“That is not what this is about. I am your leader. I want us to win.”
“Then, perhaps you should not be our leader,” Avoca snapped.
Cyrene took a step back in shock.
“Gwynora has magic. She is a strong fighter. She has battle experience. She isn’t the prophesied Heir of Light, but no one said that you had to be in charge of everything to take down the darkness. We just let you do that. And now, we are not letting you do that.”
Cyrene had no words. She just stared at the war council. Looked from face to blank face. Saw the uncertainty there. The lack of trust in her judgment. She had never seen that there before. She had always received their unfailing loyalty as she pushed forward toward her destiny. Took one step in front of the other, even when she had never wanted it. Even when she had wanted to reject the magic and the calling. She’d seen her friends die and lay in a coma and fight for their lives. She hadn’t asked for this life. It had been thrust upon her. But now, she couldn’t imagine giving it up.
“This is who I am. This is my destiny.”
“Then, destiny can wait,” Avoca said. “I vote Gwynora our commander.”
“Seconded,” Fenix agreed easily.
“Yes,” Brendt said.
Then, Joffrey. And Darmian. And reluctantly Brigette.
Finally, dishearteningly, Orden. “Agreed.”
Gwynora sighed and straightened. “I accept your choice in commander. We need to work as a unit. Can you get on board with that?”
Cyrene’s heart collapsed as they all stared at her, waiting for her to give up. “This is who I am. This is what I’ve been working toward for two years. My whole life.”
“Then, you will have to learn to be a team player. Because, if you can’t fall in line, then you have no place in my army,” Gwynora told her.
Cyrene’s eyes widened as she realized what had really happened. Everyone had turned against her. Malysa had won. In that instant, she knew it for truth.
“I can’t accept this,” she said, taking a step back. “We need to take down Malysa. You will all realize it too late, but I haven’t. And I’ll take her down myself before submitting to this idiocy.”
Then, she turned on her heel and strode from the war tent. They’d selected a new commander, turned their backs on her, and cast her out. Wetness welled in her eyes, but she refused to shed the tears. She wouldn’t cry. Not here or for them. Not for the loss of what she had thought would always be there. Not even at the stinging words that Avoca had thrown at her.
She would make this right. One way or another.
6
The Flight
Cyrene returned to the tent and began stuffing supplies into a pack. She took everything that she thought she would need. She and Sarielle could hunt on the way. She’d figure out the rest as she went. This wouldn’t be the first time she had to scrounge for food or forgo a bath.
She slung the bag over her shoulder and was about to storm out of the tent when a face appeared in the open flap.
“Rhea,” Cyrene murmured.
Rhea’s green eyes were full of confusion as she assessed the pack on Cyrene’s back. Her red hair was bound back by a ribbon. There was soot on her fingers from her continued work, attempting to re-create the bombs she had created back in Byern.
“Going somewhere?” Rhea asked.
“Yes,” Cyrene said. “I’m leaving.”
“You’re leaving? I don’t understand. Why?”
“Because the war council just kicked me out.”
Rhea’s eyes rounded. “They did what? Fenix is on the war council.”
“Yes, I’m aware. He was one of the people who said that I was an untrained eighteen-year-old who had no business leading an army, and if I didn’t fall in line, then I should leave.”
Her mouth popped open. “He didn’t. They didn’t!”
Cyrene shrugged. “They did.”
She pushed past Rhea to leave the tent, but Rhea followed her.
“I cannot believe that. That’s asinine. We know that you are the prophesied Heir of Light. Why would they turn their backs on you now?”
“Because I speak a truth that no one wants to hear. We need to take the fight to Malysa, and we need to do it before she’s too strong to stop.”
“I mean…you’ve always been impulsive. But…”
Cyrene stopped and whirled on Rhea. Her oldest friend. The one who had always believed in her even if she hadn’t wanted her own adventures. “Please stop. I cannot stomach it from you, too. Avoca was hard enough.”
Rhea’s face crumpled. “You’ll never lose me, Cyrene.”
Cyrene nodded with a sigh and continued walking past the edge of the Network army encampment.
Rhea followed her. “And I’m sorry to hear about Avoca. I know what it is to lose someone that you love. She’s just taking it out on you.” Rhea touched Cyrene’s arm, accidentally transferring some of the powder to her clothing. “There is wisdom in what you have said. You need time to earn their trust.”
“Trust? I went to the ends of the earth to heal Avoca. Our loyalty was…everything. And still, she said that I was playing at hero, Rhea.” She halted and looked up at the sky. She was glad to be beyond the bounds of the camp to finish this conversation. “I didn’t ask for this. I don’t want to be a hero. But I won’t sit back and let others suffer. I will do what I can to save everyone. To stop the world from burning.”
“I know. Maybe you should stay. Talk to each of them individually. You’re persuasive and charming. They will hear you. I know they will.”
“They won’t. Malysa has been in my head for the last two years. I know our enemy, and I know I’m right. Even if they won’t hear it.”
“Please don’t run off and do anything stupid,” Rhea gasped out, reaching for her before she could storm away. “I don’t want you to try to take on Malysa alone.”
“Do you think I would do that?” She shook her head. “I’m going to do reconnaissance. They don’t believe what I told them. Well, I’ll get information that they can’t deny.”
Rhea threw her arms around Cyrene’s neck. “Please be safe.”
Cyrene breathed in her best friend, holding her tight security close for a moment. “I’ll try.”
“And I’ll work on the council in your absence.”
“Work on your boyfriend, you mean.”
Rhea released her, blushing ten shades of tomato red. “Something like that.”
“You could always come with me.”
Rhea laughed, and it took Cyrene back to their days as children in Byern. So carefree. “I know where my place is. You’ll get back to yours.”
Cyrene smiled at Rhea’s easy acceptance. As if she had never doubted Cyrene, no matter how rash or unpredictable or whatever harebrained idea she’d come up with. She felt lucky to have inspired such loyalty. And wondered how one battle had changed it in everyone else.
With a sigh, she departed from Rhea and stepped into the clearing where Sarielle awaited. And she wasn’t alone. Cyrene startled to find Vera waiting there with an additional pack already attached to Sarielle.