Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Sterling stands rigid beside me, his hand hovering near his sword. But we both know weapons won’t solve this. I step around him, drawing breath into lungs that feel vast and ancient.
Something shifts inside me. Not in my stomach where anxiety usually coils, but deeper, resonating through my bones like a plucked string.
It’s anger at seeing things that shouldn’t be. People turning on each other because they fear what they don’t understand.
“What are you doing?” My voice carries across the Divine Commons with a resonance that gives people pause. “Look at each other! These are your neighbors, your friends.”
A few heads twist toward me. Like a wave encountering resistance, the fighting slows. The enormous amphitheater, with its soaring columns and intricate stonework honoring every god, shouldn’t be filled with violence. This sacred space, meant for unity, reverberates with condemnations and fear.
I take another step forward.
Sterling’s fingers brush my elbow in a warning, a reminder of danger, but I shrug him off. The crowds that were pushing toward us, waving fists and shouting about lost magic, begin to fall back.
“I understand your anger.” The words tumble out, honest and unpolished, so unlike the careful speeches I’ve been rehearsing since becoming queen. “We never intended to destroy magic. We intended to destroy Narc and the drachen, who were spreading corruption through our lands like poison.”
A man with a bloodied lip snorts. “Convenient excuse, Your Highness.”
I meet his eyes, unfazed by the smoldering hatred in his gaze.
“It’s not an excuse. The gods themselves helped me find what we needed to purge Narc’s tainted existence from the soil.
Nyc, Narc’s own mother, asked me to burn his bones and return him to her so he could finally rest. Otherwise, the corruption would have devoured our world.
We did only as the gods demanded. What needed to be done. ”
The crowd ripples with uncertainty. Doubt replaces rage in some faces, especially those older citizens who remember the teachings about the gods before the Devoted began twisting them.
“How many of you knew someone who was corrupted? Someone whose body and mind were enslaved to Narc and his drachen and his obsession with ‘perfected humans’? People who were stripped of their free will? My own sister killed a dear friend under Narc’s control.
” And our own mother. “Thousands more would be corrupted by now if the drachen were still here. I’m truly sorry for the loss of magic, but I will not apologize for doing the right thing. ”
The fighting stills completely.
A woman with black hair and a scythe at her waist raises her hand and blanches. To my right, a virtual giant hunches his shoulders while others exchange glances heavy with shared grief.
They know. They watched the monsters imprison their loved ones’ minds and use their bodies like puppets.
“My husband,” the woman with the scythe whispers. Yet in the strange acoustics of the Divine Commons, her words reach everyone. “He came back changed. Spoke of perfection, of a new world order. When I refused to follow, he—” She stops, touching a scar that runs along her jaw.
For a brief second, understanding bridges the gap between Tirene and Tír Ríoga. Between every kingdom present. Between those with magic and those without. Between queen and subject.
Then a voice cuts through the momentary peace.
“Pretty words from Tirene’s queen, who can stay safe in her magical kingdom.
” A sandy-haired woman in the dark robes of the Devoted comes forward, the star-mark on her hand glinting in the light filtering through the amphitheater’s open ceiling.
“While our children grow weak and our crops fail. While our people suffer.”
My skin crawls from whatever drips from her voice. Not just hatred, but something calculated. Manufactured. I’ve heard this exact cadence before, from street preachers in Tirene’s market squares trying to sow division.
The uneasy crowd stirs again.
“Magic sustained us for generations.” The Devoted woman squares her shoulders. “And now it’s gone.”
“That’s not—” I snap my mouth shut, because what more can I say? The damage is done.
Her words ripple through the gathered masses, reigniting the anger that had just begun to cool.
The crowd surges worse than before as people begin shoving toward us from all sides. Sterling inches closer to me. Guards struggle to maintain a perimeter around us. I reach for the short sword strapped to my side.
That’s when I feel it.
A tremor beneath my feet.
The ancient stone floor of the Divine Commons shudders. The immense pillars supporting the vaulted ceilings tremble.
“Sterling. Do you—”
“Yes.” Hand on his own weapon, he scans the amphitheater.
The rumble grows, no longer subtle. Confusion transforms to fury and then fear as a violent shake sends people stumbling.
A crack rips through the stone near one of the worship alcoves.
People shriek and rush toward the exits, but the falling debris blocks several pathways.
Sterling’s eyes meet mine, and in that moment, I know what he’s thinking.
I reach for his hand. His fingers are cold against mine, but when our skin touches, the elemental magic within us recognizes its counterpart.
Our magic merges.
“On your lead,” he whispers in my mind.
That’s all the confirmation I need.
Stepping forward, I direct a wave of ice toward the entrances to fortify them.
More screams. People thrust their arms up as if to defend themselves.
My fire curves a protective arc above the fleeing Tír Ríogans, vaporizing raining debris before it can crush them. Sterling’s ice creates temporary supports, beautiful crystalline columns that brace against collapsing sections of wall. Fluttering mist knocks the choking dust from the air.
“Stand up and run!” More walls waver, and I hurl another layer of ice to cover it.
“Almost there.” Sterling grinds his teeth, either frustrated at the people who spend more time staring at me than running or at his struggle to maintain his water magic.
The last family rushes through the opening we’ve maintained.
King Mihel and Queen Maeve regard me with wide eyes, their clothing already coated in fine rock dust.
The pressure on the ice mounts, and I have to fill the fissures. “Go!”
“Not without you!” Maeve darts forward to grasp my hand while Mihel throws Sterling’s arm over his shoulder.
Together, the four of us make it through the ice-braced arch. Guards surround us, their attention fixed overhead as we stumble on the uneven ground.
The rumbling stops as suddenly as it began.
The Divine Commons stands damaged but not destroyed. And we’ve managed to prevent extensive loss of life.
Outside in the main square, the crowd mills about in shocked silence. Some clutch each other, checking for injuries. Others stare back at the ancient building, disbelief evident in their expressions. A few glance toward us with begrudging acknowledgment.
“Thank you.” A father cradles his young daughter to his chest. “You saved my child.”
A spark of hope ignites in my chest.
“Ah, yes. We needed Tirene’s king and queen to save us.
” The Devoted woman appears unscathed, her robes barely dusty.
“Since they’re the only ones with magic.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if such power were available to all of us again?
If, rather than depending on the mercy of Tirene royalty, we could have saved our children with our own hands? ”
The spark flickers out, doused by the Devoted’s taunt.
Murmurs start up again, this time underlaid with resentment rather than gratitude.
Maeve and Mihel release us and back away.
I need to understand this fear. This loss. This desperation that lends the Devoted’s words so much power.
And then I need to do something about it.
The door to our guest quarters closes with a heavy thud.
I sink onto the edge of a plush chair, my limbs buzzing with the aftermath of adrenaline.
Sterling paces by the window. Agnar leans against the wall near the door, his skin ashen with exhaustion, while Rafe stands with his arms crossed, thick eyebrows drawn together like storm clouds about to collide.
“Well,” I break the silence that’s stretched between us since returning to the keep, “that could have gone better.”
Agnar’s snort is somewhere between amusement and disbelief. “I would have called it a shit show, but that’s one way to put it.”
Sterling stops his pacing to pour water from a crystal decanter. He passes me a glass first, always thinking of me before himself, before distributing glasses to the others.
I catch his eye and find a silent question there. Are you all right? I give him the barest nod in response.
“What did you discover?” I turn to Agnar and Rafe. “Before the Divine Commons attempted to murder us, I mean.”
Rafe clears his throat, arms falling to his side.
His wavy brown hair is disheveled, and there’s dust on his clothing from wherever he and Agnar had been investigating.
“We headed out last night, thinking we’d finish up at the Commons.
Trust me when I say we double-checked everything. It’s worse than we thought.”
I sip my water, buying time for my stomach to settle. “Let’s hear it.”
Agnar pushes off from the wall to stand beside Rafe, and my heart squeezes with dread over the glance they share. “We found evidence of failed restoration experiments, just as you feared.”
Sterling stills. “What kind of experiments?”
Rafe’s throat works on a swallow. “Sacrificial ones.”
The water catches in my throat. “Sacrificial?”
Oh gods. If children are being sacrificed…
Spotting my horrified expression, Agnar quickly clarifies. “Animals, personal objects, monetary items. But there were notes. Theories. About larger sacrifices potentially yielding better results.”
“People.” Sterling blows out a heavy breath and starts pacing again.
He says the word so casually, but the hardness of his features and the haunted glint in his eyes convey the truth.
We’ve both killed out of necessity. To defend ourselves and those we love.
And Sterling murdered people when he was corrupted and physically incapable of disobeying King Xenon’s orders.
King Mihel said his guards found a so-called prophet who talked about using human sacrifices, and now we have confirmation that it’s happening. They kill innocents, and for what? A chance at regaining magic? To appease gods they’re not even sure are angry?
Pure madness.
Rafe nods, dust falling from his messy hair. “That was the suggestion. Nothing to indicate they’ve crossed that line yet, but the theoretical framework exists.”
I set my glass on a side table before my shaking hands betray me.
“That’s not all.” Agnar folds his hands over his stomach. “It seems like the Tír Ríogans are preparing for battle. Or a siege.”
Sterling whirls around. “Explain.”
“We found massive storage facilities.” Agnar unclasps his hands and scrubs a hand across his jaw. “Recently constructed or expanded. They’re stockpiling everything. Food, medicine, raw materials.”
“Could be normal precautions.” The hope in my voice sounds hollow even to my own ears. “After what happened with Narc, prudent kingdoms would—”
“It’s not normal precautions.” Rafe earns a sharp look from Sterling for interrupting me.
“I’m a guild master, Lark. I know supply chains.
These aren’t the stores of a kingdom preparing for a harsh winter or potential famine.
These are the preparations of a nation expecting to be completely cut off. ”
“Or planning to cut themselves off.” Sterling moves to stand behind my chair.
“There’s more.” Agnar averts his gaze, as if he’s reluctant to disclose something.
Which is very much unlike him. “They’re strengthening their border fortifications.
Not just maintaining them but actively reinforcing them.
New watchtowers. Extended walls. Additional garrisons.
They’ve been building self-sufficiency into their systems for months. ”
Sterling remains silent, but tension radiates from him. When he finally speaks, his voice is measured. “They’re not just readying themselves for a world without magic. They’re readying themselves for a world without allies.”
I flinch. “They trusted us.” Agnar and I even risked our lives to warn them of corrupted Aclarians attacking their border.
Sterling’s hand settles on my shoulder. “And now they’re preparing for a world where they can’t.”
Determination floods the hollow spaces inside me, washing away my exhaustion.
Tirene’s allies don’t trust Tirene anymore.
They’re prepping for isolation or war. And while I’ve been trying to be the perfect diplomatic queen, reciting carefully memorized speeches and following protocol to the letter, the world has been fracturing around me.
“Okay, so we fix it.” I tilt my head back to meet Sterling in the eye.
“If they’re scared of magical aggression, we show them magical cooperation.
If they’re bracing for isolation, we demonstrate the benefits of alliance.
If they’re listening to the Devoted because the Devoted speak to their fears, we address those concerns directly. ”
Sterling’s expression remains neutral, but I catch the flicker in his eyes. Pride mixed with worry. “That won’t be easy. Not when they’re actively preparing against us.”
“I’m not saying it will be easy. I’m saying it’s necessary.
” Rising, I walk to the window. In the distance, the sun catches on the damaged dome of the Divine Commons.
A cracked symbol of unity. A metaphor too obvious to ignore.
“We’ll start with rebuilding the Divine Commons.
Not just with magic, but with labor from the kingdoms.” I turn back to face them.
“Rafe, can your guild mobilize craftspeople?”
He straightens, forehead crinkled in surprise. “Of course.”
“And Agnar, I need you to work with our military contacts. Find the reasonable, moderate voices in their ranks. The ones who remember fighting alongside Tirene against Xenon.”
Agnar nods, some of his usual confidence returning to his stance. “Consider it done.”
Sterling watches me, his expression softening just enough for me to notice. “And what will you do?”
I consider the question. What would the perfect queen do in this situation? The answer comes with surprising clarity.
“I’m going to listen. Not just to dignitaries and nobles, but to ordinary people.
The ones who lost magic and don’t know how to live without it.
The ones who are terrified enough to find comfort in Devoted rhetoric.
” Feeling the phantom weight of my crown, I square my shoulders.
“And then I’m going to show them that Tirene stands with them, not against them.
That we’ll face this new world together. ”