Fireblood

by Wolfe, Trisha

  I lean against a tree and am reminded of the first night I came here with Devlan. Hadley is every bit as determined to find her parents as I was to save my father. I can’t deny her that right to try.

  “Is she all right?” Devlan comes up beside the tree and moves me in front of him, wrapping his arm around me.

  Pressing the back of my head against his chest, I stare up at the nearly-full moon behind the gridded sky. “I think so. She wants to help the Rebels bring the Taken home.”

  Devlan brushes his cheek against the crown of my head. “Maybe she can. We’ll need someone to help Silas monitor the Taken while we invade Castle Karm.”

  I turn in his arms and find his eyes, silvery blue pools reflecting the pale light. “The citizens are joining our forces?”

  “Fallon believes she can convince them come morning.”

  “Then this is it.”

  He nods. “This is it.” Lowering his head toward mine, he softly caresses my lips into a kiss. My heart pangs with the knowledge that this may be our last night together. That tomorrow, no matter what, everything changes. I wrap my arms around his neck and press closer to him.

  A howl wrenches the night, and Devlan pulls back. “We shouldn’t be so close to the barricade.” He takes my hand. “Come on. I want you in my arms for the rest of the night.”

  Heat replaces the chill invading my skin from the cool air, and I allow Devlan to lead me away.

  As we move through the camp, I think back on the choices I’ve made, and wonder if anything could’ve spared Madity her fate, if there’s a way I can spare Hadley and the others from sharing it. I palm the crest on Madity’s necklace, wanting to feel her arms around me, reassuring me that everything will be all right.

  I’m not confident Sebastian or the Force found incriminating evidence against Madity. I wear around my neck the only proof of her involvement. Hanging her was a message directly to me—my punishment.

  Regret for many decisions I’ve made weighs heavily on my soul. And yet, despite how hard I strove throughout all of it, my father remains Outside. This has become much bigger than just saving the Taken, though. Sebastian has become a power monger, reigning with a terror I fear even King Hart couldn’t have matched.

  Deep down, I know I never could’ve changed what Sebastian was to become. Despite everything, he’s responsible for his own actions, and he’s made his choice. I have to believe I tried my hardest to save him, or else I’ll go mad. I know what has to be done, and I won’t allow him to make me second-guess myself again.

  He’s called out the Rebels, exposed us, and I know exactly why.

  Sebastian said he refuses to hide himself away as his father did. King Hart, even in death, has planned out his control over his son by using the Rebels as his excuse, claiming they were the reason he lived in fear. Sebastian’s vanity will never allow him to hide away in such a manner.

  He wants the threat gone. He desires to rule the realm with a power that will make him a legend, and he can’t do that tucked away in a secret chamber.

  My mind releases its burdened thoughts as Devlan guides me toward his tent. Tomorrow, I will have to do battle, to give myself over to the trained fighter inside me.

  But this night, I’m his.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Before morning brings the light, I wake Hadley, take her to the Rebel leader’s tent, and introduce her to Fallon and Silas. Fallon decides Hadley will help Silas monitor the Taken Outside, and I thank her for keeping my friend safe from the coming war.

  As I drink a cup of stout, Rebel-brewed coffee, Silas shows her how to work the monitors. “You can pan all areas, but only watch a section at a time.” He taps a key. “Hit record for the unwatched sectors, to check later. Make sure nothing goes undetected.”

  The screen slowly scans the Rebel camp, and I latch onto the corner of the table and lean in closer. I point to the screen. “Silas, stop. Who’s that?”

  He hits another key, and the monitor zooms in. Cecily. She’s here in the camp, and she’s wounded.

  Glancing at Hadley, I set down my mug and ask, “You brought the nobles?”

  “I brought all those who wanted to escape.” She looks up at me, her mouth set in a determined line. “This courtier found me. That was when I knew my efforts had reached nearly too widely and it was time to go. I didn’t know which nobles would turn us in to the Force.”

  Fallon lays her hand on Hadley’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. I believe most of the nobles are siding with the king.” She looks at the screen. “I wonder what made this one decide to leave her lavish home.”

  That’s my question exactly, especially since I know Cecily still has feelings for Sebastian. Now I’m concerned Hadley’s escape was too easy, and maybe Sebastian has his own spies among us.

  “I’ll be back,” I tell them, and Devlan joins my side before I duck under the tent flap.

  He walks with his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Do you think she’s here for him?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.” I look up at him. “Let me talk to her alone first.”

  Nodding, he moves out of sight before I walk up to her.

  Cecily is seated on the pine straw, a fire crackling at her back. “Cecily,” I say, and her eyes snap to me. “Are you all right?”

  She stares at me a moment longer, her eyes roaming over my black pants. Her gaze drops, and she cups her arm. “I was attacked.” Her voice breaks.

  Seating myself on the ground beside her, I say, “Let me look at it.” She attempts to roll up her dress sleeve, but it’s too tattered. Grunting, she rips it the rest of the way off. “What was it?” I inspect the deep slashes—claw marks. They’re red and swollen.

  “I’m not sure,” she says, her eyes on the wound. “It was big and black. It looked like a larger, scarier version of a dog.” She sniffs. “This man saved me. He killed it.”

  I nod. “And he brought you? That’s how you came to be here?” I dip my head, trying to find her eyes.

  She meets mine. “Nay. I was already on my way here when this happened. After Sebastian threw me out of Court”—she looks away—“I went into town, and overheard a group in a shop talking about a safe haven.” Her eyes, hard and accusing, flick to me. “How did you come to be here?”

  Looking to Devlan, I find him at the treeline and motion toward her arm. He turns and goes to find antiseptic and a bandage. I release Cecily’s arm, and say simply, “I escaped.” She lowers her eyes. I’m not sure if she knew I was locked away, but she doesn’t probe. “Sebastian tossed you out of Court.”

  “He’s different.” Her voice hitches. “He’s always been mischievous and mean, and I liked that.” She looks at me. “It’s strength. What a strong man should be. But this is…he is different. Something has changed in him.”

  I’m not sure I agree with her claim. Not having grown up in Court around Sebastian, I can’t say whether this has always been his true nature. Whether he was simply waiting for his father to give him power so he could become the king, or whether something in him has truly given way to a darker half.

  Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that Sebastian needs to be stopped. “So, how do I believe you’re not here to spy on the Rebels for him?”

  Her blue eyes widen, glistening with intense pain. “I love him,” she says. “But I’m not cruel. I would never do what he did—I’d never have hung that maid. She was nice to me.” She looks down. “I’m not evil.” She bites off the word. “Whatever you may think of me.”

  “I don’t think that of you, Cecily,” I say, and take her hand. “I always thought Sebastian a fool for not choosing you.”

  She lifts her head, and a small smile forms on her thin mouth.

  A crash sounds from across the camp, and Cecily and I jerk. Shouting echoes off the pines. My eyes follow a group hurrying toward the Rebel leader’s tent. “Time to go,” I tell her, and help her stand.

  Maybe I’m a fool myself for trusting Cecily, but I
believe her. I trust that her feelings for Sebastian are true, that he’s now hurt her deeply, and that she has no other place to turn. Even if she is working with him, it won’t matter for long.

  We reach the disturbance, where Silas and a brute of a man are fighting in the middle of the gathered crowd. Silas swings at him; the man ducks. Fallon attempts to get between them, but they pay her no attention as they continue to fight. Silas lands a punch.

  Fallon jumps on a makeshift platform and yells, “Enough!”

  The two finally break apart, and two other men pull Silas and the guy toward the front of the crowd.

  How can we fight a war when we’re near destroying ourselves?

  Fallon presses the loose strands of hair back toward her bun. Then she looks out over the Rebels and citizens. “How long do you think we have before the Force and the king’s knights storm this camp?”

  Glancing around, I watch as some heads hang low. Others, in the back of the gathered group, slink farther away. Women wrap their arms around their children. These are not fighters. They’re citizens of a lost era, only wishing to live out their lives in peace.

  “We don’t have much time to decide on a course of action before that happens,” Fallon continues. She steps to the front of the platform, her small form shaking. “Do you want King Sebastian in power? Do you want to fear his reign every day, questioning whether that day or the next will be your last? He needs to be stopped.”

  A woman steps forward, her skin still dirty from the long trek to camp. “I brought my children here to see a father they haven’t laid eyes on in four years.” The crowd murmurs their understanding. “He’s sacrificed everything already, and now you ask for his life. How can we trust that the king’s army won’t destroy us all? Once we reveal ourselves, we’re all dead.”

  The citizens throw heated words toward Fallon. She doesn’t respond but instead looks directly at me. I raise my brows as she points my way.

  “Do you recognize her?” she asks them. Warmth splashes my face as all eyes land on me. “She’s Zara Dane. The princess once betrothed to King Sebastian.” Fallon beckons me to join her on the stage, and I shake my head lightly.

  Why me?

  Fallon waves me forward once more. I breathe in a shaky breath and step up to her side. “What are you doing?” I whisper.

  She leans in close. “Trust me.” Turning back toward the crowd, she says, “Zara was a commoner just like you, and the king elevated her, offering her riches and every convenience the realm has to offer. Yet she is here. She has sacrificed just as much as anyone here, because she knows what has to be done.” She looks to me to say something, but my throat closes up. My mind blanks as I stare out over the crowd, taking in each wary expression.

  I quickly pull Fallon to my side and whisper, “Where’s Xander?” Where is her second in command, the once-quiet Rebel who revealed his secret public speaking skills just yesterday?

  “He’s busy making his own speeches.” She nods once. “This one’s yours to make.”

  I swallow the forming lump, and it scrapes my too-dry throat on its way down. Pushing the sudden nausea down with it, I think of my father—the first to stand against the tyranny of King Hart—and pray for his words to speak through me.

  “I fear the monsters of Outside,” I say. “I’ve seen the wasteland and its many horrors, and it scares me.” I curl my hands into fists to stop the trembling. “But Karm has its own monsters.”

  Heads nod, and agreement ripples through the air. I suck in a breath. “If we don’t face down all of these monsters—the ones stalking our loved ones as well as the ones in power—then we become monsters in our own right by doing nothing. By allowing the enslavement and killing of innocents to continue. I’ve heard the plans King Sebastian has for his realm, and if he succeeds, we’ll not only lose our lives, but the very thing that makes us human.” I raise my head higher. “Our freedom.”

  The Rebels and citizens cheer, and my chest relaxes, but are the citizens moved enough to fight? Fallon’s hand slips into mine, and I glance at her as she looks over the people.

  A tension-filled silence settles over the crowd.

  I look at the planks in the platform, and a fierce madness rises within me. I squeeze Fallon’s hand, and she grips mine back. I look up. “This is our time to stand against the darkness—of Outside and in. Refuse to live in fear. Take a stand. This is no longer a rebellion.” I breathe in. “It’s our revolution.”

  The quiet breaks. Shouts sound out like strikes of lightning, cracking against the forest like a whip. The citizens pump their fists in the air right along with the Rebels.

  “Will you hide in fear and hand over your lives willingly?” Fallon shouts. “Or will you be the ones to choose your fate?”

  My chest blooms with renewed determination as they cheer louder. Purpose sweeps through the camp. I know we may not succeed, but we will take away something Sebastian values more than anything. His power over us.

  Once Fallon and Silas have the plan mapped out, the citizens suit up in old armor they’ve scavenged over the years, cast off by the knights. Since they haven’t had the training the Rebels have, they need some kind of protection. It’s the best we can do with so little time. I feel as if I’m in the middle of one of my fantasy books, waiting for a horn to sound and the army to march off toward an open battlefield.

  With resolve coursing through my blood, I slide a short-sword into my leather harness. It hangs low on my hip, and its cold metal presses against my thin clothes. I feel empowered.

  Never again will I wear the dresses of a princess.

  I slip on a pair of black boots and hike them up past my shins to protect against attacks to my legs. Strapping on a leather vest over my black shirt, I prepare for battle.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Nearly two hundred of us gather behind the castle wall. The women and men who can’t fight are at camp with the children, and all those who can wield weapons stand with us.

  Lines are fired over the wall, and their grappling hooks anchor into the crevices in the stonework. A group begins to scale the wall as the flankers make sure we’re not attacked before we enter Court. I know Sebastian, though. He wants us here. He’s called us out and is expecting us. He’ll hold off his Force and army of knights until we’re fully on his turf.

  Fallon sidles up beside me as she watches the first group climb. “Xander is in there,” she says, a slight tremble to her voice.

  “He’s smart.” I face her. “Sebastian doesn’t suspect Xander. He’ll be all right.”

  She smoothes her hair back, a nervous habit of hers.

  I squint. “Why did he choose to stay in?” I ask. “After the mission was botched, I mean.”

  She shrugs one of her shoulders. “He has his own reasons.” Her eyes look toward the top of the wall as the group clears it. Fallon latches her harness to a rope and then yanks. Planting her feet flat against the wall, she begins her climb. “If we survive this,” she says, looking at me over her shoulder, “I’ll tell you about it.” With a wink, she pulls herself up.

  I frown, wondering what Xander’s reasons could be, and if they have anything to do with the orders from Fallon that he questioned. Devlan told me of how Xander came to be a Rebel—how he was Fallon’s first mark, but she disobeyed Micah’s orders and didn’t kill him. I feel like an important piece of that story is missing, though, a piece that only Fallon and Xander know. I hope we survive. I’d love to know Xander’s secret.

  “We’ve been spotted, of course,” Devlan says, coming up beside me. “But Sebastian’s holding off his army, waiting for us. He wants a clear view of the carnage, I’m sure.” He rubs his forehead. “Once we’re over the wall, it won’t be long before we’re under full attack. We’ll have only minutes to fight our way to the control room.” His eyes search me, landing on my stomach. “I don’t think—”

  I cover his mouth with mine, halting him from telling me, yet again, that I’m in no condition to fight. Before we left
the camp, he dressed my wounds, wrapping both my stomach and shoulder securely so they won’t re-open. Nothing will stop me from facing this with Devlan. We’ve been together from the start, and we’ll finish this together.

  As his lips caress mine, I pull him closer, knowing that this could be the last time I feel his arms around me, his lips touching mine. All too soon, the kiss ends, and I stare into his pale blue eyes.

  “I’m ready,” I say.

  He places a kiss on my forehead before he snaps the rope to my harness, attaching an extra belt for added security. “Straight to the castle when you’re over. No looking back.” The cord pulls taut, and I lift off the ground.

  Maneuvering my feet one above the other, I climb as the person on the other side of the wall winches me up. Flexing my stomach muscles causes more pain than I’ll admit to Devlan, and sweat beads on my brow. My shoulder throbs, but I don’t look down. I know he’s close behind me, and I focus on clearing the top without thinking about height or pain.

  When my limbs start to tremble as I reach the top, I think of getting inside the castle without being killed. It’s less scary than my position at the moment.

  I hunker low on top of the wall and sweep my gaze across the Court grounds. Devlan was right. An army awaits us on the field. Damn. There was no use in trying to be stealthy. We should’ve just buzzed the front gate.

  The army stands at attention, guarding the castle. The tournament field has been cleared, and the knights cover every inch of it. There are so many of them. A knot twists my stomach.

  Crawling to the other side of the wall, I keep low. Bracing my feet against the stone, I push off. The ground comes at me quickly as I drop down. Before I unhook myself from the rope and belt, I glance at the Rebels forming a line, ready to march on the army of knights awaiting us just past the trees.

  Devlan drops down beside me and unhooks his harness. “Zara,” he says, a serious tone to his voice. “I meant what I said. If I fall behind, you get inside the castle.” His pale eyes deepen into a stormy gray.