War Storm (Red Queen) - Victoria Aveyard Page 0,193

simply drown under the weight of his crown. Or be devoured by the Rift king, scheming to leech what he can from the so-called Flame of the North.

He won’t be the only Silver in the Nortan territories to chafe under the proclamations. I feel a smirk curl on my lips, twisting to one side as I think. “I doubt the Silvers of Norta will like that,” I say, waving a finger over my water glass. Inside, the liquid swirls with my motions.

Mother eyes me, trying to follow my train of thought. “Indeed.”

“I could reach out to a few of them,” I continue, the plan coming as quickly as I speak it. “Offer condolences. Or incentives.”

“If some could be swayed, just a few key regions . . . ,” Mother says, seeming to light up.

I nod. “Then this war will be over in a single battle. Archeon falls, and Norta with it.”

Across from me, Tiora pushes her favored stew away. “What about the Reds?”

I gesture to her with an open hand. “You said it yourself: They’ve gone to ground. Retreated. Left Norta open for the taking.” Grinning, I glance between my mother and sister. All thoughts of the Iral lord and his death seem to evaporate from my mind. We have more important things to worry about. “And we have to take it.”

“For the gods,” Tiora breathes, gently hitting her fist against the table.

I stifle the urge to correct her. Instead I dip my head to my older sister. “For our own protection.”

She blinks, confused. “Our protection?”

“We sit here, serving our own lunch, for fear of the Scarlet Guard. Reds surround us, in our nation and outside it. If their rebellion continues to spread, hungry as a cancer, where will that leave us?” I brush my fingers over the plates and cups, then gesture to the empty room and windows. The rain has lessened, easing to a steady pattern of drips. In the distance, to the west, the sun breaks through the gray clouds in tiny spatters of light. “And what about Montfort? An entire country of Reds and those strange newbloods set against us? We have to defend ourselves. Make ourselves too big and too strong to challenge.”

Neither of you has been there. You haven’t seen their city, high in the mountains. Red and Silver and newblood, joined together. And stronger for the joining. It was easy to sneak into Ascendant, to rescue Bracken’s children, but I can’t imagine an army doing the same. Any war with Montfort will be bloody, for both sides. It must be prevented, made impossible, before it can even begin.

I steel myself. “Give them no chance to rise up or stand against us.”

Mother is quick to respond. “Agreed.”

“Agreed,” Tiora offers with the same speed. She even raises her glass, the clear liquid turning in the faceted cup.

Outside, as the rain ebbs to nothing, I feel a bit calmer. Still anxious about what is to come, but satisfied by the plan taking shape. If Maven’s houses can be made loyal to us, then Tiberias will be severely hobbled. Losing allies left and right. Alone on the throne is no place for anyone to be.

Maven was alone too, no matter how many advisers and nobles surrounded him. I’m glad he never tried to make me share his empty hours, at least not more than was necessary. He frightened me, when he was alive. He was an impossible person to predict. I never knew what he might say or do, and it forced me to live on edge. I’ve only just begun to catch up on all the sleep lost in his palace, too close to the monstrous king for comfort.

“I’m surprised they didn’t execute him publicly,” I muse aloud, my voice low. “I wonder how they did it.”

I see Maven in my head, struggling weakly against our guards. He didn’t see it coming. I’m impossible to predict too.

My sister dips her spoon in the lamprey stew, not eating, but pushing the liquid back and forth. It sloshes, filling the silence.

“What is it, Tiora?” Mother prods, seeing right through her display.

Tiora hesitates, but not for long. “There’s been some speculation about that,” she says. “He hasn’t been seen or heard from since he was taken to the palace in Harbor Bay.”

I shrug. “Because he’s dead.”

Tiora doesn’t look at me. Can’t look at me. “Our spies don’t think so.”

Despite the warmth of the room and the food, I feel a sudden chill deep in my chest. I swallow hard,