Page 99

I see one such fighter nock an arrow wrapped in oiled linen. He steers his horse toward a nearby tent, clearly intending to light his arrow on fire.

Since the moment I woke, I’ve been drowning in fear, but now, it is utterly eclipsed by a dormant, vengeful part of me. The same part of me that watched my mother die, my brotherdie, and my father die. The part of me that watched my sister disappear into smoke and darkness.

The part of me that was taken captive long ago.

All the pain and rage I’ve locked away like a prisoner flood down my arms, coiling as I set my sights on the enemy warrior.

I release it in a wordless burst, aiming across the way at him. I don’t know what I expect when it hits the mounted archer, but certainly not for it to cleanly cleave his head from his body.

For several seconds I stand there, horrified, as his head topples off and his torso slumps over, blood spraying out of the neck. I gag as I process what just happened, what I justdid.

But there are more mounted fighters rushing by, ones who hold more weapons and are using them to cut down civilians like myself. So when one such warrior gallops toward me, blade brandished, I wipe my mouth and straighten, my magic rising once more.

I’m still angry, still full of pain, and not even my horror can smother this burning violence inside me. When I was a child, I could not fight back. I could not protect my family or anyone else.

Now I can.

A cry rips from my throat and my magic lashes out, slicing through the oncoming rider. His horse rears up, fire glinting in its spooked eyes as half the man’s body tumbles off the saddle, his blood and innards spilling across the ground.

My nausea rises swiftly this time—too swiftly—and I turn and retch.

Killed them. I killed them.

Powerful queen, Memnon says down our bond.Protecting our people. I could not be prouder.

A sob slips from me, even as his words hold me together.Don’t you dare die on me, I tell him again.I’ve now seen just how easy it is to lose one’s life in battle.

Wouldn’t dream of it, Roxilana. But that threat goes both ways. Stay safe.

I nod.I will, I vow, despite having no business making promises on such things.

I take a deep breath, pulling myself together, then sprint down the winding paths that lead to the settlement’s main tent.

Around me, the city is a sea of flames, the heat so intense I begin to sweat from it.

I reach out a hand. “Douse the fire!” I incant.

My magic leaps from my hand, looking like another plume of fire-fueled smoke as it moves to the actual flames. Within moments, it smothers them.

I don’t have time to see more than that.

The clearing and the large tent beyond it are up ahead. People are streaming to it, and I can hear wails and whimpers coming from inside. Worse, a couple of enemy riders have discovered it and are circling around the structure.

Twenty paces ahead of me, one such fighter strikes down a mother and the small child she carries in her arms.

My shriek sounds unholy, and my power reacts without conscious intention, streaming out of me and splitting the warrior in two.

I dash to the woman and child, placing my hands on their bloody bodies. I don’t know how badly either of them are hurt.

“Heal their wounds, seal the skin,” I incant.

One of the other riders shouts, then points in our direction.

Must get to the tent.

Grabbing mother and child, I drag them with me toward the structure.

An arrow whizzes by, so close I hear it hiss near my ear.