Not yet.
“We didn’t get off on the right foot before, Lucia. I am sorry for that. But I do want to be your friend. You need someone you can trust. So do I.” She couldn’t lose her strength or her bravery now when she needed it most. “I know what you are and what you can do. You’re a sorceress.”
Lucia’s eyes widened. “You know?”
So it was true. This—this was what Cleo needed. This was the sign she’d been searching for, praying for. The missing piece of her puzzle. The ring was only half of it.
Princess Lucia was the other half.
“Yes, I know.”
“And you’re not afraid of me?”
Terrified beyond words.
“No, I’m not afraid of you.” Cleo smiled and pulled this dangerous girl into a tight embrace. “You and me—we’re sisters now. We can help each other . . . if you want to.”
Lucia nodded, pressing her face into Cleo’s shoulder. “I want to.”
This princess was the most powerful creature who currently lived and breathed. And Lucia’s magic—aided by this ring—was essential to getting Cleo’s throne back.
The key to destroying the King of Blood was his very own daughter.