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She grins, and in that smile, I see everything I’ve ever wanted. And I realize that, even if the realm falls and Navalis is never recovered, as long as she and I are standing, I’ll be okay. For I fight for Carleah Rossingol…not for the fate of any realm or kingdom. “Respect,” she replies, eyes bright. “He respected me as a queen. And now the dwarves will march with us. They will stand at our side and leave the safety of their caverns for the first time in centuries.”
“And it’s all because of you.”
She winds her arms around my neck. “It’s because of us. You and me, Fort. We have the power to change this realm for the better. I can feel it.”
Her joy is infectious, the hope in her eyes blinding. A part of me desperately wants to believe her. Wants to jump head-first into this river of optimism, but the warrior in me, who has seen the darkest parts of what men are capable of, is struggling to believe that such an outcome is possible.
Still, I return her smile, not wanting to dampen the light in her soul. “I’ve always known you were capable of changing things. And I am honored to be a sword in your fight to do so.”
* * *
“Fort.” Alex smiles as he looks up from the leatherbound book in his hands.
I gesture toward the chair beside his, and he nods. “Of course, come on in.” After shutting the book, he sets it on the table between us. I stare into the fire straight ahead, trying to figure out how to beat back these nerves. How do I tell my closest friend that I’ve been lying to him my entire life?
Will he ever look at me the same? Will he tell his father and have me sentenced to death? Because I don’t doubt for a second that the king would spare my life should he discover what it is I have been hiding.
Still, if I don’t tell Alex and something happens tomorrow, I will wish for death. So, even though I know it might lead to my death, I clear my throat and say, “I need to tell you something.”
Alex’s mouth falls open, his eyes widening. “You speak.”
“Yes.” My throat is sore, gravelly from not using it. I haven’t spoken a word to anyone in decades, and the sound of my own voice is not familiar in the least. I might as well be a stranger even to myself. “And I need to tell you something.”
His shock turns to joy and he jumps out of his seat. “This is amazing! When did you realize?”
My stomach plummets. Never did it cross his mind that I might be lying. Which is not a surprise, really, because Alex is a man of honor. He abides by a code most have long forgotten. “I have always been able to speak,” I tell him. “I chose not to.”
He narrows his gaze, brow furrowing. “What—why?”
“Because what I had to say would have gotten me killed.”
Alex turns away from me, facing the fire for a moment. Then he turns back toward me. “Then why now?”
“Because tomorrow, you’re meeting with the Tenebris.”
Alex shakes his head. “Tenebris are not real,” he replies. “They’re legend.”
“They’re not. And you know it,” I argue.
“Fort—”
“I come from Nemoregno.”
He fully faces me now, crossing his arms. “Nemoregno.”
“Yes. I was sent into the Phantom by my father. He wanted me to come into your kingdom and take something.”
“What something?”
I swallow hard because it is treason I speak of. “Carleah.”
Alex’s expression turns murderous, and he drops both arms to his sides. “Excuse me?”
“He sent me here for her. To bring her back to Nemoregno so that the power would shift. But I refused, and he killed my mother for it and sent me anyway. The moment I stepped foot into that mist I knew I was never returning. I had no intention of ever doing as he asked, you have to believe me.”
Alex studies me, eyes narrowed.
“I have protected her for over two decades, Alex. I shielded her from enemies even you and your father didn’t know existed.”
