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Back The Ones We Burn Save as PDF
Chapters (93)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One: Skra: Sixty Days Remain
  5. PART ONE SKRA SIXTY DAYS REMAIN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4 Two weeks later
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. Part Two: Monster: Twenty-Five Days Remain
  25. PART TWO MONSTER TWENTY-FIVE DAYS REMAIN
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. Part Three: Butcher: Six Days Remain
  40. PART THREE BUTCHER SIX DAYS REMAIN
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. Part Four: Bloodwinn: Coup Successful
  64. PART FOUR BLOODWINN COUP SUCCESSFUL
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. 56
  68. 57
  69. 58
  70. 59
  71. 60
  72. 61
  73. 62
  74. 63
  75. 64
  76. 65
  77. 66
  78. 67
  79. 68
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80 EPILOGUE Three months later
  92. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  93. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In the distance, gold flashed.

Foldrey looked up and met Ranka’s eyes.

“Run,” he whispered.

And then he collapsed.

30

OVERHEAD, DARK CLOUDS GATHERED.

“Foldrey, no!” Galen staggered forward, dropped to his knees, and pressed his hands to Foldrey’s stomach. “You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you help and you’re going to be okay.”

Ranka lay in the street, losing more blood than she could afford to give. Behind her, Aramis and Percy seized, lips foaming as poison took hold. Judging by her own dizziness, Ranka didn’t have much longer, either.

Again it came—that scent she’d learned to fear so quickly, one that promised death by fire. They needed to move. If the Hands found them now, they’d be easy prey. Galen and Aramis Sunra would be wiped from this world, and she along with them, with nothing but the cobblestones as witness to what had happened here.

The clouds swelled. Galen shook harder. “You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you help and you’re going to be okay.”

Foldrey cradled the prince’s cheek in his hand. “You have to go.”

Heat lightning flashed overhead.

“We’re not leaving you.” Galen’s chest heaved. He looked around, wild eyed, as if still expecting someone to come to his rescue.

Ranka’s skin burned as poison ate through her. She could not walk, so instead she crawled to Aramis. Reached for her. She tried to lift Aramis onto her shoulder, but her legs could no longer support the weight of her own body, let alone another. Spots swirled across Ranka’s vision.

Footsteps approached.

“Look at me,” said Foldrey. “Galen, my boy, look at me. You are special—you know that, right? You have a gentle heart, a good heart. But it’s time to grow up. Your sister needs her brother, and Isodal needs her king.”

“I’m not letting you die.”

“You have the whole sky in you, Galen,” Foldrey whispered. “Use it.”

Cold. Ranka was growing so cold. And that scent—it was coming closer. She reached for Percy. Scales shimmered beneath the skin at his wrists; vomit crusted his lips. She hauled him onto her other shoulder. Pain ripped through her, and her vision went dark. No. She clawed for her blood-magic, but it was barely an exhausted flicker. Even blood-magic ran out eventually. It wouldn’t be enough to carry her out of here—let alone all three of them.

“Galen,” Ranka croaked. “Please.”

Then, from the dark, came footsteps.

The Hands of Solomei had found them at last.

They came from all directions, sidling from the ends of alleys, slipping from vacant doorways. For a breath they were indistinguishable from other humans—they bore the same gaunt faces, tired eyes, and drought-parched lips. The image of a people run ragged by a cruel summer and careless rule.