by Kate L. Mary
I shifted in my seat, but Greer was there in a moment, his hand on my shoulder so I couldn’t move. The mention of Indra, of Lysander and his need for revenge, made my body hot with rage. I wouldn’t sit by and let it happen. They would have to kill me first.
“Leave her alone,” I growled when I was unable to get to my feet.
Saffron tilted her head to the side, her gray eyes narrowing on me. “You really do love her, don’t you? I noticed your preference for her, of course, but I never could have imagined something like this happening. It’s the exact thing we’ve worked to prevent for years, knowing that if the Fortis and the Outliers were to come together it could be the end of us.”
I said nothing, not feeling like her question deserved a response, and something about my silence seemed to anger her. She spun on her heel, her skirts swirling around her as she crossed the room in two quick strides. She ripped the electroprod off the table and flipped it on, and I only had a moment to register the hum before she was back in front of me, pressing the tip against my side.
“Answer me!”
Her demand was lost in my cry of pain as I went down, hitting the floor like the useless lump I was.
Another sound joined mine. Another groan of pain. It wasn’t until I’d rolled onto my back and saw Greer hunched over that I realized what had happened. He’d had his hand on my shoulder, and through the contact had received some of the shock as well.
“Well?” Saffron stood over me, frowning, the electroprod in her hand still humming with life. “Do you love Indra?”
“She’s my wife,” I managed to get out.
At that moment, with the pain buzzing through me and making my thoughts fuzzy, it didn’t seem like there was any way for her to use that information against me. As she stared down at me, though, a smile pulling up her lips, I found myself wondering if I had been wrong.
14
Asa
I was still on the floor, still writhing from the most recent electrical shock, when Lysander walked into the room.
The sight of the round man intensified the pain. Made me hot from the inside out. Made me curl my hands into fists and work to get up even as the throbbing grew. If I could gather myself, if I could regain control long enough, I could get one good punch in. Yes, I would pay for it, but it would be worth it just to see him bleed. To know he was hurting.
Only I couldn’t. The sizzle of electricity in my body was too much, and I had barely made it to my knees before dropping back to the floor. Curling my fists again, I closed my eyes and breathed.
In. Out.
In. Out.
I can do it. I can do it.
I couldn’t.
I pried my eyelids open to find Lysander’s gray eyes focused on me. “Shocked again? Can he handle much more?”
“It’s hard to say.” Saffron shrugged like it didn’t matter if I lived or died. “It’s a small current, but we’ve never shocked someone so much in such a short amount of time.”
“It will be a good test, then,” Lysander replied, his voice as devoid of emotion as his mother’s.
“You may have screwed up by waiting, but I believe I’ve come up with a way to fix your error.” Lysander’s jaw tightened, but Saffron waved whatever he was feeling away with a flick of her wrist. “I’ve learned something very interesting about our Fortis friend here.” She looked down at me, her eyes icy daggers. “Apparently, Indra has taken a new husband, and as luck would have it, he’s here. In the city.”
Lysander’s brows jumped in surprise. “A Fortis and an Outlier? Married?”
“So he claims.” She crossed her arms, still staring at me thoughtfully. “I was aware of his preference for her, aware that they often talked while working in the house. It’s possible something romantic was happening. It would even explain why he took sides with the enemy over his own people.”
Lysander ran his hand over his sweaty head, pushing the fine fibers of his hair back. “Unbelievable.”
“Not nearly as unbelievable as people living inside this city risking their lives to help the Outliers, and we already know that happened. This would only be a small stretch. After all, men wear their weakness inside their pants.” She lifted her brows in my direction before giving her son a knowing look. “And everyone in this room knows Indra has caught the eye of more than one man inside this city. Isn’t that right?”
“She does hold a certain amount of appeal,” Lysander agreed almost reluctantly.
I grunted, wanting to scream names at the asshole, but found words impossible. My brain was exploding; both with information and the aftereffects of the shocks I’d received, and it was difficult to grasp hold of the words I was looking for.
Saffron was still focused on her son. “I believe I have a plan now that I know Indra’s weakness.”
“Which is?” Lysander asked doubtfully.
The mistress jerked her head toward me, not taking her eyes off her son. “Her husband, of course. She already lost one husband inside the walls of this city. What do you think she would do to stop it from happening again? Surrender, perhaps? Sacrifice herself? We all know how weak love makes you.” Saffron rolled her eyes. “We’ve seen it time and time again with the Outliers.”
Lysander’s head bobbed, a thoughtful expression on his face. “We’ll have to get a message to her. How do you propose we go about doing that?”
“The Outlier woman, Xandra. We’ll send her back to the wilds with a warning, as well as a message for Indra. If she turns herself in and accepts the punishment for all her people, we’ll allow them to return to their positions in the city. We won’t wipe any more of them out. We’ll even allow her husband to live.”
Lysander scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I’m not serious, but it will work. You saw her the day her first husband died. You saw what it did to her. She will cave. She will come here, and when we have her, we can focus on crushing the Outlier army once and for all. She’s their leader. The Trelite man we captured told us that. Surely you must have heard the old saying about cutting the head off a snake?” Lysander gave a noncommittal shrug, and his mother rolled her eyes. “I honestly don’t know why I bother. If I’d been lucky enough to have a daughter, I wouldn’t have to put up with this incompetence. Not to mention that none of this would have happened to begin with.” She frowned at her son. “When things return to normal, you will keep your dick in your pants or, so help me, I’ll have it removed.”
Lysander paled at the threat, and even Greer took a step back, putting distance between himself and the woman whose cold expression left little doubt that she was serious.
Saffron turned her back to her son, her gaze once again focused on the map hanging over the fireplace. “Bring Xandra. We’ll send her off with a message. The Fortis man, too. We’ll call it a gesture of goodwill. One that will display our sincerity.”
“You’re just going to let them go?” Lysander asked in disbelief.
Saffron glanced over her shoulder, arching her brows in her son’s direction. “It makes no difference to us if they’re inside these walls or out. Before long, all the Outliers will be gone, and once they are, things will return to normal.”
By the time Xandra and Nyko were dragged into the study, I’d regained control of my body. Not that I’d moved from my position on the floor. Lysander was lounging in a chair, looking bored and annoyed, while Saffron stood motionless in front of the fireplace, the map of the old world behind her. I could have gotten up, but I chose instead to stay where I was and take Saffron’s advice by observing. By trying to find a weakness in these people.
As long as they had their technology, I wasn’t sure they had any.
Xandra looked only slightly more ragged than she had the last time I saw her, and to my relief, they’d given her a new uniform to wear.
Nyko, however, seemed to be struggling to stay on two feet, and based on the way his mouth twitched every few seconds, I guessed it was because he had been shocked ye
t again. It made sense. He was a big guy, bigger than the Fortis guards who’d dragged him into the house, and the rage flashing in his blue eyes made him look deadly. They probably hadn’t wanted to risk anything.
Both prisoners were pushed forward by the guards. Nyko dropped to his knees immediately, while Xandra stumbled like she was trying to stay on her feet but fell forward anyway. She landed next to me, but her gaze was on Lysander, and it didn’t seem as if she even noticed my presence.
“We’re sending you back to the wilds,” Saffron said.
Xandra’s gaze snapped toward the mistress, Lysander suddenly forgotten. “You are letting us go?”
Saffron spread her hands in front of her. “We’re not evil, Xandra. We’re only trying to survive. Just like you. It seems, however, that somewhere along the way things got confused, and right now my only goal is to get things back on track. So, we are sending you home with a message for Indra.”
“What kind of message?” Although Xandra’s tone didn’t give away what she was thinking, the expression of doubt in her eyes did.
At her side, Nyko glared up at Saffron like he was preparing for an attack. Part of me wanted him to do it, but another part of me knew it would get him nowhere and would only result in yet another shock from the electroprod.
“It’s simple.” Saffron stepped closer, moving so she was standing right in front of Xandra. “We will forgive the transgresses of the Outliers and allow them to return to the city as our servants. In exchange for our leniency, Indra will turn herself in. She alone will be punished. All the transgressions of the Outliers wiped clean with one death.” Saffron lifted a single finger and smiled down at Xandra. “It’s a good deal. It’s the best deal you will get.”
“Bullshit,” Nyko growled.
Saffron’s finger was still raised when she turned her gaze on him, her smile faltering but not disappearing. “You cannot win. Not only do we have the walls, but we also have the technology. You’ve already lost almost everything. Don’t be foolish.”
“Indra will never believe you,” Xandra said.
Saffron dropped her hand to her side. “A lot has happened, and she would be foolish not to be suspicious. We both know she’s no fool.” The twitch of her lips gave her away. She knew Indra was smart, but she also knew her weakness. “That’s why I’m also offering her husband.”
Xandra’s resolve wavered when her gaze moved to me. “Asa?”
“She already lost one husband inside the city, and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen again. If she comes here, if she accepts the punishment for the sins of all her people, I will let Asa go.”
Nyko swore again, but Xandra remained quiet, staring up at Saffron. It seemed as if the two women were engaged in a silent struggle of some sort, and when Xandra finally looked away, I wasn’t sure who had won.
“Do we have a deal?” Saffron asked.
Xandra let out a long sigh. “I will deliver your message.”
The Sovereign woman smiled. “Very good.”
15
Indra
We met at midday in the clearing, the other Heads and I. Mira accompanied me, along with Atreyu and Tris.
Learning from my encounter with Emori, I had decided to assemble my council. I would need the support, not just now but in the future as well, and these were the three people I knew and trusted the most. It pained me not to have Xandra at my side, as did the knowledge that I had chosen none of the former Fortis men and women, but I told myself it was only the beginning. As we moved forward and grew, I would add to my group of trusted advisors. There was time. After we defeated the Sovereign.
Even as the thought went through my head, the nagging in my stomach reminded me that we were promised nothing in this life, least of all the time to accomplish the things that needed to be done. But I pushed the worries aside, knowing the current problem was what I should focus on.
Like me, the other Heads seemed aware of how precarious our position had become, and the mood felt ominous despite the bright sun shining down on us from above. The trees, now green with leaves, provided some protection from the rays, but not enough. My skin was moist with sweat, reminding me that spring would soon give way to summer, and the heat from the wastelands would intensify. It would make a battle more difficult, would put us at risk of exposure and dehydration. The animals inhabiting the wastelands and the cliffs would be more active, too. Grizzard attacks would be more likely, and the lygan would venture from their homes more often in search of food. Whatever we were going to do, we needed to decide soon.
“We must find a weakness,” I told Roan and Ontari. “Either in the city walls themselves, or in the Sovereign.”
As usual, Zuri had accompanied her husband to the meeting, while Ontari, for the first time, had come alone. Everyone felt the absence of Arkin, but to the Huni Head’s credit, she managed to hold onto her strength despite the pain she was most definitely feeling as his loss.
“I thought we had,” Roan replied. “The Sovereign were dependent on the Fortis, so we took them out. It did nothing to help our position.”
“I know. It is an outcome we could not have predicted, but there must be something else. Something we can use against them.” I turned to the people from my tribe, focusing on Atreyu. “You have been in the city more recently than any of us. You know the Sovereign’s state of mind since I attacked Lysander. Is there anything you can tell us about what things have been like?”
Atreyu shifted at the sudden attention. “Things changed after our tribe was wiped out. Most of it you know, but there were other things, too. The Sovereign were less relaxed. They struck out at the Fortis more frequently than before. They used the electroprods daily.”
“They are afraid,” Mira said.
“Yes,” Atreyu replied. “They feel powerless.”
“But they are not powerless,” Ontari pointed out. “We saw an example of their power. We know what they can do.”
“But only if their electricity is still working,” I said, suddenly feeling as if we had come full circle. In all our planning, it seemed to always come back to the electricity. “We need to destroy the mirrors.”
“If we go to the tower now, the Sovereign and remaining Fortis will see us.” Roan shook his head like he thought it was impossible. “By now they know we have united and that not all of us perished in the valley. They will be on the lookout for us. We cannot get to the tower and mirrors without passing the city, and if we do, we will be discovered. And most likely wiped out the way our people in the valley were yesterday.”
“That is a risk,” I said quietly.
“It is a risk we cannot take,” Zuri replied. “Not only will we be spotted, but it will leave the untouchables vulnerable.”
I thought of the bubble over the city, how it had distracted us just long enough to make us susceptible to the Sovereign’s weapon. How I had realized almost too late that the Sovereign were only buying time.
“We need a distraction,” I murmured. “Something the Sovereign can focus on while we knock out the mirrors. We only need enough time for the power to go out. Once it does, they will not be able to stop us. We have more people. We are more prepared. Without their electroprods, they will have only the remaining Fortis to keep them safe.”
“What can we possibly do that would be a big enough distraction?” Mira asked.
I shook my head because I had no answer to that question, and silence fell over us. There had to be a way.
Only a moment had passed when a rustle in the trees pulled my attention from those around me, and I drew an arrow, notching it on instinct. It could be nothing more than a forest rodent, or it could be a Fortis hunting party, sent by the Sovereign to find us.
Or, with how things were going, it could be Emori. I knew she would eventually show up, anxious to finish the job of sending me to the afterlife.
The branches of a nearby bush swayed, and a snap echoed through the forest, seemingly loud compared to the quiet songs of the rawlin si
tting high above our heads. Around me, the other Outliers had their weapons drawn as if as certain as I was that we were about to face doom.
A figure emerged, holding another one up, and for a moment my mind could not register what I was seeing. I blinked three times, but still could not come to terms with it. Not until Mira had rushed forward did I accept what was in front of me.
“Xandra!” my friend gasped. “Nyko!”
My bow was down, my arrow on the ground, but still I did not move. Xandra’s sudden appearance made my heart swell, while at the same time my stomach dropped at the sight of Nyko at her side.
Where was Asa?
Xandra was barely on her feet, supported by the large Fortis man, and it was not until she fell to forest floor that I snapped out of it. I dropped my bow and rushed forward, falling to my knees at my friend’s side. Mira was already next to her, already checking her over, but I knew she would need more. She needed a healer.
Kale, the Mountari’s healer, had died in the valley, but the Huni had people who could help.
I looked around, finding Ontari in the crowd of people. “We need a healer.”
“I will get help.” She took off, and in seconds had disappeared through the trees.
A hand grabbed mine, bony and weak, and I turned to find Xandra’s gaze on me. One of her eyes was swollen shut, but the other brimmed with tears as she whispered, “Gaia.”
“Yes,” I said, keeping my voice soothing. This time when I looked around, I was searching for Atreyu. “Gaia. You must go to the caves and find Gaia.”
My childhood friend had been understanding and patient since returning from prison and finding our tribe so different, but I knew the idea of Gaia and Xandra was something he had not yet grown used to. To his credit, however, he did not argue before taking off in the opposite direction as Ontari.
Once he was gone, I turned my focus back on Xandra. “How bad is it?”
