Page 257 of Scorched Earth

“That’s four, if not five, weeks of journey,” Dareena said softly.

And we could have been well into it if I hadn’t steered us down a different path.Lydia’s eyes stung, and under the table, Killian caught hold of her hand and squeezed. “Can we draw the blighters out?” he asked. “Move enough of them away that a targeted force might be able to reach the stem?”

Dareena gave a slow shake of her head. “Rufina knows that Deadground is your goal, Killian. She’ll defend it at all costs, because all she needs to do is hold her position and wait for starvation to take its toll. Her army is dead. She has all the time in the world.”

“We can’t win this.” Malahi lifted her head from her hands, scarred cheeks slick with tears. “No matter what we do, the enemy seems a step ahead of us, and they grow more powerful by the day while we grow weaker. Why have the Six abandoned us like this? Why do they allow the Corrupter’s power to grow like this? He gives his minions every advantage while we struggle on without.”

Killian’s fingers flexed in Lydia’s hand, and she knew he was thinking the same thing as her. Thattheywere supposed to be the advantage, but had thus far failed.

Agrippa rested his elbows on the table, eyes on the map of Mudamora before them. “It’s a roll of the dice, friends. Risk an attack with force to gain the xenthier knowing that many will fall to blight poisoning or ride north on the hope that we reach Deadground before Dareena’s lines are overrun.”

All eyes turned to Lydia, and she tensed. Though the crown wasin her saddlebags, Lydia didn’t feel as though she were queen. In truth, she never had, and while someone needed to lead, in this moment, she didn’t want it to be her. “I…”

Bercola chose that moment to duck inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but there is some concern about our rear forces. Namely, that they are missing.”

Killian rose to his feet, and Lydia sensed the tension rising in him. “Have we sent riders looking for them? They’re only half a day behind.”

“Yes.” Bercola cleared her throat. “They’ve not returned either.”

Xadrian pushed past Bercola into the tent. “Something is wrong. I can feel it.”

The whole tent fell silent, but as Lydia’s eyes skipped from Xadrian to Killian to Dareena, every one of them with a hand on their weapon, a sudden certainty took hold in her chest. “Wake Astara,” she called to Gwen, who stood behind Bercola. “Tell her to scout south. Hurry.”

Gwen took off at a run, but Killian and Xadrian were on her heels. Lydia hurried after them, hearing her friends follow. In a silent group, they wove through to the southern end of the camp. Astara called out as she took flight and soared overhead.

The midday sun cast no shadows as they stood staring at the road leading south. The heat formed beads of sweat on Lydia’s back as she searched for any sign of motion. Any sign of their rear forces.

Then a wagon appeared.

There was no driver, the oxen pulling it in a meandering fashion up the road toward the camp. Then another wagon appeared over the hill, following the first. Then another, the loads of supplies they carried all covered with waxed canvas. But sign of the rest of Mudamora’s soldiers, there was none.

The sunlight shifted, and as the shadows moved, Lydia saw that the canvas was stained with crimson. “Oh gods,” she whispered, even as Killian and Xadrian broke into a run toward the wagons, weapons in hand.

She tore after them, a scream breaking loose from her lips as Killian drew back the canvas to reveal the bodies of their rear forces. Bloodied and glassy eyed, all dead from violence. From blades. And stabbed through the chest of one of the dead soldiers was a Cel gladius marked with a 37, a single piece of paper speared by the blade.

Killian pulled it loose, frowned, and then handed it to her. “What does it mean?”

Two words, in familiar handwriting.Lex talionis.

Agrippa took it from her shaking hands, cursing as he read the words. “It meanseye for an eye.”

Teriana failed. Oh gods, Teriana failed.

A hawk shrieked from above, and Astara landed, already shifting to her human form. “They’re here!” she gasped. “The Cel are here!”

“How many?” Lydia demanded, though in her heart, she already knew.

Astara’s brown eyes were filled with terror as they met hers. “All of them.”

99TERIANA

Leaving Magnius to ensure no Cel sailors remained alive to tell the tale of what had occurred, theQuincensesailed swiftly away from the wreckage with Yedda at the helm. Teriana remained at the rail, watching until the flickers of flame from the burning debris disappeared from sight.

Baird danced about the ship’s deck with his drum, encouraging more wrath from the storm blackening the skies above even as he sped the progress of Teriana’s reduced fleet. As they flew across the seas, Polin came to stand with her. “Thirty-eight dead, between our ship and theFuria,” he said. “At least twice that injured, some badly enough that I don’t think they’ll survive.”

“Can you give me a list of names?” Marcus always looked at the names. The weight of that hadn’t resonated before, but it did now.

“Might have to wait until after the battle to come.” Polin rubbed at his bandaged arm, then reached over to adjust the bandage over Teriana’s wound. “We’re not far from Padria.”