Page 251 of Scorched Earth

A man whose eyes were black voids rimmed with flame.

“Stand down,” Marcus said to his men, which they did with obvious reluctance.

“Evening, Legatus,” the corrupted said. “Word in the sky is that you and yours had a run-in with Killian Calorian. I imagine that my queen’s offer is looking mighty fine right now.”

“Good evening, Sly.” Marcus circled the table and rested a hand on the corrupted’s back, then shoved him down on one of the chairs. “Why don’t you explain to everyone here exactly what you told me.” Drawing a map in front of the man, he added, “Let’s start with xenthier paths from Gamdesh to Mudamora.”

The corrupted set to explaining what Rufina had offered, but Marcus only gave his words half an ear. He knew the deal, because he’d negotiated it on the chance the Mudamorians would prove difficult. One of his many contingency plans.

As Sly named the amount of gold that Rufina would pay for the alliance, the other legati leaned in, but Marcus’s eyes went to the window and the distant strait.

His enemies had won the first battle.

But the war was yet to come.

96TERIANA

Once the alliance with the Bardenese rebels was secured, Teriana and her crew moved on to the second stage of their strike against the Empire.

Theft.

“It’s been ages since we commandeered a ship,” her aunt Yedda said, tucking yet another knife into her boot. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Teriana wished she felt the same way. Her stomach was in knots as theQuincenseand the rest of her fleet sped along on a stiff wind of Baird’s making, heading in the direction of the naval vessel that was their mark, with Magnius leading the way.

All across Reath, their allies were doing the same. A coordinated effort made possible only because her people had ships everywhere. And because all across Reath, nations were ready to strike back against the Empire. From Arinoquia to Sibern. From Bardeen to Chersome to Sibal, forces were readying to strike legion stockpiles and naval vessels, all with the same goal in mind.

The theft of the Empire’s precious black powder.

Teriana had seen the legions use it. Had watched them bring down walls with it, and knew it was how Marcus had flooded Revat.

She was terrified of the black powder.

One spark andboom,everything near it was blasted apart. But she also knew it was the only thing that would eliminate the Empire’s paths to the West. Knew it, because of what had been said during Marcus’s manic episode when they’d taken Imresh and Emrant.

Wex will need time to set up the explosives. They’ll need to do it carefully or they’ll take out the entire stem—you know that.

If the explosives go off at the wrong time, this will be for nothing. We’ll have to start over with a new stem.

Using black powder with xenthier can go… badly.

None of it had resonated in the moment, because she’d been too concerned about Marcus to think of anything else. Yet in hindsight, what he and Felix had said made one thing clear: black powder had the capacity to render xenthier paths unusable.

“I’ve never heard about it being done,” Agrippa had said when they’d been coming up with the plan. “But I’ve been gone for years, so it’s possible they’ve experimented. Marcus would certainly know if they had. Except the question is: if it works, why hasn’t the Senate destroyed every path they consider a liability? There has to be a consequence that they don’t want to pay, which Felix’s comment certainly suggests.Badlymeans fatal in legion-speak.”

“So you think it’s too risky?”

Agrippa had only shrugged and said, “When your back is against the wall, sometimes the risky choice is the only choice.”

“There it is,” the lookout called, tearing her from her memories, and the doubts that came with them. Teriana lifted her spyglass. In the distance, the Cel vessel plunged up and down on the heavy seas, the crimson and gold banner flying high from the mainmast.

“They haven’t spotted us yet!” the lookout shouted.

Teriana wasn’t surprised. As close to Celendor as they were, no one would dare to attack one of its ships, and that made them overconfident. Lazy in their certainty that these were their waters.

TheQuincensedrew closer. Not only were the Maarin ships infinitely faster than the Cel ship, they had every sail open to hold Baird’s wind, while the Cel had lost their nerve and lowered several of theirs.

“Still haven’t seen us!”