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“That’s still treason, Keris.” She wiped the tears from her face. “And if I’m to be executed, it won’t be for inaction. If I’m to die, it’s going to be righting my wrongs.”
“No! I won’t let you!” Lamplight glittered off the tears on his face. “I won’t let you die!”
“It’s not your choice.” She took a step back. Then another.
“What about Valcotta?” he shouted. “What about all the good you would do as its empress? What about the lives that would be saved if it was you who ruled?”
“A dream.” She bit her lip, grief rolling over her in violent waves. “Whereas this is reality. I love you, Keris, but you can’t stop me from doing this.” She took another step back. “My ships will set sail in a matter of hours, so don’t think there is a way to stop me, because there isn’t. I told you I need to do things that I believe areright, because that’s the only way I can honor myself.”
“Zarrah, please.” He dropped to his knees. “I’m begging you, don’t do this. Please don’t do this. I can’t lose you.”
Her heart fractured into a million pieces, but her resolve remained whole. “Goodbye, Keris. May we meet again in the Great Beyond.”
And with him screaming her name, Zarrah walked away.
81
KERIS
“Zarrah!”
He didn’t care if anyone heard, if all of fucking Nerastis heard, because he needed to stop her. Needed to keep her from making this decision. Needed to save her.
Even if that meant saving her from herself. Because he goddamned refused to let her die.
But she didn’t stop. Didn’t turn around. Just kept walking and walking until the glow of her lantern was out of sight and his voice was hoarse.
Go after her.
Keris backed down the dam, eyeing the gap of the spillway, the far side cast in shadows.
It’s too far.
“It’s not too far,” he snarled to himself. “You’ve jumped farther.”
And there was no other way to reach her. The river was being watched byhis men,and without his horse, he’d never make it around the lake in time to stop her from boarding that ship. This was the only way. Because he wouldn’t let her die.
He broke into a sprint, gaze fixed on the far side, his lantern marking the place he needed to jump.
Thud.
The sickening sound of his brother hitting the ground filled his ears, and Keris flung his weight backward, skidding on his heels, then falling on his ass right at the edge.
He pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to force himself back to his feet. Trying to force himself to try again. But the same sound repeated over and over in his head, and he couldn’t move.
All his life he’d spent climbing, and never once had he been afraid. But now terror consumed him.
Breathe,he ordered himself, lifting his head to stare at the spillway. Breathing and breathing until logic and reason andcontrolreturned.
Think.
It was too far to jump. All he’d accomplish was plunging into the waterfall to be dashed against the rocks below. He couldn’t stop her from boarding that ship and setting sail.
But maybe there was another path.
Rising to his feet, Keris turned north. The only way to prevent Zarrah from committing treason was to eliminate the opportunity. Which meant ensuring Vencia was well defended enough to ruin the Empress’s plans to sack it, as well as withdrawing Maridrinian forces from Ithicana, which would remove Zarrah’s need to fight on Aren’s behalf.
Except Zarrah was right: His fatherwouldrisk Vencia before willingly relinquishing the bridge. It was the obsession that had dominated his life, and he finally had it in his grasp. What were the lives of everyone in Vencia compared tothat?
