BooksBarbecue
Back The Endless Skies
Chapters (57)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Also by Shannon Price
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. Newsletter Sign-up

Both of them are where I should be. There is no way I wouldn’t have been noticed missing now. News of my desertion would ripple from the Underbelly to the Glass Tower. I cringe at the thought of someone telling Shirene. On top of everything, she’ll have to deal with the shame of having a deserter for a sister.

My hands go to my bag’s strap lying securely across my chest. I have the cure, and I am headed back. I have to believe that it will be enough for the king to pardon me.

A moment later, just as a wind picks up from the north, Ellian and I crest a hill, and I know the time for selfish thought has ended. The enemy’s capital city lies in wait before me, and I am headed into its heart.

34

CALLEN

In the morning, more food is brought to us. Last night, I recounted what General Marchess told me, from the flying machines to the supposed famine, to giving us anything we wanted. It was the last of these that forced Sethran, Ox, and me to come to the same conclusion: Marchess wanted us at our best so that when he broke us, he’d get the most satisfaction.

“Who do you think we’ll be against?” I ask Sethran.

“Some of their soldiers, probably. Even if we win, we don’t have the cure. We don’t have time.” He puts his fist to the wall, pushing against it as if he could break it. “We will fight as long and as hard as we can. That’s our role now.”

“Not to them,” Ox says. “To them, we’re entertainment.”

I close my eyes, letting that sink in. Warriors are trained to never give up. In reassessing our mission, Sethran isn’t giving in. He’s embracing the reality that our path ends here, in the jaws of our enemy.

So when the soldiers come to get us, we go. When I’m pulled forward for walking too slowly, I quicken my step and focus every breath on whatever we are about to face. I am ready. This far from the prince, and without Rowan, I have nothing left to lose.

One of the soldiers in front of us grunts as he adjusts the large bundle carried in his arms. As he stops to shift the weight, I see a flash of a Leonodai sword hilt reflecting in the light. At least the humans had the decency to give us our own weapons back.

We round a corner, and it all makes sense. I don’t know whether I should be excited to see something so familiar in such a strange place or if I should be afraid. But an arena is an arena, and I know it well.