“You’re wrong. Her Noble Excellency doesn’t share the greed and conquering mentality of the Sky King. She simply wants us to stop battering her border.Wehave always been the aggressors. The Zemyans are only defending what’s rightfully theirs. Empress Danashti plans to give us full independence in exchange for a small tax. Not only that, she is a rigorous supporter of religious freedom and cultural expression. We won’t have to live in fear of losing ourselves and our ways of life.” He gestures to the rings in his ears and the ink on his calves. “We will finally be able to worship the Lady of the Sky in peace.”
“You’re even more deluded than I am if you believe such empty promises! We’ve been at war with the Zemyans for centuries. There will be consequences. Fallout. And you can’t honestly expect me to believe you care a whit about ‘worshiping the Lady of the Sky in peace’ after making such a mockery of Her. Pretending to be Goddess-touched! Calling this despicable world of Zemyan magic the realm of the Eternal Blue!”
Temujin bites his lip and looks down, spinning the rings on his hands. “I’d like to think the Lady of the Sky understands. That She approves of my dedication and diligence.”
The words he scrawled into his Book of Whisperings reappear in my mind with a new meaning:Are we ever beyond redemption?
I shake my head and scoff.
He hadn’t written them for me. He had been thinking only of himself.
“I had to recruit people to our cause,” he explains when I say nothing, “and this was the only way I could think to gain support.”
“And do you expect tokeeptheir support once they know you’re a lying, treasonous heretic?”
He flinches slightly, then makes a point of sitting taller. “I do. As it stands, the majority of our ranks are Zemyan and the rest are people like Chanar, who have been wronged by the Sky King and are desperate for vengeance and change. The few who have been deceived will fall in line. They can’t be too angry, when we’re clearly in the right. The people adore us. We have been providing rations and clothing and shelter and protection….”
“How silly of me to think you were doing those things out of genuine concern,” I mutter.
“Of course it’s out of genuine concern! Everything I do is for the people. Can’t you see that? I’m not the villain.” He takes a steadying breath. “This is the best way, the only way. Under this new regime, the people will finally be free and well cared for. Her Noble Excellency has even offered us a gift as a show of her goodwill.”
“The onlygiftEmpress Danashti will offer us after so many years of war is an extermination order.”
“You’re wrong. She’s promised us access to their enchanted hot springs. To Zemyan magic. We canallpartake and become sorcerers. We canallbe blessed with a gift, rather than a chosen few. No more distinctions. No more exploitation of the magic-barren. Everyone will be able to defend themselves.”
I gape at him. Of all the preposterous drivel he’s spat at me, this is by far the worst. “Do you honestly think the Lady of the Sky would approve ofthat? You claim to follow Her but have no regard for Her judgment!”
“She must approve.” Temujin raises his hands in the world’s most condescending shrug. “Would this plan be succeeding if it weren’t Her will?”
I bite down hard on my lip. I want to argue, but how can I? Clearly I don’t know the mind or will of the Goddess. As far as I can tell, She led me into this trap.
“Ashkar is changing for the better, Enebish, and I’m begging you to help us. To cast your lot with the winning side.Myside. I need you.” He gently takes my hand and flashes that silvery grin that used to make my toes curl. Now it only makes me feel cold. And sick.
I yank my hand away and spit on his perfectly polished boots. “The charade is up. No need to act like you care for me.”
“Idocare for you.”
“You’re right—you care about how you can use me.”
Temujin blinks and fumbles for words. It’s probably the first time in his life his charm hasn’t gotten him exactly what he wanted. The thought brings the tiniest smile to my lips.
He sucks in a breath through his teeth and stands, looming over me. “I didn’t want it to be this way, but youwill helpus. Whether by your own choice or by force.” He nods to the rows of urns. “You,Enebish the Destroyer, will lead us into Sagaan under a cover of darkness and batter the Imperial Army with a deluge of starfire.”
“Don’t call me that,” I say, enunciating each word carefully. “I amnotresponsible for Nariin. I am not a monster.”
“I believe you, of course, but the people won’t—not after your little performance today … blazing your starfire through the Grand Courtyard, setting the Sky Palace aflame. How much more monstrous can it get?”
Roaring with frustration, I kick at Temujin’s ankles. Under normal circumstances, he could easily dodge my foot, but he’s still weak from the hanging and the ground rolls with ceaseless tremors. I sweep his legs out from under him and brim with wicked satisfaction as he crashes into a jade pillar. I relish the crack of his head against the stone.
When he pushes to his elbows, a dribble of blood seeps from his forehead. “You can’t say I didn’t try,” he mutters as he wipes his brow and clambers to his feet. “I wanted you to be one of us. Kartok’s offer will not be so generous.”
“At least it will be honest!” I shout as Temujin limps away like the mangy dog he is.
Kartok doesn’t come for several hours, knowing I will count every minute, sweat every second.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he calls as he finally glides toward the temple. “There’s much to do. Planning the siege of a capital takes a monstrous amount of effort. And I wanted to give you plenty of time to digest all that’s happened. To consider your options …” He chuckles, because I clearly have no options. He leans over me, and his artificial skin sags. A fist-sized chunk of flesh droops from his chin like melted wax, revealing the pale-haired, cunning-eyed stranger beneath.
The true Kartok.
