Page 138 of Scorched Earth

All eyes went to Lydia, then back to Ria.

“A tragedy, truly. Mudamora was robbed when that monster stole Serrick’s light from us.” Ria lifted a handkerchief to her eyes to dry false tears. “I have his letter here if you wish to read it. It has been verified by the lords and ladies present as written in his hand. He… Well, I do not wish to cause strife, but he claims that you were marked by Yara yet begged him to hide your gifts so that you would not have to serve. Allowing you to do so was his greatest regret, and he did not want the heir to House Rowenes to be faithless.”

All the color drained from Malahi’s face. “He made me hide my mark. I didn’t want to. This is lies.”

Ria made a small noise of sympathy that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Malahi’s telling the truth,” Killian snapped. “She told me about her mark after I came into her service, and also that Serrick had made her swear to hide it. This is nothing but his resentment toward the Marked revealing itself, and the Great Houses should not allow this mockery of our laws to stand.”

“Serrick died from blight poisoning,” Lydia said, though it was apparent their protests were doing little good. “He rose as one of the Corrupter’s puppets before my very eyes, so I think it possible that this letter was written not by Serrick but the Seventh himself.”

Ria ignored her. “Malahi hid her gifts. To do so is not only faithless but a crime.”

“You misrepresent circumstances in the pursuit of power!” Malahi retorted. “My father—”

“I can understand your distress, Malahi,” Hacken interrupted. “But you may atone for your choices by serving Mudamora, for we need a tender’s mark more than ever. This is your chance to make things right, not your chance to grasp for the throne.”

“The only one doing any grasping is you, Hacken,” Malahi spat. “Have the Great Houses voted yet or are you merely pretending at being king while you wait?”

Hacken’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, which told Lydia that the votes were not as certain as he wanted everyone to think. A fact confirmed as said lords and ladies came outside, expressions tight and unreadable.

“Mudamora needs unity, now more than ever,” Hacken said, Ria nodding along with him. “We cannot waste time on infighting over who rules while the blight consumes our lands. Not when Rufina and her army of blighters marches ever closer. You broke faith and the law, Malahi. You are not the right choice to lead our people out of darkness.”

“Perhaps you are right in that,” Malahi replied. “But neither are you the one who should rule, for you care only for power.”

“Then who?” Hacken threw up his hands, turning in a circle to address his peers. “We have argued for weeks now over who is the best choice, and there is no agreement, only a thousand reasons against each of us. Ria and I have united with the intent to lead together in order to gain a consensus, but if there is someone you feel better suited, name the house now.”

“House Falorn!” Malahi shouted, but Hacken only waved a hand dismissively in her direction.

“Dareena has already declined.”

“Good.” Malahi drew in a steadying breath. “Because Dareena is not the rightful High Lady of House Falorn. Kitaryia is.”

Killian stiffened as Lydia sucked in a sharp breath, panic rising in her chest.

Malahi turned, her amber eyes pleading for forgiveness even as she said, “The Six returned Kitaryia to us. Hegeria has chosen her as one of her marked. And I, for one, would gladly bend my knee to her so that she might lead us through the dark days to come.”

48LYDIA

Lydia felt all the blood drain from her face, the eyes of the most powerful men and women in Mudamora all fixed on her.

She did not want this.

She did not want to be queen.

She did not want to rule.

“Kitaryia Falorn is dead,” Hacken snapped. “And don’t think I don’t see through this ploy. Having one of your bodyguards, or whatever this girl is to you, ape the dead princess is beyond the pale.”

Betrayal turned her stomach to ice, because Malahi knew this wasn’t the life Lydia wanted to live, but she’d told everyone anyway.You were my friend,she wanted to scream.

“It is no lie.” Malahi surveyed the onlookers. “Camilla fled with her to Celendor, where Kitaryia was raised under a different name.”

“Is Camilla still alive?” a familiar voice asked, and Lydia turned to find Dareena approaching. Her aunt, she realized, but also the woman who had most to lose from Malahi’s revelation.

Malahi’s lips parted, but Dareena interrupted. “You’ve said your piece, Malahi. Allow Lydia, or Kitaryia, as the case may be, to answer for herself.”

Lydia’s hands fisted. She wanted no part of this, least of all talking about her mother’s death in front of a crowd.