Page 176 of Scorched Earth

“Check for the black marks,” Gwen said. “Lena was covered with them.”

Ria was clawing at the neck of her dress, and Dareena dropped to her knees and sliced a knife down the row of buttons on the back. Ria ripped down the high neckline, and a hiss escaped Killian’s lips at the black veins of blight running up her chest toward her neck.

Helene Torrington had stepped closer, and her scream was loud and shrill. “It’s the lemonade!”

Glass shattered all around as those holding glasses of lemonade cast them aside in alarm. Killian snatched a glass off a tray and held it to the light, seeing none of the telltale black in the pale yellow.

“She was ill before she drank the lemonade!” Seldrid shouted. “Calm yourselves!”

His brother might as well have spit into the wind for all the good it did. Several of the women had fainted, and many of the men were forcing themselves to vomit, the stench ripe on the air as Ria clawed at her skin.

“Help me!” she moaned. “Kitaryia, help me!”

“You must help her!” Hacken shouted at Dareena. “You’ve done it before. You must save my betrothed’s life!”

Dareena blew out a slow breath, then removed Lydia’s spectaclesand wiped her sleeve over the healer tattoo, smearing black across her forehead. “I can’t help you, Ria. No one here can.”

Ria let out a shrill scream, then curled up on the grass in a shaking ball even as the veins of black crept up her neck.

“Where is she?” Hacken reached over as though to shake Dareena, then seemed to think better of it. “Where is Kitaryia?”

“On her way to Revat,” Killian answered. “She’s hunting for a way to save us all.”

Hacken’s eyes widened in shock, but he swiftly recovered. “The queen should be in Mudamora. Her mark is needed here, and Ria’s life is forfeit because you supported Kitaryia running off on a fool’s errand.”

His brother’s words were impassioned and angry, but Killian’s skin was crawling with the sense that all was not as it seemed.

Then Ria started screaming.

She clawed at her skin, vomit running down her chin. Killian grabbed hold of her, his mother stroking the High Lady’s hair and whispering soothing words that he doubted Ria could hear. The veins of blight had reached her face, and sickness pooled in Killian’s stomach as it started to streak across Ria’s bloodshot eyes.

She shuddered and choked, then drew in one last shuddering breath.

And then fell still.

“Mother,” Killian said softly as she closed Ria’s eyelids. “Please back away.”

She didn’t argue as Adra caught hold of her arm and pulled her to the far side of the pavilion. Adra had a long, curved knife in one hand, but her brown skin was slick with tears.

Killian drew his sword.

“Take off her head now,” Hacken ordered. “Don’t let her rise!”

“No.” Killian’s fingers flexed on his sword. “I want to see what he has to say.”

The Corruptor.

“He’ll see us through her eyes!”

Dareena flipped the knife she was holding over and over in her hand, a nervous tic, but the green eyes that met Killian’s were steady as she shook her head.Wait.

Killian stared down at the woman who’d caused him so much trouble in Rotahn. Who cared nothing for life and everything for power. Ria had earned death a hundred times over. Yet he still pitied her.

The black veins in Ria’s skin abruptly faded. Not disappeared, but sank deeper into her flesh. Then her eyes snapped open.

Several women screamed, but Killian ignored them as Ria slowly looked up at him, expression sly. “What do you want?” His tone was flat. “Or did you kill her just to prove that none of us are out of your reach.”

A slow smile worked its way onto Ria’s face, but the voice that poured from her lips was like nails on a chalkboard, clawing at Killian’s ears. “How does it feel to fail yet again, Marked Ones?”