Page 170 of War Queen
“Mercia and Kharav are united,” Norah said.
Lucien’s face twisted, and any likeness of Alexander vanished. “Then Mercia will share the same fate.”
She could feel his anger building. “Lucien, change doesn’t always require war. Mikael works for things to be different; he just needs time. Even as king, he has people that he’s accountable to.”
“I do too!” he thundered.
Norah startled at his burst of anger but held her ground.
The darkness around him ebbed ever so slightly. “Even if I didn’t want to take the Shadowlands, I have no choice,” he said.
“There is always a choice,” she pressed.
“Then you’ll just have to accept the fact that I want to.” His eyes turned cold and cruel.
She didn’t know this man. She needed to bring back the man she’d come to know over the past few weeks, and she reached out and took his arm. “Lucien, please. I beg you. Help me change fate. I can’t lose him. I can’t.”
His expression changed, then changed again—from realization to surprise and a myriad in between. Thoughts swirled within him, she only wished she knew what they were.
“The Shadow King falls?” he asked.
“By your hand,” Adrian said.
Lucien’s head jerked toward him. “What?”
“All this time, we thought it was Alexander,” Adrian explained, “but it’s you who will kill Salar.”
“Me?”
Adrian snorted. “You’re a seer, and you haven’t seen this?”
“I can’t see myself.” He looked back at Norah. “I kill the Shadow King?” Then he froze. “Wait, yousawme?” His face twisted in confusion. “I can be seen?”
Silently, she nodded.
Lucien shook his head. “You’re not supposed to see me. I’m not supposed to be seen.” He pulled away and ran a hand over his face. “I can be seen?” He turned away from them.
Norah glanced at Adrian, but his eyes were on Lucien. She turned back and watched as the Raelean king slowly paced the length of the tent, then turned back.
When he reached them again, he stopped. “So, you can see me in the visions. And I succeed?”
Adrian shot her a troubled eye. Her pulse quickened. “Lucien,” she whispered, “I’m begging you to help me create a different future. You’re the only one who can.” She reached out and took his hand. “Lucien. Please.”
His eyes saddened, and his shoulders sank. “I’m sorry, Norah. I can’t.”
She fought the emotion building in her chest.No. No, she couldn’t accept that. Her fingers tightened around his. He had to help her. He cared about her, she knew. And there was good inside him. He had to help her.
But he shook his head. “It’s fate, Norah. If it’s been seen, there’s nothing you can do. And that means this is my fate too.”
“No.No. We can change it.”
He shook his head again. “I don’t want to change it. It’s my fate. I have to do it.”
“No,” she gripped him tighter. “I won’t let you.”
“As I’ve said, there’s nothing you can do.”
Her lip trembled, and her eyes welled—not tears of sadness, but tears of anger. Tears of hopelessness.
