Page 65 of Scorched Earth

“Sometimes sacrifices need to be made.”

Teriana’s body quivered. It felt like she stood on a great precipice, warring between the decision to jump or to keep clinging to the edge. Except Teriana always jumped. “I think it is Gamdesh that needs to make a choice. These legions are the weapon I’ll wield to save my people, and if you stand between me and Maarin liberty, the blow will fall harder than you can imagine. Now if you don’t mind, I really need to pee.”

Yanking down her trousers, Teriana relieved her aching bladder, then pulled her clothing back into place. Ignoring the stunned shifter, she flipped the latch on the door and exited the outhouse into the darkness of night.

24LYDIA

Pressed against Killian’s back with Agrippa’s gloves on her hands and his knotwork binding her tight, Lydia fell into the first deep sleep she’d had in longer than she cared to remember.

Yet it was unfortunately short-lived.

It was still darkest night when Agrippa shook Killian’s shoulder, waking her as he did. “The blighters are about a half hour back from us,” he said under his breath. “They’re moving south. Doesn’t look like they’re actively hunting, but if one sees us, they all see us.”

“Shit.” Killian sat upright. “I’d hoped we’d put more distance between us and them.”

“They don’t sleep. Don’t eat.” As Agrippa spoke, he started untying Lydia’s bindings. “They don’t feel any pain as their bodies break down from the abuse of endlessly running, and if they fall, they’ll crawl. We can’t outpace them.”

“So what do we do?” Lydia asked.

“I think we need to get behind their lines,” Agrippa answered, though his eyes were on Killian. “Thoughts?”

“Are there enough gaps between groups of them for us to get through?” Killian asked, and when Agrippa shook his head, he asked, “Do they look up?”

“No, they aren’t concerned about the deimos.”

“Would trees work?”

“Yeah. We’ll have to abandon the horses, though.”

“What are you talking about?” Lydia whispered as Agrippa unfastened the rest of her bindings.

“We’ll hide in the trees while they pass,” Killian said.

“I’ll wake the others.” Agrippa hesitated, then said, “Malahi doesn’t do well with being woken up unexpectedly. Rufina used to set upon her whenever she slept, so she associates waking with violence. I’ll try to keep her from screaming, but be ready to ride and ride hard if she does.”

Heart hammering, Lydia gathered up her bedroll, though her eyes followed Agrippa as he approached Malahi and Baird. The Queen was buried in blankets, her back pressed against Baird’s, but one of Agrippa’s knives was gripped in her right hand.

Agrippa glanced skyward, then murmured, “Malahi.”

She lurched upward with a gasp, slashing out blindly with the weapon, her lips parting. Agrippa only ducked under the blade, his hand pressing to her mouth to silence the rising scream. He pulled Malahi against him, restraining her easily, and Lydia heard him whisper, “Easy, Your Grace. It’s just me. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

They were the exact opposite of safe, but to Lydia’s surprise, Malahi stopped fighting. As Agrippa dropped his hand from her mouth, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” His arm curved protectively around her back. “Always better to wake up fighting than not wake up at all.” He was quiet for a heartbeat, and then he said, “I’m sorry I left without telling you.”

Lydia twitched as Killian touched her arm. “Get everything packed. I’m going to set the horses loose so that they run ahead of us and hopefully throw off the trail.”

She swiftly gathered their things, heart in her throat because every time she blinked, visions of the blighter horde filled her mind’s eye. To willfully allow themselves to be surrounded by so many seemed like madness, but so did riding day and night without rest to stay ahead of them.

Baird was heaving himself up a thick tree while Agrippa lifted Malahi to grab the branches of another. Under Malahi’s touch, the branch moved, pulling her higher, and Agrippa scrambled up after her with ease.

Killian lifted the saddles up for Agrippa to wedge out of sight, then he strode to where Lydia waited. “Do you need a boost?”

Given she’d never climbed a tree in her life, she nodded, and he lifted her so that she could reach a thick branch. She slung a leg over it, then reached down a gloved hand to him.

Killian jumped, hand locking on hers. Though Lydia was nowhere near as strong as when she gave in to the Corrupter, Hegeria’s mark was no small thing, and grinding her teeth, Lydia bore his weight until he caught hold of the branch with his free hand.

Together, they climbed higher and deeper into the tree, and then fell still.