“Laila, listen—”
“No, Gideon. I willneverlisten to you again.”
“If you let me explain…”
Several soldiers filed in behind her. With them came Harrow. Even from the shadows, he felt the fury of her gaze burning him up.
No explanation would convince them, and he knew it.
Harrow stepped into the light. “All Rune has ever done is deceive you, Comrade. Witches are all the same. You should have learned this lesson by now.”
Looking at Harrow was like looking into a mirror. They both had been hurt by the witches they loved, and had let those wounds poison them.
“Aren’t you tired of this bitterness?” he asked her. “Aren’tyou sick of the hate? Those are easy, Harrow. What’s difficult is refusing to harden your heart despite having every reason to. Despite knowing the odds are against you.”
Rune had taught him that.
“Live in the darkness too long, and eventually you won’t recognize the light,” he told her. “You’ll become like the monsters you hate.”
She scowled, her face shuttering. Closing herself off. “You’re lost, Comrade.”
No. Gideon was the opposite of lost.
“You and I are free, Harrow. We’ve always been free. They can torture us, lock us up, leave us to rot—but our souls are still our own.Wedecide what we become. Not them.”
Harrow’s gaze darkened. As if she couldn’t stand to be in Gideon’s presence a second longer, she turned and strode from the room.
When she was gone, Laila said, “You know where Rune is, don’t you?”
Gideon said nothing.
“You can still turn this around. You can tell me, and we can stop her. Before Noah finds out.”
He studied his friend, whose eyes pleaded with him. Laila had a good, brave heart. He loved her like a sister. He didn’t want to force her hand.
But neither would he give Rune up.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Truly, I am.”
He watched her face fall. Watched her glance away and call for the soldiers behind her. Seconds later, half a dozen officers surrounded Gideon. When Laila gave the command, the men looked at each other, clearly reluctant to arrest their captain.
“Do as she says,” Gideon told them. “I intentionally deceived you to help a fugitive escape. Take me into custody.”
So they locked his wrists in irons and marched him to the palace.
PAIN EXPLODED IN GIDEON’Scheek. It was the third time Noah hit him across the face with the butt of a revolver, and his ears rang from the pain of the blows.
In his black uniform, the Good Commander towered over Gideon, who knelt on the floor before him.
“You deceived your soldiers to aid the Crimson Moth’s escape. I therefore convict you of sympathizing with witches.” Noah set the revolver on his desk. “As a revolution hero, it’s only fitting to execute you publicly. I’ll make an official announcement tomorrow. We’ll use you as an example.”
He stared down at Gideon, the derision plain on his face.
There had always been friction between them. Gideon guessed it was because of his close relationship with Nicolas Creed, Noah’s father. Gideon had always suspected Noah was jealous, but the suspicion had never been confirmed.
“I almost feel bad for you. Abandoned to your death by the girl you love.”
Noah nodded for two soldiers to take him to a cell. As they shoved Gideon forward, the Commander’s voice echoed behind him: “She was always out of your league, Sharpe.”
