Karthia needs. Even if no one realizes it yet. You have to believe it first, and others will follow. You’ll see, my queen.”
“I’m not that brave.” She shakes her head. “I’m not you.”
“That’s a good thing, because I’m not brave at all. I couldn’t have survived this long without Evander, Master Cymbre, Meredy, Lysander . . .”
My voice trails away as my heart leaps into my throat. The bear is gone, vanished from my side as I spoke with Valoria.
“Don’t worry, Sparrow,” I faintly hear Valoria saying. “You’ll never have to fight alone.”
I frantically look around for Lysander. A creature as large as a grizzly should be easy to spot, even in a massive crowd.
I shake my head to clear it. Lysander still hasn’t appeared, but Valoria’s smiling, pointing to something past the fishmongers’ stalls.
Several familiar figures hurry toward us.
Jax reaches me first, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around until I’m dizzy. I bury my face against his shoulder, assured by the scent of his evergreen soap that it’s really him and not my mind playing a cruel trick.
Simeon quickly shoves Jax aside, squeezing the breath out of me in a rib-cracking hug.
Danial waves from over Simeon’s shoulder, looking tired but no worse off than the last time I saw him. “Hurt yourself again I see, Sparrow,” he calls. “I’ll heal your leg, if these two will let me borrow you for a little while.”
“Not a chance. Not yet,” Simeon murmurs to Danial, quickly refocusing on me. “What happened?” he whispers, pushing back his soggy bangs to better look at me. “You’re as soaked as we are, and we took a dip in the harbor!”
“You—what?” I stammer, realizing that both he and Jax are as damp and frigid-looking as I feel. But I don’t care if my whole body goes numb with cold right now, because my heart is soaring. “I was hiding from a Shade. Why were you in the harbor?”
“Hadrien ordered his guards to drown us. I guess so no one would find our bodies,” Jax says, slipping an arm around my shoulders so I’m pinned between him and Simeon. Just like old times. “The bastard. But it took ten of his men to do it.”
“It was more like five,” Simeon counters, grinning slyly.
“However many there were, they did a pretty good job,” Kasmira says, joining Danial with several of her crew in tow. “But I thought these two had brighter futures than serving as fish food.” She winks, tossing her many dark braids over her shoulder. “The crew and I dredged them up as soon as the guards had their backs turned. Hid them on the Paradise, and that’s where the princess here found them.”
“You saved my friends,” I mutter, beaming at Kasmira. “If there’s anything I can do to repay you . . . anything, just name it.”
She arches a perfect brow. “Before today, I might’ve asked you for a raising. But my dead are going to stay that way, I’ve decided.” Her cool gray eyes dart to the mess in the streets, then focus on my face again. “I wouldn’t mind a taste of royal gold, though, if we’re talking rewards.”
“Consider it done,” Valoria says firmly, gazing at each of us in turn: Jax, Simeon, and me in the middle. She holds out a hand to Kasmira. “And from now on, consider yourselves free to come and go from these waters as you please.”
Kasmira grins at her crew, then gives Valoria a long, thoughtful look. “That’s almost a better reward than the gold, Highness.”
“Actually—” Valoria’s cheeks redden as she boldly declares, “it’s Majesty now, but I prefer just Valoria.”
Kasmira blinks. “All right, Valoria.” She bows, and the other smugglers follow her lead.
I raise my voice. “Has anyone seen Meredy?”
I still have to find her, and while everyone around me looks relieved to see each other again, I can’t breathe easy until I know where she is. That she’s safe.