Fireblood

THIRTY-SIX

I pull a swig of water and swallow one of the pills Devlan gave me, then recap my canteen. After I finish the last four over the next two days, my infection should be gone. My fever broke this morning, and already I’m feeling much stronger. Devlan said that my attempt at keeping my stomach wound clean in the Oubliette saved me from a harsh recovery. Small blessings.

The sky slowly fades from purple to dark blue as I stare up in wonderment. The faint blue lines run against it, doming the air above. My gaze drops and then drifts over the forest as dawn breaks. The rays of early sunlight splinter through the forest canopy.

A howl sounds in the distance, and I wrap my arms around my body. Light footsteps crunch the earth near me. They’re too soft to be Devlan’s.

“Devlan held back many details last night,” I say as Fallon sits down next to me. “I admit I was exhausted, and wounded, but Sebastian raising the barrier is too big a detail to deny me simply for the sake of my health.”

Fallon tosses a stick into the fire before us. “Larkin’s decoding disk didn’t hold up against Excalibur, and shortly after you were taken to the Oubliette, Sebastian restored Karm’s force field.”

I nod. Maybe Larkin never intended for his device to take it down permanently. I remember him rushing with the vials of antidote to rescue his sister, the Virus already taking hold in his body. Now I believe it was a desperate attempt to save her and himself before his mind was taken. Which means he had it planned all along.

“So, that hellish day would’ve happened no matter which path I chose.” I look at her.

Her dark hair is down around her shoulders. It’s longer than I imagined. She looks younger like this. Her soft features press into hard lines. “It would have, Zara. No one faults you.” She sighs. “However, the force field was down long enough for monsters to wander into Karm. The Rebel camp is near the outskirts, so it was the first to be attacked. Then the monsters roamed into the country, wreaking havoc on farms and laborers working the fields. And then the chaos reached the town limits, where Sebastian commanded the Force and his army of knights to drive them into the forest.”

“And the citizens? How many have lost their lives?” I hold my breath, hoping Hadley is all right and her family found a safe hiding place.

Fallon’s eyes find mine, large and sad. “Many. Maybe around twenty or more. We’re still waiting to hear a report of the exact number and names.”

I lower my head, lost as to what to say. I set my canteen down in the dirt, digging the bottom into the earth near the campfire. My wedding dress sizzles next to me, beads and sequins popping as smoke billows into the frosty morning air.

Someone shouts, and both Fallon and I whip our heads around. I expect to see another mutated animal attacking, but Rebels are running for the Mordred tent. Getting to my feet, I brace my stomach with my arm to soften the jolting from my footsteps, then follow after them. The flaps are pulled back to expose the monitors and machines inside.

Devlan walks up beside us. “A transmission from Town Square is coming through. It’s broadcasting all over Karm.”

He links his arm around my waist, and moves me closer to the tent as static echoes through the camp. Fallon takes off toward the back of the tent, where Xander and Silas are adjusting the transmission.

“I thought Xander stayed behind?” I ask Devlan.

“His cover is still in place,” he says absently, his eyes roaming the tent. “Now that our transmission has been shut down, he’s our only link to information from Court. We have no one else on the inside, and no other way to know what Sebastian is planning.”

I can’t help but feel it would be best if Xander didn’t go back at all. Sebastian now knows Rebels were right by his side—the people he most trusted. Xander is risking too much by being our eyes and ears.

Following Devlan’s gaze, I look to the one large monitor that’s set up in the middle of the tent. Blue and green lines wash over it in waves, then an image appears on the screen.

Sebastian.

He’s wearing King Hart’s crown—no, his crown now. And even through the screen I can see his golden eyes. They flicker on the monitor, making my skin prickle as his gaze seems to travel over me. His expression is set, hard. Behind him, the buildings of Town Square puff smoke into the sky, seemingly normal, as if everyone is working and it’s just another day in the market.

“Greetings, citizens of Karm,” he says, and Devlan pulls me tighter to his side. “I apologize for the urgency and quickness of this transmission, but there is no time for pleasantries.” He pauses. “Many things need to be addressed, although I assure you, Karm is under my complete control.” He glares into the camera, and I feel as if he’s looking straight at me. “The barrier is restored, and the beasts of Outside have been forced toward the outskirts of Karm. However, you’re advised to stay near your homes until the Force rids us of every last one.”

I survey the faces of the Rebels. The camp, their home, soon will be invaded by the Force looking to kill the monsters. I realize the camp is now my home, too. I take in a deep breath, and my stomach aches at the pressure.

Sebastian smiles. Not the smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes, the one I used to feel assured by, but a knowing leer that makes me shiver. “But,” he says, “the monsters are not our only enemies. My father was murdered by conspirators against the throne. He was murdered by Rebels.”

My heart drops, and I look up. Devlan’s expression is guarded as he stares at the screen, hiding all emotions. But I can feel the tremble of anger in his body.

“And, as my father didn’t tolerate insolence,” Sebastian continues, “neither shall I.”

The screen pans the market, coming to a stop on the middle of the square, on the platform.

The air leaves my lungs.

A wooden scaffold towers over the platform. Five citizens are strung up. They balance on footstools, nooses tied around their necks. I grab Devlan’s hand and squeeze as the camera zooms closer, showing their faces. No.

Madity.

“Anyone found to be conspiring with the Rebels forfeits their life,” Sebastian says. Then he shouts, “Hang!”

Two knights in crimson move behind the citizens and then, one at a time, kick the footstools from beneath their feet. Madity is in the middle, and when the knight reaches her, I bury my head in Devlan’s chest, tears already forming.

There’s no sound, no protests, just dead silence coming from the monitor. Devlan’s arms enclose me. His hand shields my eyes as he presses my face to his chest.

Another moment of quiet, and then Sebastian’s voice booms over the transmission. “In an attempt to rid Karm of the traitors, a full search of every citizen’s home has been ordered. And to the Rebels watching this now—” a beat “—a far worse death awaits you.”

Static.

Fury ignites my blood. Gripping Devlan’s tunic, I try to stop my tears, but they spill over, leaving behind a burning trail. Devlan pulls back and looks into my eyes. His features have dropped the mask, and his eyes narrow in anger.

I inhale a clipped breath. “Did you know the others?” Did Devlan just witness someone close to him die? Should I be comforting him, too?

He shakes his head slowly. “They were not Rebels.”

The blood in my veins stills, icy and thick. “He’s murdering innocents?” I shake my head. “There’s going to be even more death,” I choke out, unable to grasp my thoughts and the full loss of Madity. “This was just a message. He’ll kill more to get at us.”

Devlan’s eyes bore into me. “He’s calling us out.”