In the storefront of a rundown electronics store, old holoscreens played disjointed footage. Kalie paused in front of the window, looking for any glimpse of Selene or Mother. Most of them showed Marcus’s face, displaying headlines about the Dalian Senator’s assassination.ALL HOPE IS DEAD, one read, in bold letters.
Then her own face flashed across the screen, and her jaw dropped.
The footage was reporting her death.
A bitter chill raised the hair on her skin. She glanced over her shoulder—surely someone had seen it, they must’ve noticed her—but the street was empty. No one was looking at her face on the holoscreen. Pulling Ariah’s jacket on, she let out a slow breath and stuffed her hands in her pockets.
“—simply tragic. It’s no secret that I never saw eye to eye with Senator Pool or Duchissa Calida, but last night’s murders are a true tragedy.”
Kalie froze.
Thatvoice.
Her jaw clenched as she turned to the screen. Footage of Carik had replaced the image of her face.
Roaring filled Kalie’s ears. He wore a black suit, like he was mourning, and his face appeared open and genuine.
Liar, murderer?—
“Though the votes are still being counted, the Chairman of the Senate has granted me emergency powers due to this extreme act of terrorism. I know for some of you, I wasn’t your first choice, but I assure you I’ll do everything in my power to find the terrorists responsible for this heinous act and bring them to justice.”
Her lips pulled back into a snarl.
Howdarehe. Carik had murdered her family, and he had the nerve to pretend he was mourning their deaths. He had the nerve to call it a tragedy. He had the gods-damned, Zagan-cursednerveto use his crime as a justification for emergency powers, which would extend his term in the office that should’ve been Marcus’s.
Azura forgive her, but she wanted to kill him.
Her fists twitched at her side. For a moment, she considered smashing her fist through that window, shattering the holoprojector’s lens, silencing his speech. Then something crackled, and she jolted, tensing for an attack. A wire flickered between two low buildings, spitting embers into the filthy darkness.
Alone in the night, she gazed at the shadowy buildings in the rundown street and let out a shaky breath. Royal blood ran in her veins, but she was nothing now. Carik had slaughtered her fleet. He’d killed Aunt Calida in her own capital, where she’d been surrounded by her own guards, defended by armies sworn to die at her command. Carik was too powerful, and she—she was powerless. They’d been right all along.
Kalie’s shoulders fell. She couldn’t do anything. About Carik, about Selene, any of it.
As hushed voices carried down the street, she slunk into the shadows of the night.
With the dawnof the sun came people, crowding into the shabby streets. Hunched on the stoop of some foreign church, Kalie filtered through their muttered conversations. She was on Ravaris IV,apparently, in a town called Gher. She couldn’t help but be surprised at the level of hatred the people here harbored for Carik. It was all anyone could talk about—the stolen election, the assassination of a beloved Senator, the Senate Chairman’s decision to extend Carik’s term.
“Surely Dali won’t let this stand.”
“What choice do they have? Their monarch is dead?—”
“But their governor is alive, isn’t he? The old one?”
Kalie’s eyes flew wide.
The trio of voices moved out of range, and she shoved herself to her feet. Her joints ached and her numb feet stung, but she hurried after the women. As she burst around the corner, their voices reached her ears.
“—engine broke down on the way to the rally.”
“He could claim the throne, couldn’t he? Carik’s always been afraid of him?—”
“No, it has to go to a woman.”
Please, Kalie thought, staring at the back of their heads,please, please?—
“Didn’t Roth used to be in the Senate, though? Before Pool?”
Kalie gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth. One of the women might’ve turned, but she’d already ducked behind the wall of a seedy pawn shop.
