I hadn’t expected to say it.
But here we are.
“It’s important to not show our hands too early, friends,” I continue. “We must bide our time. Allow them to believe she is their beacon of hope.”
“And we’re just supposed to trust you?” a voice rings out. “You’re one of them!”
Silence descends over the crowd, and my jaw tics. I raise my hands out to the side. “If you have an issue with my leadership, you’re more than welcome to come up here and take it from me. I’m nothing if not fair.”
No one moves a muscle, and I let the quiet linger, my eyes scanning the crowd to see who dares to think they can question me. “Don’t be a coward now, when your voice was just so loud.”
I continue to gaze out, my stare locking on a young man with torn clothing and dusty-red hair, his jaw set as he looks up at the balcony.
“It’s an admirable trait and an honest question.” I wave my hand toward him, annoyance pricking against my skin. “Come forward. Stand here, at the front where everyone can see you.”
His body stiffens, but he ambles through the crowd until he’s in front of them all, forced to crane his neck in order to maintain our eye contact.
I smile. “Have I not given enough to earn your trust? How many times do I need to prove my worth?”
“It’s been two years,” he implores, shaking his head.
“It’s been far longer for me. And we’re speaking of treason. Enough to kill us all with one wrong move.” I raise my fingers in the air and snap. Edward moves through the throng of people, carrying the corpse of Antony Scarenbourg—commander of the king’s army.
Excited murmurs roll through the air like thunder.
“Do not make the mistake of believing that when I’m not with you, I’m not fighting for you.”
The redheaded man’s eyes widen as Antony’s body drops at his feet, his uniform burned and his skin blue from rigor mortis.
Edward moves again, and I stand still, waiting as he grabs a bucket of kerosene and walks back, preparing to dump it on the corpse.
“Let him do it,” I say, pointing at the fool who questioned my authority.
Edward glances up at me before nodding and passing the bucket off.
The young man stares down for long moments, taking in the singed and nearly unrecognizable insignia on Antony’s chest, his face growing angrier by the second. And then he tips the bucket, allowing the liquid to pour onto the body, splashing off the ground and puddling around his feet.
Hoots and hollers from the rebels accompany his actions.
My eyes meet Edward’s and unspoken words pass between us. This man will not live to see another sunset.
But for now, I’ll allow him this moment. It’s good for morale.
Pulling a matchbox from my cloak’s pocket, I strike a flame against the side.
“Brute force can win a war,” I start, heat dancing against my fingertips. “But our strength is in patience. In planning. That is what topples empires. Together we rule, divided we fall.”
Antony’s body explodes into flames when I drop the match, the smell of burning flesh potent as it curls in the air as smoke.
“Down with Michael Faasa!” someone yells.
“Death to the king!” others chime in.
“We move soon, friends.” I smile. “Stay prepared.”
CHAPTER 15
Sara B.
I’ve been here for a week, but this is the first time I’ve ventured outside of the castle walls into the actual town of Saxum. A clock tower sits in the center of the square, and businesses line both sides of the cobblestone streets, brand-new, shiny lampposts accenting the sidewalks. I’ve never seen a streetlight in person before, and my insides churn as I realize just how prosperous the main area of Saxum is while Silva struggles without.
Michael and I have been sitting inside The Chocolate Gorge; a patisserie that’s known for making the best sweets in the region. Timothy, Xander, and my ladies perch at a table across the room from us, and a few royal guards line the entrance, but other than that, there’s no one here.
“Is it always this empty?” I ask, pushing my dessert plate away.
Michael smirks, his slicked-back brown hair gleaming under the lights. “Couldn’t have the commoners interrupting when I’m trying to woo you.”
My chest pinches as I peer out the front windows where half a dozen people line up around barricades, trying to glance inside to see their king.
“Do you come here often?”
He shrugs. “Not since I was a child. My father used to bring Tristan and me here once in a blue moon.”