"Pretty speech." Jace pushed off from the table, circled her slowly. "But speeches don't win wars. What exactly are you offering, Princess? Because right now, all I see is another noble who wants to use my rebellion as a stepping stone to power."
"I'm offering coordination," Catalina said. "The rebellion operates independently, which makes you unpredictable but also isolated. I'm building a coalition—military, political, magical. General Ashgrave commands the loyalty of significant portions of the imperial army. I have connections. Your rebellion becomes part of something larger, something that can actually win."
"In exchange for what? My loyalty? My men's lives?" Jace stopped in front of her, close enough that she could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. "What happens after you t
