“Casimir is never a threat to me,” Olivia scoffed. “I’m not worried about that. I’m wondering why we’re nursing the king of Lera back to health.”
“He promised to leave us alone. If he’s king, we won’t have to worry about being attacked anymore. It’s in our best interests to put him back on the throne.”
Olivia let out a hollow laugh. “Em, are you listening to yourself? You went to Lera to completely eliminate the Gallegos royal line. Now you want to let them continue like normal?”
“He’s not like his father. He—”
“I don’t care!” Olivia yelled. “I don’t care if he hated his father! He is still one of the people who declared war on us. He murdered our parents. Our people. Maybe he didn’t hold the sword, but he still bears part of the blame.”
“I know he does,” Em said quietly.
“So, what? You’ve just forgiven him?”
Em pressed her lips together, tears brimming in her eyes. “Yes.”
Olivia blinked. The answer seemed obvious, but it was still shocking to hear out loud.
“I was angry for so long,” Em said. “I thought that destroying Lera would make me feel better, but it didn’t. The only thing that made me feel better was forgiving Cas.”
“He doesn’t deserve forgiveness. None of them do. And to offer it up is weak.” She spat out the last word.
“I don’t agree,” Em said.
Olivia whirled around. She threw open the front door.
“Liv, you won’t …” Em’s voice trailed off.
“What?” Olivia shot her sister a venomous look over her shoulder. “Go kill them all right now?”
“Please don’t.”
She was tempted. It would certainly put a positive spin on the day. But Em’s eyes were wide, pleading, and Olivia wasn’t entirely sure her sister would ever forgive her for murdering Cas. That boy had made her blind.
“I won’t hurt them,” Olivia said. “If only because I want to say ‘I told you so’ when that boy betrays you.”
She stomped out of the apartment, pulling the door shut so hard the building shook. A few Ruined turned and looked at her worriedly. Good. She should have had the fight with Em outside after all. Let the Ruined know that Olivia was not the weak one.
Across the street, Davi emerged from a bakery with a loaf of bread in his hand. He took a big bite and smiled. They had food, at least. And shelter. It was Em’s idea, but without Olivia leading the Ruined they never could have taken the town.
She took a step back, looking up at the apartment that was her temporary home. It still wasn’t good enough. Sacred Rock was a tiny town in Vallos, of all places. The worst of the four kingdoms, by almost every standard. It was better than the cabins, but it still wasn’t enough. Not for the Ruined. Not for their queen.
She whirled around and strode into the town square. There was only one thing to do with this anger.
“Aren!” she yelled. “Aren!”
He came running. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m going hunting. You coming?”
“Hunting like …” His voice trailed off.
She didn’t bother answering. He knew she wasn’t hunting animals.
She stalked down the road, ignoring the curious stares from her fellow Ruined. The barn was up ahead to her left, and she breezed past Jacobo, who was leading a warrior’s horse inside.
Aren jogged to catch up with her. “Did something happen? Why do we need to go hunting?”
“We shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking it’s safe here. We need to check the surrounding area.” Maybe that was true, but it wasn’t why she wanted to go. If she couldn’t pull Cas’s spine out through his throat, then at least she could find someone else to kill.
“You’re right,” Aren said. “I’ll come.”
They took two horses from the barn. Olivia urged hers forward as they headed out of town, her hair blowing behind her.
She took the south road, the one she’d told the residents of Sacred Rock to take yesterday. There wasn’t anyone just outside of town, unfortunately. She let the horse slow down as she scanned the area. Aren rode up beside her.
“Why did you stay with them last night?” she asked.
“Because Em asked me to.”
“You could have said no.”
“I guess I could have. I don’t know. There’s no use talking to Em where Cas is concerned. She never would have sent him away in that condition, so I didn’t even try to fight her on it.”
“It’s stupid,” Olivia spat. “We need to find someone else for her to obsess over.”
“Well, August is giving it a go.”
“She is not marrying a human.” She glanced at Aren. “What about you? Any interest?”
“In Em? No. She’s just a friend.”
“So? Friends fall in love all the time.”
“Maybe so, but that’s not going to happen for me and Em.”
Olivia ran a hand across her forehead. “Fine. I guess you’ll be marrying me, then.”
“What?”
“There aren’t that many young Ruined men left,” she said. “I told you before that you’d probably be marrying one of us.”
“I know, but …” He looked nervous suddenly. “There’s Jacobo. And Paulo!”
“Neither of them is as powerful as you.”
He seemed at a loss for words. He must have known that was true.
“What? You don’t want to be king?” she asked.
“No, it’s not that, it’s …” He swallowed, avoiding her eyes.
“I’m not marrying for love, Aren. I’m not my sister. I like you well enough, but I’m more concerned with your powers and your ability to lead the Ruined.”
“You like me well enough, huh?” Aren said with a short laugh. “Terribly romantic, Liv.”
She frowned at him. Romance was not the point. Aren was inarguably handsome, with those dimples and intense dark eyes, but she never cared much about looks. He was the best choice as her husband, regardless of his physical appearance.
“My marriage isn’t a priority, so don’t worry about it right now. It’ll probably be a few years,” she said.
Aren nodded wordlessly, his smile fading.
A flash of movement caught her attention, and she tugged her horse to a stop. Up ahead, on the right side of the road, someone had constructed a makeshift camp. Two poorly built tents sat in the dirt. They would fall over at the slightest gust of wind.
“There,” she said, pointing.
Aren squinted. “I only see ten or so. They’re probably just resting on the way to the next town.”
“So?”
“I’m not—” He cut himself off, staring down at the reins in his hands.
“What?”
“I don’t think we should hunt down people who are minding their own business. It feels too much like what the hunters did to us.”
“Exactly. It’s what they did to us. They deserve it.”
“They’re not hunters, Liv. They’re people who left when we ordered them to. We’re already worried the Vallos army might make an attempt to retake Sacred Rock.”
“The Vallos army,” Olivia scoffed. “When has the Vallos army been successful at anything?”