RIVEN
We pop into the middle of the patrol squad—fifteen veydran strong—to angry shouts and surprised grunts. The squad is made up of foot soldiers. I recognize only one of them, but they know who I am immediately.
“I caught the prisoners,” I snap, sneering at the startled group while scanning the ground for signs of the stone Hyacinth left for us. “I need an immediate transfer to the arena. The eclipse nears, and these weak supernaturals won’t survive a minute of the freeze.”
They breathe my name with a mix of fear and confusion. I’m sure they’ve heard rumors, but the bounty Hyacinth warned us about didn’t mention me. These grunts aren’t sure if I’ve defected or not, which means this amber mask still carries more weight than any other I could have worn.
It doesn’t have to hold for long, only long enough for me to find the stone.
Above us, the sky churns dark and angry. Charcoal clouds coat the field of floating rubbish, adding a menacing film to everything.
There’s a small fire burning in the middle of the camp. Blue flames shoot up from the center, a sign that the squad used their emergency supply of thermic powder to make the fire burn hotter.Cold and disorganized... this is good.They’re practically waiting for someone to step up and take charge.Gods, this might work.
“Now,” I snarl. “Or I’ll tell the guild that you’re the reason S’lach’s daughter wasn’t delivered on time.”
“B-but—” the one nearest to me sputters, his face warping as his courage fails him. “We can kill her now, right? Turn her in and claim the reward.” He glances around for backup, and several others nod.
That complicates things. I can’t let them kill Celine, but if they’re working for a reward too—like a one-way trip off this realm—they’re as incentivized as the monsters. S’lach must have spent a fortune to secure this cooperation.
Luca shifts his weight, and the illusion falters for a second, showing fists clenched at his sides, not bound and chained.
I clear my throat, hoping no one noticed. I’ve got to speed this up.
“They’re my prisoners,” I say, lacing my voice with menace. “If anyone reaps the reward, it will be me.” I lift my chin even as my heart beats faster.
The ringleader’s face twists into a surly scowl, and he takes a step toward Celine. “You’ll have to speak to the commander.”
His buddies advance with him, closing in on us like a noose. They believe I’ve captured their prey, and they want to take it for themselves. The only thing holding them back is their fear of me, and that won’t last forever. They outnumber me fifteen to one.
“You reek of fear,” I scoff. Advancing on the ringleader, I make a slow and deliberate show of yanking on the fake chain. It rattles and clanks—incredible work on Ciprian’s part,and I laugh as the group takes a collective, shaky step back.
“S’lach doesn’t care if he gets a basilisk to mount on his wall, but if I unlock these cuffs, you’ll be fossilized in seconds.” I tug Luca against me, wrap one hand around his throat, and slowly open the other near his wrists.Come on, demon, play along.
By the time my hand is fully open, there’s a key nestled against my palm. It’s fake, but it looks real. I hold perfectly still as every eye in the squadron lands on it.
I fit the fake key against the fake lock, and metal scrapes against metal. It sounds real. I would believe I was holding a key against a lock if I didn’t know the truth.
“You may not have heard,” the ringleader grunts, narrowing his eyes at me, “but you’re under suspicion for treason. Missing without leave for two weeks. You were feared dead.”
His tone says the opposite, and I have no problem showing him my genuine disgust. Veydran love their gossip. It’s the only bright spot in this miserable existence. But they aren’t sure that I’ve defected, and I’m too valuable to risk without proof.
I need to get that stone.It should be right here, exactly where thefire is. Dread sinks into my stomach.
A dozen rocks rim the blaze. Each one glows orange—every bit as hot as the embers around them. Hyacinth always wraps the stones in something, but the flames would have burned the covering away. Did the squad choose this spot because of the stones, or was it a coincidence? I’m not sure how to figure out which rock is spelled without melting my hand.
“What’s your name, brother?” I ask the ringleader, tilting my head to the side.
He narrows his borrowed eyes. “Why do you ask?”
I crowd his personal space, barely remembering to moveslowly enough to give the others time to react. “Because when someone accuses me of treason, I make note of who they are. It makes them easier to track down and kill later.”
The fire is only three paces away, but gods, the heat.
I look at it and scoff. “And who authorized powder use? The temperatures aren’t nearly low enough to warrant the extravagance.” I focus on the smallest veydra in the squad. He’s hovering near the back of the group and having a hard time maintaining his grip on his face.
Scared shitless. I need to make that count.
“Put that fire out,” I snap at him. Time is running out, and we still have two more jumps left to reach the portal.
