Sobs wrack his body. My heart pounds against my ribcage. I reach for my magic to dosomething,but Marik’s hold on me is too strong.
He turns and points the hammer at me, hatred and fury gleaming in his eyes. “You did this.You.I gave you every opportunity to play nice.” His face is flushed, and a lock of hair slips forward, brushing against his forehead. “For every day you say no to me, I will nail another body to the walls. These people will die and I will force you to sit here and watch them. So, which is it? Are you going to do this the easy way? Or do you want to be responsible for people dying, just to spite me? Eventually, you’ll hate yourself even more than you hate me.”
A tear cuts down my cheek and drops to the floor.
“Well?” he growls.
I look at him, at the hammer hanging loosely at his side, the wild look in his eyes. At the monster who killed Etta, who betrayed Mae, who has imprisoned me in the only places I’ve ever known—my home, and my body.
I meant it when I said I’d rather die than go along with his plan. But there is no way I can live with myself if the other option is innocent people dying. I meet his gaze, every muscle quivering in anger.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Chapter 4
MAE
The next fewweeks pass by in a blur, every day nearly the same—training with Asmo, pacing the strip of yard within the barrier, and wanting to pull my hair out. Asmo continues to challenge me, urging me to push my magic further. Our training sessions always leave me physically spent and mentally exhausted as my heart wars with my brain. I still can’t deny the pull I feel toward him, but that one question constantly niggles in the back of my mind—Can I trust him?
Holly is now able to walk around the house without assistance and has begun to join me as I trample a path into the grass. It’s been nice having another female around again. Even Luca’s attitude has lessened since she’s been more active.
She’s different, a quieter version of herself, but so was I in my recovery. Most days, I still am. Almost dying has a way of turning you into a shell of yourself.
We sit in silence together on the strip of the front lawn, both of us staring at the moon. Although the view is technically different from the last house, it’s still mostly the same—a dark forest filled with the sounds of birds tweeting, squirrels skittering along branches, and cicadas buzzing.
“Hey.” Ivan’s voice comes from behind us. “You two need to see this.”
I force myself to stand, pulling the blanket tight around me, and shuffle inside. A fire crackles in the stone hearth as I lower myself into the armchair closest to it. I urge the flames higher, my skin prickling from the sudden shift in temperature. It doesn’t take long for me to feel warm, but I stay with the blanket wrapped tightly around me.
Asmo watches me from the other side of the room. I look away, thinking of my first date with Marik. Of the way the flames reflected in his dark eyes, as they do with Asmo now. Despite the fire, a chill works its way up my spine.
A newspaper lays sprawled on the coffee table—Ivan’s bedside table, as he likes to call it. This cabin is small, with only three bedrooms to split between the five of us. Ivan chose to sleep on the couch.
“What is it?” Luca asks from the hallway. His gray hair is tousled from sleep. Like Ivan, his wrinkles grow deeper every day.
Ivan settles onto the sofa and hunches over the newspaper. Holly studies the fire that rages in the hearth. With her burn scars, her pale flesh was made even paler. The flames reached her right cheek before they went out. The scar there glistens, then disappears from my view as she turns back and paces in the other direction.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Ivan looks up from the paper. “Apparently, the High King and Queen will be holding a tithe in a week’s time.”
Surely I didn’t hear him right. “What?”
“All citizens of the Deer Court are expected to attend and offer some sort of payment to the High Crown,” Ivan explains.
“I understand what a tithe is. But that’s not something we do,” I say.
“According to this,” Ivan says, gesturing toward the paper, “youdo. They didn’t give a reason, just said it’s now mandatory, per the High Queen.”
“And if people don’t pay?” I ask.
Ivan shrugs. “Doesn’t say.”
Fucking Marik.I turn to Asmo. “What do you think the real reason is behind this? The High Crown doesn’t need any more money.”
He shakes his head, frowns. “Easy way to exert his control over thekingdom. Force compliance and punish those who don’t. It’s just a manipulation tactic.”
This is Marik’s first official move. It’s been weeks of waiting, and here it is. How do we respond? What do we do? Do we even do anything? It hits me. “We have to go. This is our chance to get inside the castle. To see if our theory about Elle is right.”
