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Blood trickled down my throat, staining my flesh in a river of crimson.
“I am sorry for this, Sage,” said a familiar voice that came from behind me.
“Arkyn?” I gritted through the pain swelling in my neck.
My question was answered with a sudden whoosh of air, before something collided with the back of my head, a sickening whack, a splintering of pain.
And I was rendered unconscious.
Iawakened, immediately aware of four things—the consistent throbbing in the back of my head, the piercing pain in my neck, the hard thing poking its slivers down the length of my back. As for the fourth? It was the abrasive rope that chewed into my flesh and strapped me in place.
My eyelids sprung open, reality setting in. My head dropped as I peered at the pile of kindling spread beneath my feet—dry kindling, the kind that burned within seconds.
I was caught in my own nightmare.
I’m strapped to a pyre.
Quiet,I hissed at my frantic mind. I needed to get my shit together and form a plan of some sort—if I had any hopes of making it out of this alive. I jerked my head up, looking at my surroundings for help. I was in the downtown square of Meristone—the typical spot for Cleansings. But unlike the other Cleansings, there was no crowd. There was only a platoon of soldiers stationed around the perimeter of the square, their backs to me.
I wiggled, testing my stubborn restraints. They were relentless in their hold against my mortal strength—I needed my Curse. Desperate, I reached, burrowing into that well, not caring which one came forth—water or fire, it did not matter.
Neither answered my call.
My power had been tamped down, like a roaring beast caught under a weighted net. That was when I remembered what was forced around my neck—the iron collar. It was to blame for my sudden loss of power.
I threw my head back, an irritated scream erupting from my throat.
Bootheels sounded, cutting me off.
“That’s it,” Arkyn said as he strolled towards me, his clothing perfectly tailored. That fucking pin he wore, the one stating that he was the king’s advisor, stared at me. “A bit louder next time so thathecan hear your call.”
“Why are you doing this?” I gritted out, staring daggers at him. I was a fool. Of course, he could do this—he had thrown me into the damned Endless Mist after all.
“In time, you will see that this was necessary,” Arkyn said, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.
“In time? Judging where I am, I don’t have much time left,” I said, struggling against my bonds, desperate to loosen their choking, restrictive hold. My wiggling stopped as I noticed what I was wearing—the official attire of the soon-to-be-Cleansed: the cheap white garb. I slammed my head back, half frustrated, half wild with fear.
Metal clanked upon metal, the improperly fitted armor screeching uncomfortably as a soldier stiffly walked up to Arkyn. I forgot about the awful sound as my attention locked onto what he carried in his metal gauntlet—a torch bursting with flame. He handed the torch to Arkyn.
Horrified, I watched the exchange.
Watched as Arkyn turned his sights on me.
Efficiently, he closed the distance between us, the torch lapping hungrily at the midnight air, prophesying my fate.
“Arkyn, listen, you don’t have to do this,” I pleaded, eyes wide as I stared at the torch. Every fiber of my being wished it would burn out, praying to the gods that it would.
“Unfortunately, I do,” he said, his gaze settled on me, determination in the straight line of his shoulders. He was a good soldier, after all, the king’s dog. No different from the rest of the cowards that wore the king’s colors.
I cursed them all.
Arkyn reached forward, preparing to light the kindling.
“Please. Just wait,” I begged, grappling with my reality. “I need to ask something first.”
“Alright.” His voice was remarkably calm. For the time, he paused what he was doing. I would have breathed a sigh of relief if the constricting rope granted me the ability to do so.
“The woman at the cottage. Where is she?” I asked, desperate to know where Ezra had ended up. If this was where my story ended, if this was the place I was destined to die, then I wanted to do so knowing that Ezra was safe.
