Page 41 of Scorched Earth

And Teriana was here.

Why?he screamed in the depths of his mind.Why did you follow me?

They reached a pair of doors manned by two guards. Both men saluted, then opened the doors to reveal the center of the legions’ command.

Marcus stopped in his tracks, his lip curling in disgust at what he saw.

Rather than the austere and functional setup he’d left behind, the command room was lavishly decorated with thick carpets, heavy wooden furniture, and an excessive amount of red velvet and gold thread. Blowing out a slow breath from between his teeth, he said, “Amarin—”

“It will be put in order for you, sir,” his servant’s familiar voice said, and Marcus turned to find the older man standing behind the group of legionnaires, a uniform folded in his arms. Amarin’s bronze skin seemed to have gained wrinkles, his hair more silver than brown. “It is good to see you back with the Thirty-Seventh again, sir. You’ll have everything put right in no time.”

The surreality abruptly vanished and Marcus felt his mind dragged back into the moment, the insulation of distance vanishing even as the weight of all thathadhappened and all thatwouldhappen pressed down and down. Moving into the room, he sat heavily on one of the chairs, Felix, Austornic, and Titus taking seats.

“I unfortunately bring bad news,” Austornic said. “When we arrived from Bardeen, we discovered everyone stationed at the terminus camp was dead.”

“What?” Titus was back on his feet in a flash. “Those are my men!”

“Attackedwhen?” Marcus asked, unease building in his chest. For while he wouldn’t put it past Titus to order his men to lie, the Titus he knew wouldn’t stoop to killing his own men just to keep a secret. But much had changed in the time he’d been gone, so who was to say what lengths Titus would go to secure his power.

“After you arrived.” Austornic extracted Wex’s missing letter, setting it on the table, along with one of the leather-bound logbooks the centurions used. Its cover was stained with blood. “Evidence that the Forty-First witnessed you coming through the stem, sir. Unconscious and deemed xenthier-sick by the centurion in command.”

Evidence that Titus had lied about where Marcus had been apprehended. Austornic hadn’t said it, but he didn’t have to. Everyone in the room heard the accusation.

Marcus didn’t move to read the logs, instead watching as Titus snatched up the book, flipping to the last entries, all the color draining from his face as he read, because it was concrete proof of his deception.

Marcus held his breath, waiting for the other legatus to begin casting blame. To backtrack his way out of the hole he’d dug. Instead, Titus said, “Felix, did one of my men bring word that Marcus had arrived from Bardeen?”

Felix picked up the book and read the logs. “No. We’ve had no word from the terminus camp in some time.”

Silence.

Marcus said nothing, watching Titus’s nostrils flare, the pulse at his neck rapid, then he stormed out the door.

“I think we have grounds to arrest him,” Felix said. “This is damning proof that even the Forty-First can’t contest.”

This was exactly the proof Marcus needed to bring down Titus, but through his exhaustion and aching skull, his instincts were screaming a warning. “Not yet.”

16TERIANA

“Officers only.” The legionnaires on guard crossed a pair of spears in front of her as Marcus, Felix, and Nic pressed into the building without a backward glance, Titus following.

Breathe,Teriana told herself.In and out. Nice and slow.

The admonition only seemed to make the overwhelming anxiety she’d felt since coming through the xenthier a thousand times worse. The adrenaline that had kept her going through the rapid march was fading and taking her strength with it. With a thump, she sat down in the middle of the steps.

“You look like you need a drink,” a familiar voice said, and she looked up to find Quintus approaching. Her friend wore his usual tunic and sandals, his blond hair long enough that he risked discipline, but it was his grey eyes that caught her attention, for they lacked their usual spark.

“Who let you out?” one of the guards demanded.

“I let myself out,” Quintus answered. “Seemed a bit unnecessary for me to remain locked up given that it’s been proven I was right all along.”

Quintus flopped down on the stones next to her, then handed over a bottle of what smelled like rum. Teriana gulped down several mouthfuls, and whether it was the rush of alcohol or Quintus’s presence, she didn’t know, but emotion rushed over her like a burst dam.

Snatching up a small rock, she hurled it at one of the legionnaireson guard behind her, his eyes widening as it bounced off his breastplate. “I hope you feel awful!” she shrieked at him and his equally surprised fellow. “I hope you feel like assholes!”

Spinning on her heels, she balled her hands into fists as she faced down those of the Thirty-Seventh watching on. “You’re allfucking morons!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Did you honestly believe he’d leave you? That he’d desert his family? Do you have any idea what he went through to get back to you?”

No one answered, their eyes on the mud.