Chapter 4019

and outside the Kingdom would finally find answers to their unsolved “accidents” and place the blame squarely on the Royals.

Worse still, enemies of the Crown would pin every natural disaster they suffered on the Highmaster and accuse the Royals of orchestrating their misery.

Sending Vastor to the front lines would ignite a political nightmare, one that could end only with his execution and the abdication of the current Royal couple.

“Do everything you can without revealing your Highmaster abilities,” Sylpha said, each word souring her mouth and poisoning her heart. “Use them only if you are certain there will be no witnesses.

“I permit only minimal collateral damage. I forbid you from killing more of our people than Meln’s gods-damned mongrels would.”

Essagor was Vastor’s own Archduchy, and Sylpha knew the order was unnecessary. Vastor would never harm the people he had spent his life protecting unless there was no other choice.

Still, she spoke to him like an unruly soldier, needing to ease her own guilt—needing to prove to her conscience that she hadn’t made such an impossible decision lightly.