Page 181 of Scorched Earth (Dark Shores #4)

LYDIA

The legionnaire’s blue eyes fixed on her, then he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his short hair. “Why are you here?”

“For Teriana,” Lydia said. “Who are you?”

“Felix. His second-in-command.” The man’s jaw tightened.

“Though not for much longer. And if Teriana is here, none of my men have spotted her. Which is just as well. I don’t hold what she did against her by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t change that she waged war against Celendor.

Many died. The Senate has been occupied, but that does not mean she is safe from them.

There’s no reason for her to be here and every reason to stay away. ”

“I think we both know that’s not the case,” Lydia answered. “Who is being executed today?”

Felix broke eye contact, walking to the window to look out. “Cassius.”

“Who else are they executing?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“He confessed to everything. Declared himself guilty of everything.”

Lydia knew the he who Felix referred to wasn’t Cassius.

“Marcus told me himself what he did to you, Lydia, and I was there for the rest. So I’m not going to stand here and say that he’s not at fault.

But so are the rest of us, because we all did as we were told.

If there were justice in the world, every legionnaire who stepped into the West would be on the gallows.

Every legionnaire alive, if I’m honest, because we didn’t do anything in Arinoquia, Gamdesh, or Mudamora that hasn’t been done in the provinces a thousand times over.

Yet Marcus is the one who will take the fall, and while that may be justice to some, it doesn’t seem fair given he was the one who was blackmailed. ”

Lydia glanced to Killian, but he only leaned against the wall, seeming content to remain silent through this exchange.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “What does Marcus have to say about that?”

“That justifications don’t change outcomes.” Felix shook his head. “And in less than an hour, he’ll be dead for them.”

The door abruptly swung open, and a large legionnaire stepped into the room. “Felix—” He broke off at the sight of Lydia, then shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Has something happened?” Felix asked, stepping away from the window. “A stay?”

The big legionnaire shook his head. “No. Teriana is in Celendrial. Valerius pulled strings and he’s taking her to see him.”

A sudden stab of pain hit Lydia in the heart, because she knew Teriana down to her toes. Had known exactly how her friend would feel when she learned Marcus’s intentions. Had known that Teriana would come to Celendrial to try to stop it.

This war kept taking .

Taking and taking, and even though the side of right was victorious and would have its justice, Lydia couldn’t help but feel that, at the end of it, their hearts would be hollow.

Felix exhaled a long breath, his eyes on the water clock on the table. “I wish she’d come sooner. We’re to bring him to the Forum on the hour, and Marcus won’t be happy if we make him late.”

He started toward the door, but Lydia caught hold of his arm, pulling him back. “I think we need to give them more time. While we wait, could you please arrange for my father to join us?”