Fireblood

THIRTY

The gate opens, and a line of carriages brings citizens toward the castle.

Tea lights strung from the branches sway, and the castle grounds are lit with blazing torches. Court is abuzz with excitement over tonight’s ceremony.

Running my fingers over my father’s initials on the hilt beneath my slip, I feel sentimental. I spent many days on my balcony pondering my world, my choices. It’s as if I’m standing where it all began. And now, soon, it will end. I say a silent prayer to the wind, hoping there is someone in the clouds who hears my plea. That my father and mother hear the love I have for them. Even if my father’s mind is gone, I pray that he can feel it.

“My lady?” Madity’s soft voice comes from behind.

I turn and face her, clearing the tears from my eyes. “I’m ready.”

Her steps are slow and determined. She stops right before me, her eyes serious, her face showing more strain than I’ve ever seen before. “When I was younger,” she says. “I had hard choices to make myself.” She pulls a necklace from beneath her bodice. Dangling in the center of the silver chain is a winged crest.

A Rebel crest.

My heart shudders in my chest, and my lips part.

She ignores my confused expression and continues. “You once asked me if I have any children.” She smiles thoughtfully, sad seams lining her mouth. “You never asked if I had any. I know the laws, and I keep to myself. But my husband had beliefs, and it cost us everything.”

I look around my room, worried about the listening devices, but she hasn’t said anything too incriminating, and she palms the crest. She never ceases to surprise me with her cunning.

She pulls the necklace off over her head, then drapes it over mine, tucking the crest under my slip.

Tears brim the corners of my eyes, and my lips tremble. “I don’t know the right thing to do,” I admit.

She places a tender kiss on my forehead, and then stares into my eyes. “You have come too far in discovering who Zara is. No one can dictate your life. It’s yours alone. No matter what vows you take, what promises you offer, in the end, it is only you.” Her eyes hold mine. “I trust you know the right course of action. You need only be brave enough to do what your heart tells you.”

My chest aches. I wrap my arms around her neck, pulling her close. “Thank you, Madity.”

She hugs me tightly, then backs away. “Time to put on your gown, princess.” She walks to my bed and lifts it. “His Highness had it made just for you.”

I walk to the gown and snatch it up, gripping the white fabric. Turning toward Madity, I give her a knowing smirk. “Then why doesn’t he wear it?”

She laughs.

Hearing Devlan’s voice over the communicator firmed my convictions. I shouldn’t have contacted him with our plan unfolding this close, but I needed to hear his voice. I need to see him, but first I have to do what I know is right.

Madity covered for me, sending Xander to fetch some lace. She made a stink about the servant girl bringing the wrong kind. As soon as he left the hallway, I dashed down the corridor, the train of my wedding dress trailing behind me.

I told Devlan to stall, and to keep stalling until he heard back from me. No one is to commence any part of the mission until they hear from me.

I’m taking command of this mission.

There are yet two hours before the ceremony, and I’ve wasted enough time thinking. It’s now time for action.

Madity lost her family, lost her child and her husband to the Virus Hart created to control his sordid world. The real world may be wretched enough, but nothing compares to his sick schemes that control us all. I won’t allow Sebastian to fall prey to his father’s ways. The madness, the schemes, the lying—they all have to stop.

I round the corner to Sebastian’s chamber. As I reach his door, I pound on the hard wood.

The door swings open, and Sebastian’s curious eyes meet mine. “Zara, what are you doing here?” He shakes his head. “No mind. I’m actually happy you’ve come. I was just on my way to you. I have a surprise. And we must hurry before the ceremony.”

“Sebastian.” I place my hand on his chest, halting his movements. “We need to speak. Now.”

He kisses my cheek. “After. We’ll still have time.” He takes my hand in his and leads me out of his room. “But this can’t wait.”

Shit. I can’t speak with him in the corridor. I need us alone, away from the Eyes. I had assumed his chamber would be free of them. Maybe I can convince him to go to the secret room under the castle.

“Sebastian, please,” I plead. “Let me take you somewhere we can talk in private.”

“Soon.” He continues our brisk pace down the hallway. “Trust me.”

I stare at him sidelong, trying with all my heart to do just that. Trust that what I’m about to do is right and that Devlan will forgive me. I clamp my eyes shut and allow Sebastian to lead as I envision my father’s pale face, and I pray for his forgiveness.

My father’s smile—the smile he wore before he became Taken—breaks through the pain, chips away at my hatred for King Hart. His arms wrapped around me, cradling me to him when I was a girl. He read me stories. He tucked me in, whispering about freedom.

A smile takes over my face.

If I kill King Hart, I will be no freer than I am under his rule. I’ll be no freer than if I was sent to that damned compound and fed to the cannibals. I would become a slave to my anger, to hate. My vengeance on the man who took my father would not be sated by his death. It would destroy me in the end.

No. Madity is right. Even with all her skittish misgivings, she has always been wise, and she’s always seen what I could not while blinded by my hatred. Devlan didn’t try to postpone the mission because he feared I wasn’t ready, nor did he try to take my place because he felt I would fail.

He knew what I’m only just now seeing, that killing Hart would sever something inside me. Just as Hart tried to make Sebastian sever his compassion, I’d destroy the part of me that forgives and trusts and believes in people, the part of me that makes me strong.

That’s the strength Sebastian saw in me. The silent strength he spoke of at the meadow.

He asked me if I thought that part of us weakens us. I understand now that it doesn’t.

I can do what’s right for Sebastian. For Devlan. For all of Karm, and for myself. Make a choice. Go against Hart, the Force, the Rebels—

I can choose.

I open my eyes with renewed determination. “Sebastian,” I say tersely, trying to gain his attention. I glance around, noticing that he’s taken me to the other side of the castle. And not just the wing, but the end of the wing. There’s nowhere to go.

A stained glass window shows the outside, darkening as the sun dips lower. I’m running out of time.

Sebastian reaches out and places his palm to the floorto-ceiling window. It ripples, and the waves of glass pull apart like a curtain—no, a screen. A metal door slides open, revealing a large lift.

He pulls me inside, then hits a blue button on the side of the metal casing. The door slides shut with a heavy, metallic clang. I jerk. “Where are you taking me?”

His eyes meet mine, shining gold in the bright light. “To meet the king.”