Page 197 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Moriko opened her mouth to speak and shut it just as fast, her jaw tightening and so did her fists. The surface of stone broke to reveal some even tougher stone.

“Next would be Silas,” Mal said, plopping on a chair beside Macaria and throwing her a wink, making the women flinch from surprise. “You and Kilian will be plenty busy with Aurora. Who will hunt him down?”

“That would be me,” Eren said, and Cai almost sprung up like a coil from his seat.

“No, Silas is mine,” Alaric grumbled. “An old debt. An even older regret.”

“I want to kill him,” Thora’s voice was sweet, but loud and strong, and it got all the attention.

The room went entirely quiet.

Worst was, none were surprised by what she said, only afraid of what I would say next.

I stepped forward. “Rora—”

“He is mine, Snow,” she bit out, her lips quivering, the whole of her shaking.

No one breathed louder than a fly.

“It will not be easy,” I said. I’d seen her magic, what she could do, but I could not send her towards our father.

“Can’t be harder than trying to kill a guardian, is it now? Do you see me objecting despite always wanting to?”

Another sort of quiet fell over the tent.

Oryn and Visha both raised their heads, looking at one another one long moment before returning their attention back to what they were reading.

I couldn’t…couldn’t look at him to see the fear and doubt there. It terrified me of the future I wanted. It would make me doubt, I knew it—I’d already doubted it every moment I saw, heard, touched, kissed and smelled him. So, I didn’t look at him at all.

“The girl says Silas is hers to kill,” Magnus spoke. “She will kill him. I’ve seen her out there with the soldiers, with the Eldritch commander, with my own. She says she will kill him, then she will.”

My little sister offered him a smile and nodded. “It is set. Silas is mine. Anyone against?” She looked around the room, but no one stepped forward. Not even our guardian. He looked proud. Afraid, but proud.

Alaric rubbed a scarred hand over his face and sighed. “And the old Krigborns?”

“They will remain in Hanai, closer to the main cities,” Kilian said.

Elias nodded, pointing to the map. “They will be at a bigger disadvantage if they fight in dry land. Winter will favour both, it will not be a fight anymore no matter who is wittier. Then this war will go on forever. Our biggest vantage is that they might surrender when Snow fights Aurora. It is important that they surrender,” he said, looking at all around the room. “And they will surrender. My people are tired, weak, poisoned.” He turned to me, standing fully. “There are children in his lines. They will surrender.”

Every head swivelled in my direction, and I raised a brow. “If you are certain, then there is no doubt.”

“You will seize the attack, will you?” he asked.

“Sure.”

Funny how easily everyone believed that little four-letter word in desperate times.

Only one who had very little faith in four letter words doubted what I said, and he had for sure narrowed his eyes on me.

The meeting ended not too long after. Everyone suddenly had an allocated square in my game, it was no longer the queen against all. The worst I’d thought would happen was now happening. They’d be there, all of them, fighting.

When everyone left, I pulled Thora to the side. “Plea—”

She didn’t even let me finish that one word. “You’ve always protected me from monsters. Hid me. Slayed them from me. This once, let me protect you. Let me hide you. Let me slay them for you. I will kill our father. He will die by my hands.”

“I’d take a dagger or two. He has a thick neck and your hands are too little to wrap all the way round.”

She laughed and so did I. “Thank you.”