“Threatened you,” he continued. “Told you he’d turn you in if you didn’t give him your money.”
Genna’s nod was almost indiscernible. “For months, I gave him the money I produced, and in exchange, he began including me in legion tasks. I wasn’t a member of his legion, but he always told me if I continued to please him, I might find myself a part of it.”
“What changed? If this has been going on for a year, why turn you in now?”
“Because of you.”
Toran stiffened.
“Captain Fell found out I helped you. He threw me in the castle dungeon, then brought me diluted magic and forced me to consume it. I made coins for him for three days straight. And when he was satisfied with his money, he turned me in. I was brought to the well the next day.”
Beside him, Nes’s rage felt like rushing rapids. He slid his hand over to rest on her thigh.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I knew Fell was…but I never thought he’d—”
“Use an innocent girl then throw her in a dumpstreet for the scavengers?” Nes spat.
“I’m not innocent,” Genna whispered.
Nes snorted. “Trust me, you’re far more innocent than I am.”
Toran tried not to think on Nes’s lack of innocence. Still, her bloodied hand, the corpse’s shriveled heart clutched in it, flitted to the front of his mind.
“But I’ve used magic. Multiple times. When I know it’s illegal,” Genna said. “When I know what the punishment is.”
“It’s not your fault if the punishment doesn’t match the crime,” he said, and was surprised to find he meant it. Magic was uncontrollable, that was part of the reason it was illegal to consume. And he still believed it was evil. But consuming it didn’t make someone evil, and Genna hadn’t hurt anyone. “The Witch is one thing, but people like you? Who don’t have magic coursing through their veins and onlyuse it when truly desperate? Those people don’t deserve to die for one mistake. Especially if the system forced their hand. I’m sorry, Genna. This never should have happened. I’ll fix it. When this is over—after we find the Witch—I’ll fix it.”
And then it was Nes’s hand under the table. Her hand sliding onto his lap. Her hand resting on his thigh.
“There is one more thing,” he said, his tone soft. “We need you to tell us everything you know about what happened up north.”
“I thought you might say that.” Genna sucked in a breath. “I was the legion’s pack mule. Instructed to carry all supplies. Captain Fell chose a spot at the base of a mountain to camp. He instructed me to remain behind and set everything up while he and the legion explored the area.”
“Explored the area?”
“With their weapons,” Genna added. “I knew something was up, but I couldn’t do anything. I was alone. The legion left, and I set up camp. When two hours passed and they hadn’t returned, I went searching for them. I found…” Genna closed her eyes. “I shouldn’t have gone after them.”
“What happened?” Suri asked gently.
“Captain Fell and the other men came across a group of nomads settled nearby.”
Nes turned her hand in his so they were palm to palm, heartbeat to heartbeat.
Genna opened her eyes. “No one knew the Witch was there. The nomads were nice, welcoming. They offered Captain Fell food.”
He felt his hand go stiff in hers. Nes caressed it with her thumb, as if trying to brush away his anxiety. “Fell told us the Witch attacked everyone.”
Genna gritted her teeth. “She didn’t attack us. We didn’t even know she was with the group.”
“How did you find out?”
“Fell attacked them. They offered food, and Fell…He pulled out a sword and started slashing.”
“It was an unprovoked attack?”
Toran thought back to what the King had told him—how Fell changed after he killed the Witch.
“He’ll claim otherwise, but I know what I saw. Fifty people, and he cut right into them. Then the nomads fought back, and guards starting falling, too. Far more nomads ended up on the ground. But then some of the wounded started rising up and fighting again, their injuries healed. I think that’s when Captain Fell realized the Witch was there. He—he lost it. He started swinging for everyone’s heads. Nomads, guards. It didn’t matter. He killed them all. That was when I ran. I knew if he found me, he’d kill me, too.”
