I almost wavered. Almost.
But Benedict’s hand was a steadying presence on my lower back as he stood behind me, to the right. Kieran stood proud and tall on my left, half his body in between me and Veskor, ready to throw himself between any threat. Ronan hovered, trying desperately to convey with his eyes that he believed Veskor, and was relying on me to be on his side.
So much pressure. Such a large choice.
Don’t mess it up.
I took a deep breath. All I could do was my best.
“Veskor,” I said softly, “your story doesn’t excuse everything, but it explains it.”
Silence.
“You want a place,” I continued. “You want a people. You want to belong.”
His throat bobbed.
“You will earn it here,” I said. “With honesty and accountability, working hard alongside everyone else to rebuild our society.”
Gasps.
Nerissa stiffened, but I wasn’t finished. “And as forNerissa, only time will tell. Do your best, and let her decide what forgiveness looks like, if it comes at all.”
His lips moved, but nothing came out. He fell forward, exhausted and finally at his body’s limit as he passed out in front of me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
BENEDICT
The sun was just deciding to peek through the holes in the heavy tree canopy, though the humidity lingered. It would take ages for everything to dry out.
I stood behind Wren, keeping one eye on Veskor, and the other I tried to stare Ronan down. Clearly, he wanted to show this new draken mercy.
Mercy used to feel like weakness. Yet Wren was granting it to Veskor, and I found that I didn’t mind it.
Veskor’s eyes rolled back before he collapsed in front of Wren, right into the mud.
The crowd erupted in titters, murmuring and pressing forward.
Ronan, a new, bold Ronan whom I barely recognized, caught him easily. I stepped forward to help. Veskor’s body was on fire, his scales dry and flaking, alarming me. I hadn’t seen it in a long time, but I remembered what it meant.
Perri gasped, scrambling down from her parents’ arms. “Veskor!”
“He’s alive,” I said quickly, though I tightened my grip instinctively. “Just sick and exhausted.”
Enya stepped in immediately, taking Veskor from me and checking his pulse and breathing. As if summoned by magick, Yazmine appeared, giving him a deep sniff.
“Scale rot, infection, parasites,” she quipped, frowning. “Dirty.”
“He pushed too far,” Nasi said. “Shouldn’t have been fighting like that.”
“Stubborn,” Canavar muttered.
Enya snapped her fingers at me and Kieran. “You, healthy, rested males. Pick him up.”
My nose twitched, but Kieran grinned. “That’s all right, I’ve got him.”
Veskor must have been light; Kieran hefted him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing more than a drakling.
