Iron Crowned Page 0,83

regal mode too, in silver-gray satin and a small jeweled tiara. But no ... as I studied her, I saw a slight difference. She looked older than the last time we'd been together. Leith's death and this war had taken their toll.

I stared her straight in the eye, my adversary, the cause of so much recent grief in my life. I needed no storm around me because one was breaking out within, winds of fury and anger swirling around and around inside me.

"Drop the spell," I said to Imanuelle, without looking at her. I wanted to be face-to-face with Katrice, and honestly, it wasn't like my identity was a secret anymore. I felt another tingle, and a few gasps told me I wore my own form now. A small, tight smile crossed Katrice's lips.

"Yes," she continued, "you could unleash a storm here. You could destroy a large part of this wall, this castle. You could most certainly destroy all these people - which is what you're good at, right? You put on this lofty pose about protecting lives, yet somehow, death always follows you. You leave it in your wake, just as Tirigan did. But at least he had no delusions about what he was doing."

The comparison to my father increased the anger in me. The weather mirrored my reaction, the sky growing darker and the air pressure intensifying.

"Go ahead," said Katrice. "Show me your storm."

"You don't have to kill them," said Jasmine beside me, voice low. "Just her."

Was she right? Was that all it would take? I could kill Katrice, no question. One unexpected bolt of lightning, and she'd be gone. If memory served, her magic was similar to Shaya's: a connection and control with plant-life. As a queen, someone with the ability to conquer a land, Katrice possessed that power to levels that dwarfed Shaya's. It was probably why the trees and plants here were so beautiful. It was also probably why we hadn't been attacked yet. This inner courtyard around the castle was cleared land, hard-packed dirt that facilitated travel for guards, merchants, and other visitors. If we'd been outside the walls, I would have likely had a forest marching on me by now.

"You can do that too," said Katrice, still trying to bait me. I couldn't tell if she was simply attempting to prolong her life or trying to catch me off guard for some other attack. "Kill me in cold blood. Just like you did my son. It's in your nature."

"It's not cold blood in wartime," I growled. "And your son deserved it. He was a weak, cowardly bastard who had to lie and drug women to get what he wanted."

This made her flinch slightly, but she didn't hesitate to return the arrow. "But he did get what he wanted. He got you. He couldn't have been that weak."

Those words stung, but before I could respond, a young man slipped into place beside her. His resemblance was so strong to her and Leith that there could be no question of his identity: Cassius, her nephew. The rage within me doubled. Seeing him reminded me of what he'd most likely done to Jasmine. My reason was slipping, replaced by pure fury.

"You should have let this go," I told Katrice, my voice perfectly level. "You should have accepted Leith's death as punishment for what he did. An even slate. Lives have been lost because of you. More will be now."

One bolt. One bolt, and she was dead. Hell, I could probably take out Cassius with it too.

"Eugenie," said Kiyo. "Don't. Don't do it."

"What else am I supposed to do?" I breathed, out of the others' earshot.

"I warned you before there would be consequences. Please listen to me this time," he begged. "There will be again."

"What do you expect me to do?" My voice was louder. I didn't care who heard. "This is wartime. I kill their leader. I win. Otherwise, I let hell loose in here, and these people die. Which do you want, Kiyo? Pick - or else find another way."

He didn't respond, but Katrice's tight smile grew at seeing dissent within my ranks. "No options but death. You are Tirigan's daughter. I'm glad now that Leith didn't get you with child. His plan seemed wise at first, but it's better my exalted bloodline isn't mingled with yours - though the gods know how much Leith tried. He told me about it. Often. Ah, well. I suppose we'll know soon how Cassius fared ..."

Her gaze lingered