Dario and I quietly gathered supplies. More blankets with the little bit of money he had on him, and food. We returned to the cave quickly after and waited.
The next day was the same. No news. I was growing more worried. What if something had happened to Meera? To the only family I had left. I was so anxious that Dario and I barely spoke. We’d come to a kind of understanding, and maybe even a levelof comfort around each other. But we weren’t touching. Nor were we bringing up the awkwardness of that first night, of me accusing Dario of ulterior motives. Or the oath he swore—to kill any of the men who’d raped me.
On the third day, we ventured out, sticking to crowds, and laying low. We tried to listen for news. For any possible mentions of Meera and Aiden being captured, or Lyriana finally being seen. But suddenly, there was a scream in the square. A man shouting. He was barely past the age of twenty. Like he’d only gone through his Revelation Ceremony this past year. Suddenly his shouts of protest turned to a scream of pure, unbridled pain.
Dario took my hand, his fingers tightening over mine, moving me away. But it was too late. I’d seen what was happening. What we’d known was happening all over the country to countless innocent people. What Tristan was currently the face for.
The vorakh task force. A mob was forming around him, their auras vicious and wild. They were bloodthirsty, flinging accusations with abandon.
The man, boy really, had been stripped naked by them as the mob grew in size and intensity. They were all yelling, calling him a vorakh.
I moved closer to Dario, starting to shake. A soturion in silver, one of the Kormac wolves, stepped behind him, and grabbed hold of his arms.
He screamed, struggling to get away until a bone snapped. His arm broken.
Another soturion stepped into the circle, holding a small box.
A nahashim.
The crowd cheered, and screamed as the box lid was removed and the snake inside was thrown at the man. It landed on hisbare chest, slithering up to his face, and then— it slipped inside his eyelid.
His screams pierced through my heart.
“I’m getting you out of here,” Dario said, pulling me away. His fingers threaded through my hand, his arm around my shoulder, as he guided us into the shadows, my heart pounding.
We were back at the cave shortly after that. I had to dry heave, until my stomach calmed. Dario sat with me, silently rubbing my back. But only after asking if he could.
I brushed the tears from my eyes, and slowly sipped on the water he’d gotten for me.
“You’re okay, Jules,” he said gently. “You’re all right. You’re safe.”
I shook my head. “No I’m not. Nor are you. Not as long as we stay here.” I met Dario’s dark eyes. “Don’t you see it? They’ve won. The takeover’s complete. I’m not in the Palace anymore, but I’m not free. None of us are. And, the truth is, I never will be. None of us will. Not against the whole force of Ka Kormac. Dario, I, don’t know if I want to find Meera and Aiden,” I said, quietly.
“What?” he asked, “No, don’t say that. Of course, we’re going to find them.”
I shook my head. “No, I mean I don’t want to. Not unless it’s outside of the Empire. If they wish to, they can join me there, but I’m done trying to just survive here. I’m done being afraid every minute, waiting for them to find me, to exact their next law of cruelty. I want you to take me west, to the human lands. To Dobrava.”
“Jules,” he frowned, “your home is here.”
“Home? What home!” I yelled, my stomach twisting. “I’m from a country that won’t recognize I’m alive. Heir to a Seat of Power that has been usurped, my family killed. And more than that! I’m from two countries that don’t even exist anymore—that are both now New Korteria. I’ll be killed if anyone findsout the truth, or worse. Returned. I’ve been enslaved and raped repeatedly for years. All by the same man who’s now in charge of everything. And now—they’re taking people off the streets. You said you care about me. That you’d protect me. Take me away from here.”
“If you want me to,” he said. “I’ll take you. But, Jules. Are you sure you want to run? You don’t want to fight back?”
“Do I look like I can fight?” I snapped. “I can barely do magic outside of my vorakh. And I’m not strong. I’m not a warrior. I can’t fight these soldiers.”
“You could be trained,” he said. “I’d train you. If you wanted.”
I exhaled sharply. “Sure.”
“You could,” he said fervently. “Lyr did. She had no magic at her Revelation Ceremony, and she learned to kill akadim anyway. You have magic. You could learn too.”
“And save one person. Maybe? Maybe save myself. Once? But what would be the point? The fight would never end.”
Dario stared at the flames burning before us. “You’re right. It wouldn’t end. The fighting never stops when it’s you against the world. An army, a soturi makes it better. You can cover more ground.” He stilled, his eyes blazing as he looked me over. “But you know what has an even bigger impact, and could save more lives, help more people than me and a hundred soturi ever could?”
I blinked. “What?”
“Being a leader,” he said. “Being a good leader. Like an Arkasva. Making changes for the country, standing up against the Emperor.”
