Fireblood

by Wolfe, Trisha

  He walks over to a canvas bag and takes out a gray tunic. I reach behind my back to unlace the backing of my mangled wedding dress and wince at the pain that small action causes. His hands clasp mine, and he lowers them to my thighs, wrapping his arms around me.

  His arms linger, holding me for a moment before he begins to loosen the backing. Pulling the still-intact shoulder of my dress down, he slides the top to my waist. Then he carefully lifts my arms and slips the tunic over my head.

  “Lie down.” He gently guides me to recline on the soft blanket, then pulls my dress past my hips and casts it to the corner. “You have no idea how badly I wanted that dress off of you.”

  A small frown tugs at my lips. When he’s done mending me, I’m going to toss it into one of the fires.

  Lifting the front of the tunic, his eyes roam over my stomach. “Bastard.” He releases a heavy breath, then says, “If you hadn’t ended him, I would have.”

  My eyebrows knit together, and I stare at his pained face, the candlelight flickering in his eyes. “How did you hear?” How is it he seems to know all that’s happened to me, yet I’ve heard nothing of him since the night we said our goodbye in the tunnel?

  He gets to his feet and gathers supplies from his desk. He sets everything near the cot—a rag, a bottle of alcohol, a bowl of water, bandages, and adhesive. Then he kneels down beside me. “First drink some water.” He grabs a canteen and places it to my mouth.

  When the water hits my mouth, my body remembers how thirsty I am, and I can’t get enough. I guzzle, not caring how desperate I look.

  “Slowly,” he says, lowering it from my lips. “You’ll get sick if you take in too much.” He sighs before answering my question. “Fallon had her transmission person hack into the court feed. They were able to view everything that happened in Court.”

  “You watched me kill Larkin.”

  “I saw a replay.”

  My face burns, shame flowing through me that I can’t bury at that moment.

  “You should’ve heard the cheers go up in camp. I think there were bets on who would be the one to take him out.”

  I know he’s trying to make me feel better about my actions, so I give him a small, reassuring smile, though my chest aches. I never want to kill another person if I can avoid it.

  He leans closer to me. “I was at the meadow during it all, setting up last-minute communications for reinforcements if we needed them.” His eyes close. “If I’d have known—”

  “No, Devlan.” I run my hand along his tense arm. “I made the decision. Nothing that happened was anyone’s fault but my own.”

  He opens his eyes, and his features relax. “You made the right call, Zara.” He smoothes my hair away from my face. “Sebastian fooled me, too. He never would’ve joined with the Rebels, no matter how you tried to sway him. It was a lost cause.” He reaches for the rag. “Before the tournament match, I was on the cusp of trusting him, but those days between us are long gone.”

  “So, I’m not a failure?”

  The rag hovers just above my skin, and his eyes hold mine. “Hardly a failure. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.” His eyes flick down my body, then back to my face. Warmth rushes through me. “All that matters is you’re safe, and you’re still the willful girl I trained.” He tilts his head. “Though, that’s easier to admit when you’re half-naked in my tent.”

  I bat his arm and wince. “I think I trained you some,” I say. “Now, fix me up so I can train you some more.”

  A half-grin creeps up the side of his face, and he winks.

  He places a pill on my tongue and makes me swallow, promising it will help with the pain. It does, but only a fraction. A chill sweeps over my body as he massages the wet cloth into my wound, cleaning away the infection, dirt, and debris. The alcohol is like fire searing me from the inside, but I try to keep my face stoic as he works, as it seems my pain hurts him more than me.

  When he’s done mending my wounds, he slides next to me on the blanket and wraps his arms around me. I press my forehead to his, listening to his breath as it caresses my lips.

  Safe.

  “What happens now?” I ask.

  “Now,” he says, cradling me closer. “I never leave your side again.”

  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.”

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  We’re seated around the campfires, looking up at Fallon and Xander as they stand before us. Fights have broken out since the transmission yesterday, everyone pulling in different directions about what needs to be done.

  If we don’t stand together, then Sebastian has already won. His Force will storm the camp and wipe us out along with the feared monsters. I run my hands through my tangles of hair, anxious for Fallon to take control of the situation and determine a plan.

  “We need to march on the castle now!” a man behind me yells.

  “And then what?” Fallon shouts.

  Xander places his hand on Fallon’s shoulder and steps forward. She’s been pacing and yelling for an hour, trying to calm the mob. She looks as if she’s about to pass out.

  “Will you have our leader lead us all to our deaths?” Xander asks him. There’s no reply. “Our leader will not do this.” He glances around. “Not until we’re grouped and ready for battle with numbers that will challenge the king’s knights will we move. All we’ll do is present ourselves to King Sebastian on a platter to be slaughtered.” Murmurs circle, and Xander looks over the seated Rebels on the ground. “Our families are still out there. We can’t chance their lives either. We’ve chosen to be here to protect them.”

  Hadley’s face pops into my mind. Sebastian knows of my affection for her. What if he’s already taken her, just waiting for the right moment to torture her in order to force me out?

  I rise to my feet, no longer able to sit and do nothing. I can at least find Hadley and protect her from Sebastian’s wrath.

  The Rebels quiet down, and I take in their sudden stillness. They’re not looking at me, but at something past me. Slowly, I turn and face the forest.

  Citizens.

  They’re walking toward the barricade, and more people are emerging from the woods. I try to count, but there’re too many. Then I see Hadley. I don’t think. I start toward her. “Hadley!”

  I hear cries behind me, and soon others are rushing toward their loved ones, their friends, their reasons why we’re here. I wonder how long it’s been since the Rebels dedicated their lives to this cause—how long since they’ve seen their families.

  Someone beats me to the gate and unlatches it. They file in, and Hadley’s lost in the throng. I search everywhere. Hadley’s dark hair stands out to me, then the green dress I remember she loved so much. She drops her satchel and meets me halfway.

  Latching my arms around her, I say, “I’ve been so worried about you. I had no idea how to find you or contact you.” I pull back, find her eyes. “Hadley, so many things have happened. I’m sorry I ran after the announcement—”

  “Just stop, Zara.” A somber smile stretches across her face. She hugs me once more, then backs away, her brown eyes searching me. “I was never angry with you. I was scared for you. You hated the thought of being in that castle, and I swear, I wanted to find a way to get you back after they took you and your…” She trails off and looks down.

  “It’s all right,” I tell her. “We’re safe to talk about the Taken here. Where’re your parents? You brought them? How did you even find this camp?”

  Devlan walks up beside us and gives me a confident nod. I turn back toward Hadley and study her downcast eyes. “What happened?”

  I take her to a tent, where I explain about Karm, King Hart, and the true fate of the Taken, and she tells me of what transpired after the prince’s betrothal announcement. Both of her parents contracted the Virus and were taken away. Many more citizens have since become Taken, an epidemic that has sparked widespread fear throughout Karm.

  After she lost her parents, she vowed to find a way to me and discovered a coded note my father had given to hers. It was instructions on how to find the Rebel camp in case of an emergency. Hadley didn’t understand the whole message until she saw Sebastian’s recent transmission outing the Rebels.

  “Oh, God,” she says. “When he hung those people…” She wipes a tear from her dusky cheek. “The town turned violent. The Force was attacking the citizens right along with those monsters. They beat down doors and
arrested anyone and everyone, making accusations of Rebel conspiracy. I knew then that I had to get as many people away from their reach as possible.” She looks down at her lap, and I cover her hands with mine.

  The night has come, and the fires burn low, casting shadows against the tent. “You brought them all here?” I ask. “That’s amazing.”

  She looks up at me. “I knew I’d find you here. Or at least, I hoped. You weren’t with the prince—I mean the king—during the transmission. And after reading your father’s letter, I knew you’d find a way to escape the castle and go to where he said was safe. I just had to trust that I was doing the right thing by bringing the others.”

  I nod. “You did. Sebastian is dangerous, and the truth about Karm needs to be known.” I glance at Devlan. His eyes confirm what I’ve been thinking. Would the citizens band with us? Would they go to war against the new king and his Force?

  Devlan looks between me and my friend. “I’m going to speak with Fallon and Xander. I’ll return soon.” He gives me a quick kiss to my forehead and leaves the tent.

  Hadley raises an eyebrow. “You can explain that later.” I give her a small smile before she continues. “I want to help.”

  “You have,” I assure her.

  “No. I want to help get my parents back.” Her hands ball into fists beneath mine. “Whatever it takes, Zara. I have nothing to go back to otherwise.”

  Pressing my lips together, I remove my hands from hers and consider her offer. There’s no way I could let her fight in a battle. Even if I had weeks to train her, she wouldn’t be ready. Hadley wasn’t brought up the way I was. She’s delicate. Although, her putting a mission together all on her own to bring citizens to the Rebel camp has admittedly shocked me.

  “Okay,” I say. “I know the Rebels will need your help.”

  After I help Hadley make up her cot and she finally drifts off, I walk the perimeter of the camp. I find a quiet spot away from the chaos—the citizens and Rebels reuniting, arguing, trying to find a solution.