Page 200 of Scorched Earth

“How to save them.”

“What?”

“Those infected by the blight. The blighters.” Lydia gave a rapid shake of her head. “Tens of thousands have fallen to the blight. I need to discover how to bring them back.”

Silence stretched, and Lydia cringed as she felt her friend’s horror press down upon her.

“That is why you are risking everything?” Sonia whispered. “In a quest to bring the dead back to life?”

Yes.

“Their deaths aren’t natural. Their lives were stolen by the Corrupter’s poison, so it’s possible—”

Sonia’s brown eyes were wide. “It’s impossible! Forbidden! Death to any who try!”

“We don’t know that for sure.”

“Twice marked does not make you a god.” Sonia’s voice shook. “Do not risk our only chance on the hubris that you might achieve what even the Six dare not do.”

Lifting her head, Lydia met her friend’s eyes. “If it is not in these pages, I’ll concede. But let me at least finish reading all that I can so that I know in my heart that I did all that I could.”

Boom.

Sonia flinched as another building was struck, the deafening roar of its collapse making the entire library shake. “Bring it with you.”

Lydia shook her head. “It’s disintegrating beneath the touch of air, Sonia. It will be nothing but dust by the time we carry it to the ship. I have to do it here. And I’m close, I promise!”

“So are they!” Sonia kicked a chair, sending it toppling. “The Cel and Katamarcan ships are moving into position to blockade the harbor, and if that happens, we aretrapped.Do you understand that? Trapped by the man who once tried to murder you, and exactly how do you think it’s going to go when he finds you?”

“Agrippa said Marcus will leave a way out for civilians.” Lydia squinted through the smears on her spectacles, assessing the illustration on a page, but the paint was flaking so badly her very breath disturbed it. “That he doesn’t like to box the enemy in during sieges.” She gave a sharp shake of her head, struggling to remember Agrippa’s explanation.

“Which he did, but now the civilians are all gone! Only soldiers remain. Soldiers andus! TheKairensewaits in the harbor, but they will not wait forever.”

“The words in this book have the power to save thousands, and ifI try to pick it up and take it, the whole gods-damned thing is going to turn to dust in my hands. So just let me work!”

“Killian’s going to kill me if I let you die.”

At his name, Lydia’s heart stuttered, but she forced away the emotions in her chest.

Sonia sat on the stool across from her, hands gripping the table so hard her knuckles turned white. “You’re risking every living Mudamorian to save the dead. Perhaps every living person on Reath. This is not the decision of a queen, Lydia.”

“I never asked to be queen.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “I can’t sacrifice those we’ve lost to the blight without trying to win them back, Sonia. I can’t.”

The door to the room exploded inward, and Lydia spun in her chair to find Kaira striding toward her.

“What is wrong with you?” Gamdesh’s princess shouted. “I’ve sent three messages warning you to get out of the city, and you ignored all of them. Do you think I have time to be here? Do you think that standing in a library is where I best serve Gamdesh?”

“No,” Lydia muttered. “You should be with your soldiers.”

“Wrong!” Kaira’s face was a thundercloud of anger. “Getting you out alive is thegreatestpriority because Malahi cannot defeat the blight without you. If I allow you to die here, it won’t matter if I defeat that Cel prick or not, for the blight will come to Gamdesh next. So get onto that ship or I’ll have you trussed up and tossed aboard. Am I clear?”

“I’m not done reading!” Lydia shouted back, her whole body shaking because she wasn’t ready. Wouldn’t be ready until she had an answer for how to save all those who’d been lost.

Quick as lightning, Kaira reached past her and snatched up the ancient volume. Lydia gasped, “No!”

But it was too late.

Kaira flung it across the room, where it exploded into fragments and dust.