“After yesterday… we can’t rule out the possibility that Aran’s been coerced into joining our enemy.”
Silence fractured as a murmur rolled through the room.
“Which means the plan’s fucked!” a voice rang out, raw with panic.
“Which meanswe’refucked,” someone snarled back.
“Yes,” Jorek said, steady as a blade. “But we’ll still leave tomorrow morning to join the Wardens, and we’ll decide then whether to continue or change course. This is what we have to count on. Losing. Losing friends, losing family—they’re sacrifices made for freedom. But their deaths will not be in vain.”
His emerald eyes locked on mine.
“I heard about your brother,” he said. It wasn’tI’m sorryormy condolences. Just… acknowledgment. I don’t think he really cared. It felt more like he knew he needed me, and was hoping I hadn’t spent the past day sobbing instead of dutifully baking bread, like I promised.
I swallowed. My throat felt dry and brittle, like burned crust.
“The bread is in the cart,” I said.
Eryx walked over to check, and started quietly counting.
Jorek continued. “The Eredians are retreating. I got word—two of them were killed last night. They’re licking their wounds, going to that ceremony and we’ll use that. We’ll use their arrogance, to take them out.”
Eredians?TwoEredian soldiers, killed? I didn’t believe it. They’d seemed invincible until then, but someone had taken two of them out.
Then I thought of the bloody axe. No. Not my father. They had rifles. He couldn’t have—unless they never saw him coming.
“They didn’ttakeAran,” Vidar muttered.
Everyone turned toward him.
“He joined them.”
“You don’t actually think that?” Idalie gasped.
“He was there.” I managed, steadying my voice the best I could. “Aran was there when they killed my brother. He just watched.”
I saw it again. Thatnoise, not a gunshot, not to me. It was the sound of the world ending. And then Einar falling. The blood soaking through his shirt, dark and thick. The way he looked at me.
Will wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be here,” he whispered. “No one would blame you.”
But I would.
Because if I stopped moving, I would collapse. And I didn’t think I’d be able to get back up again.
“Maybe Selma and Nora joined too,” Eryx boasted. “We don’t know. Maybe they went willingly.”
“Willingly?” Idalie’s voice snapped across the room. “You think Selma just packed a bag and joined them? Why would she do that? She hates those vultures more than anyone.”
“Then explain it,” Eryx said. “Either they’re dead, or they’ve switched sides. I don’t know which one’s worse.”
“Or they’re being tortured for information right now,” someone said.
Thatwould definitely be the worst option.
Will and I sat on the porch long after the others had left. I guess I didn’t want to go home.
It had been decided. They’d leave at first light.
