Page 363 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“Your Majesty, we need to know what you’d like us to do with Nix and Juno Landry.”

I turned to find Gio, standing nearby, hands clasped behind his back.

Nodding, I said, “Gio, if you’d like to avoid me throwing up in my mouth, it’s Freya. Just…Freya.”

“I don’t understand.”

“No my queen. No Your Majesty. I am a warrior, not some gown-wearing, crown-toting tyrant. Call me Freya.”

“You just earned every soul’s respect. I’d wager you’ll have a harder time gettin’ them not to honor you than you think.”

Reyna sidled up next to me, smirking at my discomfort. “What about Commander? Seems fitting, don’tcha think, Captain?”

Aren’s bright smile and wisdom-saturated winter blues flashed in my mind.

I might’ve had hundreds of cumulative years under my belt, but wearing a title equivalent to his? Ugh. It made my skin itch.

“That could work, if you’re more amicable to ranks, Your M⁠—”

“If you must call me something uppity, that would be preferred, yes.”

“Yes, Commander. I’ll wait for your word on the prisoners, Commander.”

Gio’s lips tipped up at one side, and I couldn’t help but think he was quite handsome when he smiled.

We’ll talk about that later. It was the first thing Cyrus said to me through our connection since the duel. The first acknowledgment of our Bond since I’d taken them upstairs well over an hour ago. My chest loosened incrementally.

The halls were buzzing, and if my ego wasn’t getting the best of me…it was predominantly excitement.

The kind that rides a wave of change. The electricity in the air before a battle.

Everywhere I walked, chins dipped—and at least half of them met my gaze. A few were reasonably wary, others, more inquisitive. It was a start.

As Reyna and I reached the front door, her breath hitched and she whirled on me. “Oh my gracious, I nearly forgot.” She whipped her bag off her shoulder and around her chest. “Your clothes are in the guest suite you selected, Miss Porter.”

Thank God one psycho still talked to me like I was beneath her.

“But this looked…important, and I know it’s likely just a trinket, but I felt like I ought to bring it to you in case it’s sentimental or…”

Her words drifted out of my consciousness as my eyes fell to the gold hourglass in her palm. My stomach bottomed out.

The top was nearly empty—the last handful of grains in a mad dash for the exit. I snatched it from her, holding it up just in time to watch the final spiral of sand whirl around the funnel and fall to the bottom.

“No,” I breathed.

A beat later, a deafening boom cleaved the air——and all our windows shattered.

Cyrus

Dad’s vision didn’t strike until it was too goddamn late. We’d barely made it into the hallway when the world exploded. I threw my body over Cali’s—only for Carr and Dad to do the same, shielding us both.

Every single stained-glass window shattered, colorful shards raining down as the walls trembled.

The moment the impact shuttered to a stop, I was up and moving, flitting through the shadows to get to Freya.

So much for talking later.

Fuck.