It was a two-hour ride to New Castle from Old Castle, but within an hour we could see the sprawl of tents in the fields before it. Ceren’s scouts would have seen us approaching by now. From the top of Mount Ayris, they had the best view in the kingdom.

Finally, we spotted a small party riding toward us on the road. Ceren was unmistakable even from a distance. He rode the same black horse he’d ridden when we saw him at Galeth’s border, a beast of a stallion even larger than Xander. Ceren had never been able to ride before, but my blood must have healed any lingering weakness. His long blond hair hung loose over his black armor, which matched the uniform his soldiers wore. The bloodstones at their throats pulsed in time with the ones in his crown, steady as a heartbeat.

The realization that I was about to confront Ceren face-to-face for the first time since I left New Castle struck me, and I felt my own heart rate speed up. I told myself I wasn’t afraid of him, that I would never again be his prisoner, but my body was unconvinced. My hands grew clammy on the reins, and my mouth was so dry it was an effort to swallow.

Ceren called his men to a halt, and Talin ordered his soldiers to stop as well. He turned to look at me, a question in his blue-green eyes. I nodded, feigning confidence. We were just going to talk. I was not alone and without allies anymore.

I urged Titania forward. She didn’t balk at the massive stallion, even though he outweighed her by half at least. We halted with a dozen feet between us, close enough to talk but not close enough to be in danger. He had a sword at his waist but no crossbow.

From this distance, I couldn’t see the dark circles under his eyes or the weariness in his gaze, but I knew they were likely there since I’d noticed the signs of fatigue in my last vision. Still, he was larger than I remembered, and he sat as straight as a mast in the saddle. All the insecurity that once weighted him down appeared to have been washed away. There was a smirk on his face that I wanted to smack off, but I managed to maintain my composure.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” I said.

He dipped his head in the slightest nod. “I admit, I was curious to hear what you had to say. You must know I’m not going to surrender. After what you did to me, I should kill you where you stand.”

My eyes flicked back, toward Talin, but we were far enough apart that he couldn’t have heard the threat. “Without my blood, you wouldn’t be here at all.”

His lips curled in a smile. “You can’t credit yourself with my very existence, Nor.”

“No, just its prolongation.” I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I didn’t come to exchange unpleasantries with you, Ceren. I want you to free the Varenians. You have enough bloodstones for your army. Let them go.”

He laughed. “And what do I get in return? Queen Talia will give up her pursuit of the crown? We both know that won’t happen. You have nothing to bargain with.”

“I have myself.”

“I don’t need you anymore,” he said, though something in his expression had shifted.

“Wielding the bloodstones is weakening you. I could see it in the visions.” If I wasn’t completely sure before, the way his eyes narrowed confirmed my suspicions. “You need more of my blood.”

“And you’re offering it?”

This was the part I had kept from Talin. But if giving a little more of my blood to Ceren would free my parents, it was worth the risk. If I couldn’t prevent the war entirely, at least I could make sure the Varenians were safe. I had considered asking Ceren for some of his blood in exchange, but I didn’t want to alert him to the fact that we knew how to break the blood bond. Besides, if the plan Zadie and I had come up with worked, we wouldn’t need it.

“In exchange for the Varenians—all the Varenians—yes.”

“I must say, I’m surprised you’re so loyal to those people. They have nothing kind to say about you.”

I hated that the words stung, but I hated even more that I had questioned my own loyalty to them prior to this. Talking to Blaise and seeing the other Varenians at Old Castle had reminded me that just because some of them had turned their backs on me didn’t mean I should do the same in return. At the end of the day, I was the one who would live with my choices, and I chose to follow the same compass that had guided me to this moment.

“You’re one to talk about loyalty, Ceren. What would your soldiers say about you if you removed the bloodstones?”

He laughed dryly. “That’s the difference between us, Nor. I don’t care what they think.”

I wanted to believe it was a bluff. The dream-memory belied his words. But he had been a child then. I had to remember that the years since had warped him. “Is there nothing I can say to prevent this war? No truce you would agree to?”

He almost looked sorry for me. “This was inevitable, Nor. Talia was always going to try to claim the throne in the name of her children, and I was never going to allow it to happen.”

“Even though you’re not the rightful heir? You haven’t turned twenty-one yet, and you know how Ilarean succession works. Your little sister is your father’s heir.”

“Ah yes, Princess Zoi. How is the little brat?”

“She’s four years old. You can’t possibly resent a child.”

He tossed his hair over his shoulder. “My father would still be alive if it weren’t for that child and her conniving mother.” He stared past me, to where Talin and the other soldiers waited. “I can see my brother hasn’t changed. Still watching over you like a hawk.”

“He wouldn’t have to if you could be trusted.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I have been honorable, haven’t I?”

Today, I thought bitterly. There had been nothing honorable about his treatment of me in New Castle.

“So those are your terms? Your blood in exchange for the Varenians?” His tone was nonchalant, but if he was considering the deal, he must need my blood even more than I’d realized.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“And how will we make this proposed exchange?”

“Tomorrow, same place, same time.” I took a deep breath, hoping Ceren couldn’t see the sweat dripping from my forehead. “You can cut my arm and collect a single bowl of blood.”

“In exchange for all of the Varenians? That hardly seems like a fair trade.”

“Fair trade” was not a term Ceren had any right to throw around. “If you’re so intent on this war and so sure you’re going to win it, then one more bowl of blood should be all you need.”

Something gleamed in his eyes, and I had the terrible feeling he had tricks up his sleeve I couldn’t anticipate. “Fine,” he bit out. “I’ll agree to your terms. Tomorrow, same time, same place. Once the deal is complete, the truce is off. By the end of this week, Ilara’s fate will be sealed.”