Page 62

Each cart held three bodies, pale and covered in sheets. Only their faces were visible, covered in painfully familiar dark markings.

My throat closed as I stared at them.

Cart after cart of bodies were wheeled up the road towards the fortress … one hundred and five souls.

"Are they —" but the word wouldn't come.

"Don't worry," Frexin chuckled. "They're not dead yet. You may watch for a bit while I sort out the mess you made."

I felt a slight relief as she walked away, but it was short-lived.

Mrs. Harlsted sobbed softly nearby, and I forced myself to turn and look at the others.

Most of them stared down in horror, but Liam's eyes darted from cart to cart, expression heartbroken as he found what he was looking for …

I followed his gaze, heart racing.

Sure enough, the familiar forms of Gram and Mirrim lay beneath a sheet, seemingly lifeless, as they were jostled on that rickety cart.

I looked back at Liam.

His breath was ragged as his hands clenched andunclenched repeatedly at his sides, and my stomach twisted.

His green eyes met mine, wild and full of too many emotions to name …

My fault. It was all my fault.

My body shook as the shame and guilt broke through, and I looked away — forcing myself to stare down at the people I'd hurt.

Gram, Mirrim, the others — I'd put them in that state … I'd been too weak to stop the monster, and now they were —

I held a shaking hand to my chest, unable to finish the thought as I struggled to breathe.

If only — if only I'd died in Gleyma … or Karemi. Or on the Isle when the relic attacked the stronghold.

Then none of this would have happened, and they'd all have been safe.

"Stop it," Liam snapped. "Stop spiraling and look at me."

The authority in his voice pulled my attention, and I looked up, vision blurry.

"What?" I croaked.

"Remember what I told you —" he snapped, eyes red, jaw tight as he ignored everything around us. "Hold it together, Kaiya. We need you to hold it together."

I tried to blink through tears welling up in my eyes — but they just kept coming.

His words, though … there wasn't even a hint of blame in them.

How —

I dug my nails into my palms, trying to ground myself against the emotions surging within me.

He was wrong about the blame, but Ididneed to pull it together. Now wasn't the time for a pity party.

I could do that later.

Right now, I needed to focus on getting everyone out of herealive.