Grass, ever the practical one, took a torch from a passing construct. “Ready your weapons,” she told the other three. “The walls may be stone, but the wood will burn,” she said, louder than necessary.

A pair of shutters on the upper floor flew open. “Wait!” a man called. “What do you want?”

“All we want is the governor,” Nisong shouted back. “The rest of you can live. Just send out your governor.”

“Never!”

So she was speaking to the governor then. “We’ve razed this village and your people are outnumbered. There’s no point in resisting. One of you can die or all of you can.” She wasn’t here to occupy the islands. Each one was just a stop to her eventual destination: Imperial. But she knew she couldn’t leave the governor here alive to rally the survivors, to press her flank. Kill the leader, and you incapacitate everyone else.

“Who in all the ancient Alanga are you?”

“Nisong,” she said simply.

“And are you here for money? Power? Or do you just want to wreak destruction?”

Nisong shook her head, sucking on her lower lip. She felt the scar across her cheek stretch. It wasn’t just about destruction. It was about justice. News traveled across the Empire with the speed of witstone. The Emperor was dead. His daughter had inherited. When she’d heard, for a brief moment she’d felt torn. The Empire had moved past her memories, leaving both Shiyen and Nisong behind. Was there a place for her in this world, or should she instead fade into the background as she’d done so many times before?

And then she’d heard about the bounty the new Emperor had placed on the constructs. This, she understood. They’d created her, abandoned her and now they wanted her and her people dead.

She was happy to return the last sentiment.

“You put a bounty on our heads. What other choice do I have?” She welcomed the flood of anger, the desire for violence.

“Bounty? I have nothing to do with a bounty. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. How far do you think you’re going to get here, even if you kill me? Imperial will come. The Emperor will come. Even a fraction of the Imperial Guard could crush you.”

“Do you think—?”

Coral put a hand on Nisong’s arm. “Listen.”

From within the depths of the house, she heard the shuffle of footsteps. Her eyes widened and she understood only a moment before it happened.

“Ready yourselves, they’re going to—”

The door burst open and guards poured out.

It seemed she was not the only one who understood that killing the leader incapacitated everyone else. They hadn’t cared what she had to say; they’d only wished to stall her long enough to get everyone in place.