“They say your mark isn’t real.”
“I didn’t ask. You are quite chatty when we have work to do.”
“They say that you’re a fake. A distraction meant to stir up mortalhope.” He tilted his head. “But how much of a fake? Will you ever fly as a dragon, or will you just burn?”
I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t. My balance was already fragile, and anger made me shake harder.
“They say some of the rebels think you’re a sign,” he continued, circling the beam, moving closer to me like a predator. “That if a mortal can carry a dragon mark, maybe the gods haven’t abandoned you mortals.”
Sudden fear spurted through me as I remembered his words about the queen ending me. Was that why he was on this structure with me?
“What do you want from me?” I demanded.
“I don’t give a rot how it happened. You’re mortal, and you don’t deserve the dragon mark.” He was still picking his way toward me, walking with careless ease on the narrow platform, as I edged away.
I didn’t want to let go of the post to try to flee to another side. The next level could collapse at any moment.
“If that’s true, then I’ll burn,” I reminded him.
No need to murder me yourself. Might as well take the lazy route and let me go up in flames.
“But you’re a problem,” he told me, and my heart dropped, knowing I was in danger. “You’re inciting a mortal rebellion.”
“I don’t know anything about a rebellion. I’m not inciting anything.”
“Oh, I believe that. You seem pretty stupid. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t the rebellion’s idol. The mortal girl with the dragon mark.”
He suddenly leapt across what had once been the floor. I gasped, but he managed to land on the framework, flinging out an arm to catch the post.
There was a split second when he was off balance, when I could’ve pushed him and had a chance; if luck were with me—and it was—he might fall without taking me with him. But the opportunity was gone before I had the chance.
“If you were born that way, you’re just a mistake of magic. But if you weremade, and you don’t burn, or if they believe it…” He sneered. Our bodies were too close together; I didn’t have anywhere to go, but at any moment, he might reach out and push me. If I tried to flee, I’d be vulnerable.
“I wasn’t made. And if you think Fieran marked me, you are very bad at math, because he was a child when I was born.”
His hot breath was on my face. “Do you really think he’s going to make you queen of the mortals?”
“I don’t want to be a queen.”
He leaned even closer, as if he were telling me a secret. “I don’t think he cares what you want. He’s going to use you to raise a mortal army.”
The tower shook as more boards began to rain down. I didn’t dare look away from him, even as the fear of being struck from above twinged down my spine.
Then suddenly, he lashed one arm out and grabbed me. I thought he was pushing me to my doom, and I lashed out, clutching his arm, determined to bring him with me if I fell.
But he had the crown he’d been carrying in his hand now. “There’s no escaping a crown if Fieran wants you to wear one, but the mortals need to know what a queen will cost them,” he told me mockingly. “So you might as well wear this one into the water.”
I didn’t fight him as he put it onto my head. That wasn’t the step of this that mattered. The metal slipped down over my eyes, half blinding me, which was unfortunate.
Then his hand dropped, and he reared back, preparing to kick me off the tower.
But I was already crouching low. I dodged his kick, barely—his foot glanced at my cheek, knocking me off balance—and I yanked my boot knife free of its scabbard. I teetered unsteadily on the frame as I drove it into his calf.
He let out a grunt, but he lost his balance.
As he fell backward, he grabbed my arm. He yanked me with him, both of us plummeting through the air.
I screamed as the world flashed by.
