Page 214 of Scorched Earth

“Servius.”

“To what do we owe the honor? I’m hoping it’s not that the Senate refused to free your people, because there’s nothing we can do about that.”

“They’re freed,” she said. “They set sail from Celendrial within hours of my delivering Grypus’s letter.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I’m playing messenger forhissister. There’s something she wanted him to know that couldn’t go through official channels.”

One of Servius’s eyebrows rose. “Not what I expected you to say, but all right. I’ll see that it gets to him.”

“I need to deliver it personally.”

“Not going to happen.”

Anger rose in her chest but so did fear, because there was a part of Teriana that had been certain she could accomplish what Cordelia had asked. That she would tell Marcus to turn around and go back to Celendor to fix its problems, and that he’d do it. But having seen what he’d done to Revat? Having heard Kaira’s fate? All that certainty dissolved, and Teriana’s eyes skipped to the looming black tower before she asked, “Why not?”

“He’s busy.”

Teriana huffed out an annoyed breath. “Don’t pull that shit on me, Servius. I’m sure you know everything, but in case you need a reminder, I had a good reason for leaving as I did. He doesn’t deserve you protecting his feelings.”

Servius motioned to Qian, who backed off, he and his men looking everywhere but at them.

“I’m not protecting him, Teriana, I’m protecting you.” Servius moved closer. “He’s different since you left, and not in a good way. There are moments when he’s himself, but most of the time, it’s like talking to a block of ice while staring into a void that looks back at you. Whatever you are expecting to get out of him, he won’t give it, and you’re only going to come out of the conversation feeling worse.”

She shivered, and from the corner of her eye, the tower moved.

Gasping, Teriana whirled, colliding with Servius as the black tower loomed over her, descending like the Corrupter himself stood in the center of Revat. Reaching for her.

Then she blinked and it was upright again.

“Yeah,” Servius said, though she hadn’t asked a question. “I’ve seen it, too. Many of the men have, though no one feels too good about admitting it. It moved in Aracam but not like this.” He was silent for a long moment, holding her arm though she didn’t think it was for her benefit. “Started right after the other ones fell.”

Teriana made the sign of the Six on her chest, then shoved her hand in her pockets, knuckles brushing the hair ornament. “I need to talk to him, Servius. Maybe it will amount to nothing, but I have to try.”

Servius sighed. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He led her into the palace, which appeared much as it had the last time Teriana had been inside yet felt entirely different. The Gamdeshians were an exuberant people, none more so than the royal family, and always these halls had been filled with music and laughter andlife.Now they possessed all the life of a crypt, the air stale and the only sound their footfalls.

“How is Quintus?” she asked, hoping Servius would say that her friend had disappeared with Miki.

“Fine. Felix redeployed him to help Racker in medical, to keep guard over the narcotics. Easy work.”

Her chest tightened painfully because her friends hadn’t escaped. Yet more victims of her selfishness.

“You’ve heard what is happening in Celendor?”

“We’re a bit behind on news,” Servius said. “Takes at least a day for messengers to arrive from Emrant, and… Well, we’ve been occupied.”

“Occupied like a swarm of locusts,” she muttered. “You feel good about what you’ve done here, Servius?”

“I don’t feel good about what we’ve doneanywhere,Teriana,” he snapped. “But the alternative is worse. I like being alive, and men who don’t obey get their necks stretched.”

His words triggered the memory of her conversation with Cordelia.

If Marcus does this, and Cassius reveals the truth, what will happen to him?

He’ll hang.