“They’d better kill me on their first try,” Willow says, her voice low and furious. “Because if they don’t, I’ll rip them apart limb from limb.”
The Commander’s smile is vicious, though he doesn’t break eye contact with me. “Oh, they won’t miss. The consequences for failing me are too painful for them to consider.” His sword presses closer, and I struggle to hold still as blood seeps down my neck and into my tunic. His dark eyes bore into mine. “I don’t allow those who disobey me to live. Your mother learned that the hard way. Now, so will you.”
“She wasn’t my mother.” The words are poison running through every warm childhood memory I have. The scaly oak trunk behind me digs into my back as I do my best to shrink away from the Commander’s sword.
The Commander’s scar twitches. “I see you’ve learned a thing or two since we last spoke.”
I swallow, wincing as my throat scrapes his blade. Choosing my words with care, I say, “I know I’m your investment. Your insurance against James Rowan’s plan to subjugate all of the city-states. I know my father finished the invention, but that it isn’t the only one. It isn’t even the strongest one. My brother had a controller with more power the day we called the Cursed One outside of Baalboden.”
“You mean the day you tried to kill me.”
“The day we tried to kill each other.” I keep my voice calm even though I want to drive my fist into his face. Beat him until he falls to the ground and bleeds the way my Baalboden mother bled. Watch him tremble in fear the way Rachel trembled after she saw him murder Oliver in front of her. “My brother was tracking the package that was given to Jared. He followed us to Baalboden, and he sent the beast into your city. He destroyed everything you’d built. And while he was doing that, other Rowansmark trackers were approaching the rest of the city-states, offering them a deal.”
“I know about the deal.” His voice is angry, but he eases up a fraction on the sword.
“According to Clarissa Vaughn, all of the city-states took the deal. They paid the protection fee and allowed Rowansmark to install beacons throughout their towns.”
“Not my allies.” He sounds proud.
“Yes, your allies. Thorenburg and Schoensville committed troops to Rowansmark. Their armies are waiting for us there. And the city of Carrington is gone. Destroyed when they remained loyal to you.” I meet his gaze while he glares at me, looking for a lie that isn’t there. “We learned it hours ago from Clarissa Vaughn, leader of Lankenshire’s triumvirate.”
“He’s right,” Connor says. His eyes dart between me, trapped by the Commander’s blade, and Willow, surrounded by guards ready to fill her full of arrows. “We received the news just before I brought the terms of Logan’s deal to you.”
The Commander’s eyes flicker toward Connor, and I quietly wrap my hands around the length of chain that dangles below my wrists, tensing my legs in case I need to fight my way out of this.
Not that I can fight my way out of this. Not with a sword already slicing into my throat.
“If you kill us, how will you make sure this device doesn’t malfunction when you arrive at Rowansmark?” I ask, keeping my voice as neutral as possible. If he thinks I’m challenging him, he’ll drive his blade into my neck. “How will you convince the northern city-states to violate their protection agreements unless you can disable the beacons and promise them safety from the tanniyn?”
His lips curve into a sneer. “And I suppose you just want to help me out of the goodness of your heart. There isn’t a single part of you that hopes to catch me off guard, steal the tech for yourself, and leave my body in the Wasteland.”
“Not while the Rowansmark threat remains.” I meet his gaze. “My brother destroyed my city and then murdered my friends as we traveled to Lankenshire. Now he’s taken Rachel hostage, and he won’t release her unless I show up at Rowansmark with the device.”
“That girl isn’t worth half the trouble she’s caused.”
My pulse pounds against my ears. “She hasn’t caused trouble. Rowansmark has. The tech, the murders, the destruction . . . it all goes back to them. You knew this would happen when you heard rumors of my father’s invention nineteen years ago. You know James Rowan can’t be trusted with this much power.” Neither can the Commander, but he won’t live long enough to try it. Not if Rachel and I have anything to say about it.
His angry expression turns thoughtful, though his sword remains steady. “You really do want to take down James Rowan.” He says the words like he’s trying them on for size.
“I do.”
“With me.”
“Yes. There are three armies waiting for us. At least one controller that is stronger than ours. And we’d be fighting on the terrain Rowansmark uses as a training ground. We need your credibility with the northern city-states to convince them to give us troops. We need your military expertise to win the war. And we need my ability to disarm the beacons, strengthen our device, and if I have time, replicate it.”
He leans closer, the blade sliding painfully against the scarred brand he gave me the first time I was his prisoner. “How do I know you won’t betray me the second I take off your chains and treat you like an ally?”
“Because I would do anything to save Rachel.” The words are heavy with conviction. With the one truth I have left. With Rachel.
The Commander’s smile is vicious, though he doesn’t break eye contact with me. “Oh, they won’t miss. The consequences for failing me are too painful for them to consider.” His sword presses closer, and I struggle to hold still as blood seeps down my neck and into my tunic. His dark eyes bore into mine. “I don’t allow those who disobey me to live. Your mother learned that the hard way. Now, so will you.”
“She wasn’t my mother.” The words are poison running through every warm childhood memory I have. The scaly oak trunk behind me digs into my back as I do my best to shrink away from the Commander’s sword.
The Commander’s scar twitches. “I see you’ve learned a thing or two since we last spoke.”
I swallow, wincing as my throat scrapes his blade. Choosing my words with care, I say, “I know I’m your investment. Your insurance against James Rowan’s plan to subjugate all of the city-states. I know my father finished the invention, but that it isn’t the only one. It isn’t even the strongest one. My brother had a controller with more power the day we called the Cursed One outside of Baalboden.”
“You mean the day you tried to kill me.”
“The day we tried to kill each other.” I keep my voice calm even though I want to drive my fist into his face. Beat him until he falls to the ground and bleeds the way my Baalboden mother bled. Watch him tremble in fear the way Rachel trembled after she saw him murder Oliver in front of her. “My brother was tracking the package that was given to Jared. He followed us to Baalboden, and he sent the beast into your city. He destroyed everything you’d built. And while he was doing that, other Rowansmark trackers were approaching the rest of the city-states, offering them a deal.”
“I know about the deal.” His voice is angry, but he eases up a fraction on the sword.
“According to Clarissa Vaughn, all of the city-states took the deal. They paid the protection fee and allowed Rowansmark to install beacons throughout their towns.”
“Not my allies.” He sounds proud.
“Yes, your allies. Thorenburg and Schoensville committed troops to Rowansmark. Their armies are waiting for us there. And the city of Carrington is gone. Destroyed when they remained loyal to you.” I meet his gaze while he glares at me, looking for a lie that isn’t there. “We learned it hours ago from Clarissa Vaughn, leader of Lankenshire’s triumvirate.”
“He’s right,” Connor says. His eyes dart between me, trapped by the Commander’s blade, and Willow, surrounded by guards ready to fill her full of arrows. “We received the news just before I brought the terms of Logan’s deal to you.”
The Commander’s eyes flicker toward Connor, and I quietly wrap my hands around the length of chain that dangles below my wrists, tensing my legs in case I need to fight my way out of this.
Not that I can fight my way out of this. Not with a sword already slicing into my throat.
“If you kill us, how will you make sure this device doesn’t malfunction when you arrive at Rowansmark?” I ask, keeping my voice as neutral as possible. If he thinks I’m challenging him, he’ll drive his blade into my neck. “How will you convince the northern city-states to violate their protection agreements unless you can disable the beacons and promise them safety from the tanniyn?”
His lips curve into a sneer. “And I suppose you just want to help me out of the goodness of your heart. There isn’t a single part of you that hopes to catch me off guard, steal the tech for yourself, and leave my body in the Wasteland.”
“Not while the Rowansmark threat remains.” I meet his gaze. “My brother destroyed my city and then murdered my friends as we traveled to Lankenshire. Now he’s taken Rachel hostage, and he won’t release her unless I show up at Rowansmark with the device.”
“That girl isn’t worth half the trouble she’s caused.”
My pulse pounds against my ears. “She hasn’t caused trouble. Rowansmark has. The tech, the murders, the destruction . . . it all goes back to them. You knew this would happen when you heard rumors of my father’s invention nineteen years ago. You know James Rowan can’t be trusted with this much power.” Neither can the Commander, but he won’t live long enough to try it. Not if Rachel and I have anything to say about it.
His angry expression turns thoughtful, though his sword remains steady. “You really do want to take down James Rowan.” He says the words like he’s trying them on for size.
“I do.”
“With me.”
“Yes. There are three armies waiting for us. At least one controller that is stronger than ours. And we’d be fighting on the terrain Rowansmark uses as a training ground. We need your credibility with the northern city-states to convince them to give us troops. We need your military expertise to win the war. And we need my ability to disarm the beacons, strengthen our device, and if I have time, replicate it.”
He leans closer, the blade sliding painfully against the scarred brand he gave me the first time I was his prisoner. “How do I know you won’t betray me the second I take off your chains and treat you like an ally?”
“Because I would do anything to save Rachel.” The words are heavy with conviction. With the one truth I have left. With Rachel.
