The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia #2)(32)

Ducking into the shadows, she squinted, trying to force her eyes to adjust quickly-there were figures across the shop, behind the counters. Corinda was huddled in one corner, her face buried in her arms, squeezing herself as small as possible beside a barrel. The two strangers, Champion Ven and Captain Alet, were plastered against the wall, visible as blurred figures through the translucent bodies of the spirits.



       
         
       
        

They were still here. Good, she thought.

Now she had to convince them to help, after she'd just refused them. And trapped them.

The air spirits were amorphous and had spread like jellyfish into one undulating mass, with eyes and mouths that floated in the top nodules of their bodies, and appendages that wrapped into one another. Both the champion and captain had swords drawn, aimed toward the center of the gelatinous bodies, and were speaking to each other in low voices.

"Mama, what are they doing?"

She felt every muscle tense, ready to hurl herself between danger and her child. "Llor, I asked you to wait outside."

Erian jumped in. "Sorry, Mama! I tried-"

"Are the spirits going to hurt them?"

She walked forward, just a step, watching the spirits. Their bodies continued to flow into one another, but they didn't seem to be moving closer to the two. They'd made themselves into a wall, keeping them there, like she'd told them to. She hadn't imagined her command would last so long. "I don't think so."

"Are they going to hurt to the spirits?"

Same answer. "I don't think so." Naelin had no doubt they could kill the spirits if they wanted to. She also knew what would happen if they did-their deaths would destroy a part of the forest, perhaps even the village tree itself.

"Shush, Llor, you aren't supposed to kill spirits," Erian said. "Bad luck."

"Bad things happen when you do," the champion agreed, calmly, his sword steady. "I've seen a spirit die and a tree crumble to dust, the moisture sucked from the air, the land barren. We try to avoid killing them."

"I am sorry about this . . ." Naelin began, and then she stopped. She wasn't sorry-this wouldn't have happened if they hadn't called the spirits down on her. Maybe at least now she had the upper hand. "I'd like to offer you a bargain. You teach me to how to keep the spirits away from my family, and I will order the spirits to set you free." She felt Erian slide her hand into hers. Llor was clinging to her leg. She wrapped her free arm around his shoulders.

"You tried to run and they followed you," the champion guessed.

"They noticed me because of you. Now I want you to fix this. I want my life and my family back the way it was." Minus Renet, she thought with a pang. She couldn't trust him anymore, especially now that she'd seen how precarious their safety was.

"You can't change what happened," the champion said, "and you can't deny who you are."

Naelin held her children closer and kept a very tight rein on her thoughts. She wanted to leave the smug, self-righteous bastard to the spirits, but he was the one with the knowledge she needed. "Who I am is a mother, a woodswoman, a charm maker." She didn't add wife. "It is my right to define me, not yours." 

The guardswoman snorted. "I like her."

"I don't care," Naelin shot back. "I don't need your approval, and I don't care if I fit your image of what a woman with power should be. Find yourself a little girl to brainwash. Just help me fix what you broke."

"Aratay needs you," the champion said.

"My family needs me more."

He shook his head. "Are you truly this selfish?" Through the oozy bodies of the spirits, he seemed to blur and bobble.

Llor piped up. "Don't call my mama selfish! I don't care if you are a hero. You are not a nice man. I hope the spirits eat you!"

Kneeling, Naelin gathered Llor and Erian closer, their warm bodies as comforting as blankets. Llor was vibrating in anger, his pudgy fists curled up. Erian looked pale, her lips pursed, as if she were concentrating hard to understand what was happening. Naelin didn't tell Llor to apologize or take his words back-she felt the same way. Trying to bargain was a mistake. But she couldn't think of any other options. No one in Everdale could help her.

The guardswoman sighed heavily. "Tell her."

Champion Ven objected, "Queen Daleina wouldn't-"

"Not that. About her power."

Naelin's eyes narrowed. She trusted them about as far as she could throw them, which was not at all, given how many muscles they both had. It was clear they had secrets, and she was one hundred percent certain she wouldn't like them. "What about my power?" She hated using the word "my." She never asked to have power, and she would not let it leave her children motherless. "I don't want it. Never wanted it."