No burned houses.
No open doors.
Neither one of us dared step foot on the drenched ground; this place had been desecrated beyond any mortal entering it again for an entire generation. But I could bet not even a single flower pot had been touched.
Just enough to add a sheer veil of innocence to the entire ordeal.
Invaders raided and pillaged.
The Serpents–and whoever in godsname was helping them, because they could not have planned this on their own–were trying to play with our minds.
This would be no ordinary war.
Ignoring the way my stomach lurched at the sight, I twisted my fingers and sent my power out toward the carnage.
Only a murmur greeted it, slow and sluggish, already hardening.
“I can’t control the blood,” I said.
Only whispers of sap from the wilting plants trembled against my senses, as if crying out for help. I dropped my palm and yanked my power back. There was nothing I could do to change their fates.
Zandyr furrowed his brows and raised his palm.
“I can’t either,” he said after a few shaky moments. “It’s cursed.”
“Or blood is too dry,” I said. “Blood that’s already been spilled can’t be cursed.”
“Or the creature was magicked before it was slain.” Zandyr’s gaze slashed to mine. “Which would mean…”
My fingers curled into fists, even as my chest burned. “They might be protecting their huge snakes.”
Gods above, I hoped that was impossible. Facing monsters we couldn’t freeze or control–
“Where–” Elysia gulped. “Where are its bones?”
I clenched my jaw. She was right.
I crouched low, gaze scanning the village, hunting down any wrinkle in this land which had already been forced to fold.
No indentations in the ground, no scratches, not even a sign of a struggle.
A sacrifice, nothing more.
“One of their snakes could have eaten whatever remained,” I said coldly. “The lack of explanation makes it that much more horrifying.”
“How can you be so calm?” Elysia asked.
Because otherwise, I would have retched. “It’s my duty as Commander.”
I had too many lives on my shoulders to let my mortal feelings take over.
Ryker would not be leading this war.
The Commander would–and it had to make some tough decisions, quick.
“The warriors can’t march this way,” I declared. It was bad enough the four of us had witnessed it. Let us be the only ones plagued with these memories. “It will mess with their minds.”
“They know we were supposed to camp here,” Zandyr said.
