TALIN
After the traumatic scene on the bridge,I retreat to my bedchamber. Everything in me is shaking. I don’t even bother to hide my emotions anymore. The walls around my heart are gone, and in their place is my bare grief and pain and fury. They roil through me for hours as I pace restlessly in my room.
Let Constantine feel it. That’s what he wants anyway, isn’t it? To know that he’s broken me down?
Let him. I don’t care.
Somewhere in the city, General Caitoman has tortured my mother. And the rebellion that I’d thought was worth helping has instead been supporting that same man, aiming to make him the next Premier.
Constantine is a monstrous leader. But Caitoman will be worse.
How could I have aided him? How could I not know?
General Caitoman, the same man who terrorized victims in Mara. Who tortures prisoners. Who smiled when he ordered me to do atrocious things for the Premier.
The thought festers within me.
Have I been working with someone who has no intention of ending Karensa’s regime, after all? Replacing one Tyrus with another, one whois even crueler. If they succeed, then what? Caitoman is left to be the ruler of the Federation? Will I just serve him as his Skyhunter? What would my freedom even mean? Where would we go? Will our countries still all be under the Federation’s rule?
All my rage rises. I want to destroy everything. I want to tear everything apart with my bare hands. My wings unfurl, extend. The light from my furious eyes reflects off the walls.
It is in this state that I hear my door open and shut.
I whirl to see Mayor Elland standing there.
Her eyes turn wary as she takes me in. Seeing her now makes me even angrier. I bare my teeth and stalk toward her. I could kill her right now. Kill them all, for betraying me.
The mayor sees me coming and holds a hand out to stop me. I snarl, ready to shove her arm aside and push her against the wall.
“I have your mother,” she says to me.
I stop in mid-motion, confused. What did she say?
When I stay frozen, my hand still held aloft, the mayor tightens her lips and nods at me, her hand still up. “I have your mother,” she repeats, emphasizing each word meaningfully as if she’s afraid I might not understand. “Some of my spies were in the General’s patrol today, after the guard rotation. Constantine gave her location away to me when he said that his brother was with her. She is now at my estate.”
All my breath escapes me now. My mother? Mymother. All the strength I’d felt moments earlier, that I’d been so ready to direct at the mayor, now crumbles in on itself, and my knees go weak. My limbs suddenly feel numb, and for a moment, I wonder if I’m going to collapse. My gaze returns to the mayor, all my fury sucked out and replaced with bewilderment.
She gives me a tragic smile. “She’s resting from her injuries.” Atthat, she winces. The memories of what happened earlier today flood through me in a fresh wave of pain.
So it did happen, then. Constantine had made good on his word—Caitoman made sure of it. A whisper of a sob escapes me, and my knees really do give way. I sink to the floor.
“I’m sorry, Talin,” the mayor murmurs to me as she kneels before me.
“When can I see her?” I sign, not knowing how else to communicate with her.
The mayor shakes her head at me, indicating she doesn’t understand, before reaching into her robe and pulling out a small booklet of paper and an ink pen. “Write the best you can,” she whispers.
I stare at her, suspicious, before taking the paper and pen and gathering my limited knowledge of written Karenese.
When? See mother?I write.
“After the arena,” she replies.
The spark of anger in me rises again, and I clench my jaw. I don’t even bother writing anything down for her this time—instead, I shove a finger at her chest and then gesture to myself, putting my hands up in impatience.
“No, you’re going to wait,” the mayor snaps. “It’s too dangerous. You think it was easy for me to make my way to you here, to give you this news? The Premier can feel his power being squeezed all around him, can sense an imminent collapse. He’s never more dangerous than he is now. He’s—”
The mayor bows her head. “I’m sorry, Talin. Constantine… he’s…” She pauses in her words and shakes her head. In that gesture, I see an ocean of regret, a heartbreak that’s lasted decades, born from her watching a little boy grow up into the cruel image of his own father.
