by Amy Tintera
“I won’t argue with you about this,” August said sharply. “There is no greater threat to Olso than the Ruined, and I’m here to destroy them. My offer to you is this: Abandon whatever alliance you’re forming with the Ruined and align yourself with me instead. You’ve heard that the people of Vallos have joined me?”
“I have.”
“Join us in standing against the Ruined, and we’ll sign a peace treaty immediately. We won’t leave until we’ve completely eliminated the Ruined threat from Lera. After that, no one from Olso will ever set foot in Lera again without your permission. And you may have Vallos.”
Cas barked out a laugh. “That is not yours to give.”
“I’ve spoken with the Vallos royal council. They’ve been in chaos since Mary was murdered. They’ve agreed that you may rule Vallos, if the Ruined threat is eliminated. You may also take Ruina, if you want it. I’d be willing to work out an agreement for the mines there.”
“My father would have liked this deal very much,” Cas said quietly. He could almost feel his father standing beside him, staring at Cas with mounting disdain.
“It’s a very good deal,” August said, like he thought Cas was actually considering it.
“You’ll let me have Em, but what makes you think she’d still want me after I betrayed her like this?”
“She won’t have anyone else.” August shrugged. “Besides, you forgave her once.”
August really didn’t know Em at all. Cas couldn’t help but feel a bit smug about that.
“No,” Cas said. “I’ve formed an alliance with the Ruined, and I won’t break it. If you’d like to join us in fighting Olivia and the Ruined standing with her, I’m open to that.”
August’s eyes flashed. “I won’t align myself with any Ruined.”
“Then we have nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t think you understand. If you decline this offer, we will come after you. I won’t allow you to keep Ruined in your castle.”
Annoyance flared in Cas’s chest. “I didn’t ask your permission.”
August opened his mouth. Shut it. He took a deep breath, like he was trying to remain calm. “We can easily stamp out the Ruined if we do it together. With your army and Olso technology, they won’t stand a chance. I know that you have feelings for Emelina, but you need to think of your people first.”
“I am thinking of my people. They include the Ruined, and I won’t kill my own people. Not to mention, the Ruined are incredibly powerful allies. You know that. You tried to secure that alliance yourself.”
“Em betrayed me,” August said through gritted teeth.
She’d betrayed him for Cas. He felt smug again.
“She’ll betray you, too,” August said with a hint of desperation.
“Are we done, then?” Cas asked.
August stared at him with growing disbelief. He’d actually expected Cas to take the deal, it seemed. Like he would sell out all the Ruined in exchange for Em.
“You’ll regret this,” August barked. “Warriors are pouring into your country every day to join my army. I will kill the Ruined and take your kingdom.” He said it with barely contained rage, his eyes shooting daggers at Cas.
Cas was probably supposed to feel fear. That seemed to be what August was going for. But the man shaking with anger in front of him just didn’t seem all that scary. In fact, he reminded Cas of his father, all blind hatred and no ability to think strategically.
Cas considered saying something flippant, or mean, to let August know just how much he didn’t fear him. But he almost felt sad for the man.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cas said quietly, and stepped back. “I hope you find peace, August, even if it isn’t with me.” Then he turned and walked away.
THIRTY-ONE
AREN FOLLOWED BETHANIA down the winding dirt road that led to the prison, Galo beside him. It was the middle of the night, and Aren could barely make out her features in the dark.
“Just head that way,” Bethania said, pointing straight ahead, though he couldn’t see the prison yet in the darkness. The dirt road was flanked by thick, tall trees on either side, and he couldn’t see anything at the end of the road.
But Aren would have known where the prison was, even if she hadn’t indicated. He could sense the large group of humans, tucked away from the rest of the population of Olso. He was surprised he could tell the difference, since there were homes full of people only a few streets over, but he felt like his power to sense humans was sharpening, the longer he was around them.
“Thank you,” Aren said to Bethania. “For all your help.”
“I’m not sure I helped much, but you’re welcome.” She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. “I’ll wait at the meeting spot. If you’re not there by dawn, I’m leaving. You understand that you can’t come to my house with Iria? They’ll be all over me after she escapes.”
“I understand,” Aren said. “We’ll be at that meeting spot in less than an hour.” He said it with a certainty he wasn’t sure he felt. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he kept grabbing Galo’s wrist to steady his power.
Bethania turned and quickly walked away. Aren watched her back as she disappeared into the darkness.
“Ready?” Galo asked.
Aren let out a slow breath. “I guess.”
“That doesn’t instill much confidence.”
He glanced at Galo and quickly turned away. He was terrified he wouldn’t be able to protect Galo once they got inside. The strength of his terror was surprising—he hadn’t realized he cared that much.
“You’re sure you don’t want to stay here? I’ve been with you all day, so my power may hold up until I can get to Iria.”
“Just come on,” Galo said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Apparently he didn’t share Aren’s fears.
Aren strode ahead of Galo as they walked. The prison came into view a few minutes later. The structure was as Bethania described—a large square building with a tower in the center, surrounded by a courtyard, and three smaller buildings scattered on the grounds. There was an iron fence surrounding the entire property, with tips that would be rather painful if he landed on them.
Bethania had said a lookout was stationed in the center tower, but usually only when the prisoners were outside. Aren couldn’t see it clearly enough to confirm that it was empty.
They jogged to the fence. Galo leaned down, letting Aren use his back to hoist himself up. Aren grasped the iron bars and carefully swung one leg, then the other, over the fence, and jumped to the ground. The hard fall reverberated through his legs, and he took a moment to steady himself.
He raised his eyebrows at Galo, asking if he was ready, and Galo nodded. Aren used his Ruined magic to lift Galo off the ground, over the fence, and set him down gently on the other side.
They took off running to the north door. A guard stood in front of it, hands stuffed in his pockets, his back to them.
“Wall breach!” a voice shouted from somewhere above Aren. That tower must have been occupied after all.
The guard at the door whirled around. He gasped and reached for the club at his waist.
Aren threw the guard back against the wall, pinning him there with one stare. He grabbed Galo’s wrist as they ran closer, though he wasn’t even sure he needed to. His power hummed inside of him peacefully, like it wasn’t bothered by Aren’s sudden use of it.
“Get the keys,” Aren said, releasing Galo. “I’ve got him.”
The guard’s eyes widened, his body shaking as it remained pinned to the wall.
Galo grabbed the keychain off the guard’s belt. There were five or six keys on the chain, all different shapes and sizes.
“Which one?” Aren asked the guard as Galo hurriedly tried a key.
The guard just stared at him wide-eyed, even though he was perfectly capable of talking.
Aren dared a glance over his shoulder. There were no footsteps, but he feared most of the guards were inside. It would be much eas
ier for the guards to face them inside the prison, and they knew it.
“Found it,” Galo said as the door swung open. A long, dark hallway stretched out in front of them.
Aren grabbed Galo’s arm, pulling him back so he could go in first. He glanced at the guard and tossed him clear across the courtyard, a yelp sounding in the distance as he hit the ground. Aren stepped into the hallway.
“Keep your eyes open,” he said quietly to Galo.
They hurried down the pitch-black hallway. Above him, Aren could hear the sound of running footsteps. The guards were coming for them.
Light poured out of a door to his left, and he glanced in. A deserted dining room. To his right was a closet, half open and full of food trays.
Aren slowed as they reached the end of the hallway and found a door. He pressed his ear to it, trying to hear if there was anyone on the other side. It was quiet.
He pushed on the door. It didn’t move. He pushed harder. Nothing. Galo pressed his shoulder to it.
A loud pop sounded from behind Aren. He whirled around. Guards stood at the end of the hallway, throwing something that looked like rocks.
Pop-pop-pop. Light exploded from the rocks. Smoke engulfed the area around Aren and Galo, clouding Aren’s vision.
Panic crept into his chest. If he couldn’t see, he couldn’t fight the guards.
He faced the door again and shoved it. It moved slightly, like it was being held by someone or something on the other side.
“Galo, on the count of three!” He counted down and slammed his body against the door as hard as he could. Galo grunted as he pushed.
The door suddenly gave way, and Aren tumbled through, hitting the ground hard on his back. The tip of a sword appeared in front of his face.
He tilted his head back to see the owner of the sword poised at his throat. A woman scowled down at him. He felt cool metal against his skin.
He shot her up to the ceiling, her body hitting it with a crack. She tumbled back to the ground, falling on top of another guard. There were at least ten that Aren could see.
Smoke was spilling into the hallway from behind him, and Aren whipped his head to the right to find Galo. He was on his knees, his sword in front of him as he tried to fend off an attack from two guards.
Aren jumped to his feet, shooting the guards down the hallway. He threw the rest overhead, leaving them to hover there above them as he grabbed Galo’s arm and took off. He heard the bodies drop as they ran.
He jumped over the guards at the end of the hallway. One man scooted back against the wall, hands raised in surrender.
They exited the hallway and found a large, round room. There were four different doors leading out of it, including the one behind him. If Bethania was right, the door directly to his left led to the solitary cells.
He took a step in that direction. Galo had closed the door to the hallway behind them and was pressing his back against it. Aren gestured for him to step aside.
Aren opened the door. Two guards were getting to their feet. He rooted them in place and crooked his finger at the surrendering guard, still sitting with his back pressed to the wall. Aren didn’t give him a chance to come willingly—he pulled him to his feet with his Ruined magic and forced him to walk forward.
“Iria,” Aren said once the man was right in front of him. “Where is she?”
The man pressed his lips together, his eyes darting to the right.
“Is she still in solitary?” Aren asked. “Keep in mind I’d be happy to come back and rip your head off if you don’t tell me the truth.”
The man shook his head vigorously. “Not anymore. They moved her to the general population yesterday. That door.” He pointed to the right.
Aren’s heart dropped. “Which cell?”
“Umm . . . I don’t remember the exact number. Upper level, in the middle.”
Aren grabbed the keys off the guard’s belt. “Do these open the cell doors?”
He shook his head.
“Does one open the outer door?”
The guard reached out a shaky hand to point at a large, square key. Aren released his hold on the man, shoved him back into the hallway, and pushed the door shut.
Aren turned to find guards flooding the round room from all entrances. He took a step back and let out a breath, trying to steady himself.
He pushed his Ruined magic out with such force that he almost stumbled. The walls shook as bodies slammed against them. Behind him, he heard Galo take in a deep breath. He touched Aren’s arm, like he was checking to see if that had weakened him, but Aren felt stronger than ever.
He cleared the guards from in front of the door with one sweep of his hand and stuck the key in the lock. He stepped inside.
THIRTY-TWO
IRIA’S EYES POPPED open. Someone was yelling. Not the usual yelling from the other inmates she’d already grown accustomed to—this was wild, panicked yelling.
She sat up in bed, ducking her head to avoid hitting it on the bunk. Above her, she heard her roommate stir, and she tensed. Her eye seemed to throb a little harder at the sound. A nasty bruise had formed where Julia had socked her.
“We need more smoke bombs! Get the—” The voice cut off with a scream, followed by a loud bang.
“What is going on out there?” Julia mumbled sleepily.
Iria stood and walked to the bars of her cell. Her fingers shook as she wrapped them around the bars.
She was almost scared to hope.
“Iria!” Aren’s voice ripped through the yells.
Her body almost collapsed with relief. “Aren!” she yelled, sticking her arm through the bars.
He shouted her name again, excitedly, and she waved, hoping he could see it.
A hand roughly yanked her back. Julia pulled her into the cell, twisting her around and shoving her against the wall. Iria curled her fingers into fists.
“Aren!” Iria yelled.
Julia went to put a hand over Iria’s mouth, but Iria batted it away. She threw a punch, hard, and Julia stumbled backward.
Julia regained her balance quickly and slammed her body into Iria’s, shoving her forearm into her neck. She gagged.
The arm disappeared from her neck as a loud crack echoed through the room. Julia screamed, stumbling backward as she cradled her arm to her chest.
Iria looked up. Aren stood in front of her cell. He appeared even better than she remembered—strong and confident and looking at her like he’d never been so happy to see someone in his entire life.
But worry crossed his features for just a moment as he took in her appearance. He opened his mouth.
“I’ve got it!” a voice yelled before Aren could speak. A familiar Lera guard ran to Aren, holding up a key. “I think this is it.”
Iria gaped at Galo. What was a Lera guard doing in Olso?
Galo stuck the key in the lock. The door swung open.
Iria stared at Aren and completely forgot her disappointment and anger. She limped across the cell as fast as she could and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist so tightly he lifted her off the ground.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I should have come sooner.”
She shook her head, afraid that if she tried to talk she’d burst into tears. She didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t sure he was going to come at all.
“Aren, to your left,” Galo said.
Aren quickly released her and turned. A line of ten guards ran up the stairs.
Aren settled his gaze on them, and they all tumbled back down at once and landed in a heap at the bottom.
Aren took her hand, glancing down at her bandaged foot.
“I . . . I can’t run very fast.” Her voice shook, and she wished it hadn’t.
“That’s fine. I can carry you on my back when we get outside.” He gripped her hand a little harder, and she could tell he wanted to say something, maybe ask how she was. She looked away.
Aren reached around her and closed the cell door,
locking Julia inside. Her roommate glared at them, still cradling her arm to her chest.
Aren pulled on Iria’s hand gently as he started running, glancing at her as though to ask if the pace was comfortable. Pain shot through her foot, but it was bearable. Especially if it meant getting out of here.
She let go of Aren’s hand to grasp the railing and limp down the stairs. The bodies of guards were scattered across the floor, some of them dead, but most of them with broken arms or legs. A few ran in the other direction when they spotted Aren coming back.
“Can we go out that door?” Galo asked, pointing to the right. Cells stretched out in either direction, and there was a door at both ends of the room. The left door led straight to the front of the prison, right into the laundry and a mess of hallways she hadn’t had a chance to figure out yet.
Aren shook his head. “Let’s go out the front. Less chance they can trap us.”
They took off again, Aren launching guards against cell doors as they went. The prisoners were screaming and shaking the bars of their cells, and Iria felt a blast of panic shoot up her spine. If Aren failed, she’d be dead by tomorrow. Maybe in the next few minutes. The guards could certainly use an escape attempt as an excuse to kill her.
They reached the door that led to the front lobby, and it was locked when Aren tried it the first time. She had to bat down another swell of panic. But he pulled out a chain of keys and easily slid the right one in.
They ran into the big circular lobby and Aren headed straight for the front door. Through the windows, she could see guards lined up, waiting for them.
Aren fixed his gaze on them through the window, tossing them so far Iria wasn’t even sure where the bodies landed. When he opened the door, there was nothing but bare grass in front of them, all the way to the fence.
Aren crouched down in front of her. “Get on my back.”
She circled her arms around his neck and he reached back and grabbed her thighs as he stood. He broke into a jog and headed for the fence.
He let her down when they reached it, and Galo gave him a boost over. Aren used his Ruined magic to pull her and Galo over, and offered his back to her again when she was on the ground. She climbed on.
