“You, stand down. You are not to attack me or Idris. You are not to harm anyone unless I tell you to.”
He gave her a smile even as he froze to the spot.
“You can speak your mind,” she added, not wanting him to act like an empty vessel, devoid of conscience. “But don’t lie to me. You are forbidden from telling lies.”
His smile only widened.
“Mistress knows what she wants.” He inclined his head. “This belongs to you now. I was only intending to hand it over.”
Seraphina lowered the musket and took the Obedience Lattice from him.
Idris stepped to her side.
“What about the sentry?” he asked.
“Oh.” Seraphina turned to the soldier who was staring at his captain’s dead body. “You, go to bed. Don’t talk to anyone, and don’t tell anyone what happened here tonight.”
The young man turned on his heel and disappeared into the night. She didn’t know how long he’d remain in her thrall and follow her orders, which meant it was time for them to move.
“You understand this was necessary,” she told Idris.
He leveled her with a look she couldn’t interpret.
“We should go,” he said.
A truly depraved person would’ve killed the sentry as well. It was foolish to let him live. Maybe he wouldn’t speak tomorrow or the day after, but at some point, his mind would shake off the invisible shackles, and word would get to the Harvester himself about who she was and what she’d done. It was bad strategy. She’d go as far as to say it was signing her death sentence, but she’d gotten out of that a few times already.
She passed the lattice to Idris.
“You should keep it with the others.”
He only hesitated for a moment before folding it and placing it in his satchel. Both he and Seraphina noticed that the keybone wasn’t stained anymore. White and pristine. The stain had been the captain’s blood.
They found their way around the village, back to Bramble and the cart. Idris led, since he could see in the dark, and Nine didn’t seem to have issues seeing, either. Seraphina hung back, struggling in the snow, slipping on patches of ice. She held her skirt up, but the hem was dirty and soggy. She’d felt alert and powerful earlier, vibrating with the righteousness of her speech about the war, life purpose, and revenge, but it had all left hersystem. She felt weighed down by her actions and decisions. Her shoulders sagged, her feet were like heavy stones that required effort to move, her knees were weak, and there was something still lodged in her throat. Not a metaphorical knot, something physical that tingled and scratched. She coughed, the sound dry, rattling her chest. She swallowed quickly and often to try and hydrate her throat, but it was useless, the cough only intensified. She needed water, or better, a hot cup of beer.
“Are you all right?” Idris turned back for her and put a hand on her shoulder.
She was doubled over, hacking, unable to stop or even breathe. She nodded.
“It will pass.”
She allowed him to thread an arm around her waist and leaned against him as he helped her stand upright. The cart wasn’t far now, she just wanted to get out of the snow and curl up with a blanket. Despite the Hearthband she was wearing, she felt cold. There was a soreness in her muscles that hadn’t been there before.
Bramble greeted them with a nicker. Idris helped Seraphina up and tucked her in the back of the cart. She set her head on a folded blanket, eyes closing even as she knew she wouldn’t be granted sleep without torture. She was just so tired.
“You’re burning up,” Idris said, brushing hair out of her face.
“I’m fine. We need to put distance between–” She started coughing again, her eyes watering. She waved Idris off.
He shook his head and went to sit on his plank.
“And the revenant?” he asked.
“He can walk,” Seraphina said, wheezing. “Nine, you’ll walk next to the cart. You’re too heavy for Bramble to struggle with you too.”
“I don’t mind walking,” Nine said.
“Seraphina, that’s not very humane,” Idris said.
