I released him and shook myself free of his grip, then stood as Rawk descended nearby. Without another word to Gabe, I rolled onto the dragon’s back and gave a silent order to launch into the air. Hoping to calm myself, I rolled my knuckles against Rawk’s scales, thanking him for coming before we made even bigger fools of ourselves down there. Rawk snorted at me and I gave a tight smile, but I was no calmer than before.
We had launched steep and high, so I already had a good view of the layout of the land. Many of the Ironhearts were retreating, literally running for their lives. I searched every face I saw for any resemblance to Rosaleen, but as far as I could tell, she wasn’t here. She wasn’t anywhere, and that worried me.
My cavalry was in close pursuit of the fleeing Ironhearts. Before this had all begun, I had left orders with Commander Reese not to strike at anyone in the act of surrender, and my soldiers seemed to be following those orders.
However, all at once, simultaneously, every single Ironheart stood erect, many of them clutching at their chests, then in unison all of them retrieved any weapons they had dropped and began hurrying back toward the palace.
Kestra was ordering them in. She was using Endrick’s powers to regroup an army she now considered hers. Nothing else could explain what I was seeing. If Rosaleen was in the area, she’d be called in too. That’s where I’d find her.
I asked Rawk to locate any way through the palace barriers that he could, though I was surprised that on his first attempt, he flew straight through to the castle without even a whisper of resistance. No barriers.
It shouldn’t have been that simple, even for Rawk.
Something had changed.
What was happening inside that throne room? Was Harlyn somehow involved?
Rawk flew us over a wide parapet somewhere near the rear of the castle. From here I could see empty iron cages. Endrick’s animals were free, though I hadn’t seen Dominion riders on any of them thus far. Maybe they had escaped as soon as Endrick was killed. Or maybe they had been moved so Kestra and Joth wouldn’t have access to them. However, for now, my main task was to get inside the throne room and see the commotion for myself.
Gabe had asked me who the enemy was, and I now had the answer.
Kestra was the enemy, though Joth was worse.
Harlyn was an enemy to Kestra, though Gabe was worse.
Gabe might’ve become my enemy as well, though of all enemies, I was the worst.
For I had not given anyone the full explanation of why it had to be me entering the palace.
I had come to claim the Scarlet Throne for myself.
At all costs.
As awful as I had felt when Darrow left my throne room, my mood didn’t improve at seeing Joth kneeling before me. Now that I had my place on the Scarlet Throne, it was time to disconnect my powers from Joth, to separate us again. He wouldn’t like it, but I wasn’t offering him a choice.
For now, he smiled, took my hand, and kissed it. The last time he had taken my hand, I had noticed how very warm it was, but that was true no longer. Or perhaps I was now as fever warm as Joth had been.
Joth kept hold of my hand to say, “My queen, now that we’re alone, there is something I must ask. In your battle with Endrick, I know that you called the half-lives here to the throne room for your protection, but I do not sense them here … or anywhere. Where are they?”
His question irritated me. Who was he to imply that their sacrifice was not worth my victory? With a sigh, I said, “Endrick claimed that the curse he had imposed upon them was not the worst he could do.”
Joth’s eyes widened. “He didn’t … Kestra, he didn’t—”
“We knew there would be sacrifices in order to claim the throne—”
“Corack sacrifices, yes! Brillian or Halderian sacrifices! This was not supposed to happen! Harlyn walked free from this room. How could you save her, and not my people?” He was practically screaming now.
I stood. “Enough of this! I am your queen, and you will not speak to me this way.”
He stood as well, grabbing my arm. Instantly, I felt a sensation of all strength within me being sucked from every vein, every drop of my blood. As if my bones had melted to jelly, I sank to the floor.
He must have planned this. He must have waited for this very opportunity when my guard was lowered.
This time when Joth knelt, it was without humility, without respect. His voice was a rabid snarl as he said, “As punishment for your misjudgment, a few of my people must be restored. I will not weaken myself with their cure, but your strength is expendable. I am gathering them all into this hall. Find them, restore them.”
It had always been my intention to eventually restore his people, so I didn’t know why he had resorted to forcing me now. He must have had other reasons.
“There is not enough in me to do it.” This wasn’t stalling—he had genuinely drained me of every bit of strength I had.