Page 307 of Scorched Earth

Marcus waited to feel something,anything, for his father finally taking responsibility for his actions. Yet all he felt was relief that his father had not attempted to fight him on this.

“Winning the election was not the end of what Cassius used this information to compel me to do,” Marcus continued. “On Cassius’s orders, I drowned Lydia Valerius, daughter of Senator Appius Valerius, whom Cassius had promised to marry in order to gain Valerius’s support in the elections.” He looked to Valerius, who met his gaze with an unblinking stare. “Lydia survived, finding passage through the xenthier stem Cassius most recently used to send the Fifty-First to their deaths.”

Tiberius exhaled a slow breath, audible in the silence of the room. “What say you to these accusations, Cassius? For they are damning indeed.”

Cassius’s jaw worked back and forth, then he crossed his arms and glared in silence.

Valerius spoke. “Through other lips, I have heard this same story. That the legatus put my daughter down the drains of Cassius’sbaths, only luck allowing her to survive and bravery to see her through to the far side of Reath, where she yet lives. I would have pursuedjustice myself, but I did not think any of you would believe a Maarin girl over ourbelovedDictator.”

Cassius’s gaze was as cold as a snake’s, but he remained silent.

“I think all truths will come out in the trial, along with others I anticipate will be equally criminal in nature,” Tiberius said, then he looked to Marcus. “We are all in your debt for revealing the traitor in our midst, Legatus, but it cannot be denied that you have implicated yourself as well. Not only in your role in manipulating an election, but perhaps more critically, in your breach of the tithe laws and your attempted murder of Lydia Valerius. You have right to trial, of course, but—”

“No need,” Marcus interrupted. “I plead guilty to all three crimes.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felix stiffen, as did all of his men in the room, their shock twisting his stomach with guilt.

“All three crimes are punishable by death,” Tiberius said. “Given the extenuating circumstances, a trial might see—”

“I am guilty.” Marcus kept his hand pressed to the tiny ship, needing the courage it gave him for what was to come as he said to Felix, “The Thirty-Seventh is yours.”

120KILLIAN

“You sure about this, Lydia?” Agrippa asked from where he leaned against the stone wall of the chamber. “Keep in mind that the man who rules Celendrial tried to murder you, and your reappearance, along with your subsequent accusations, are going to put you right in his line of sight.”

“I don’t think Cassius rules Celendrial anymore,” Lydia answered, circling the xenthier.

“I wasn’t talking about Cassius.”

Killian’s stomach tightened, because while Lydia didn’t appear to have considered whether Marcus remained a threat to her, he most certainly had.

“If Marcus has decided to take control, your arrival will be a significant inconvenience for him,” Agrippa said. “Don’t mistake an alliance of convenience for more than it is, Lydia. He’s proven what he’s capable of.”

“I’ll be cautious,” she said.

“Keep your head down.” Agrippa gave Killian a once-over, shaking his head. “Shoulders, too. You’re going to stand out like a sore thumb among those gilded bastards.”

“Noted. You’ll be all right without us?”

It was Malahi who answered. “We’ll make do with the supplies the legions abandoned until ships come to bring us back south.” She bit at her bottom lip. “Please be careful. We need you to come home.”

Guilt bit at Killian’s heart, because he and Lydia were needed here to help rebuild. But Malahi was experienced and capable, and she had Agrippa and the rest of their friends to guard her back. Whereas Killian feared that Teriana stood alone. “The Seventh himself couldn’t keep us from returning.”

Malahi gave a small smile. “I suspect he knows that.”

“Find Finn for me,” Killian said to Agrippa. “He should be with Seldrid, but…”

“I’ll find him.” Agrippa took hold of Malahi’s arm and drew her back from the xenthier. “Good luck.”

“Together?” Lydia asked, reaching out to take Killian’s hand.

“Together,” he answered, grasping it tight. Their clenched hands reached for the xenthier, and the last thing he heard was Agrippa shouting, “One at a—”

A white void surrounded him, and though Killian knew Lydia’s hand was grasped in his, not being able to feel it filled him with panic.

Then he was stumbling through water, Lydia’s hand tight in his as she fell to her knees in the swamp.

Killian’s first impression of Celendor was that it was gods-awful hot.