BooksBarbecue
Back The Ones We Burn
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

Scents explained the world around her: The bitter edge of winter, the promise that spring was still a distant thing. The gamey scent of the red squirrel, the bite of pine, and in the distance, the beginning of a fire.

Fire?

Ranka opened her eyes.

A plume of deep gray wound its way up from the center of Belren, twisting in the air like a dancer caught midturn.

One of Ongrum’s lessons echoed in her mind.

The hotter the flame, the darker the smoke.

But why would the villagers need a fire midday?

Unless—

A scream split the air, high and shrill. Ranka went cold. She knew that scream. She’d heard it tear from the throat of the girl she loved every time the Skra dragged her kicking and howling back to camp for trying to escape.

Ranka jerked away from Aramis, her eyes wide and unseeing. She knew what came next. And she couldn’t face it. “This was a mistake.”

“Ranka, we’re too far in—you have to see this through.”

“I don’t care if it kills me.” Black swirled at the edges of her vision. “I can’t do this.”

“You’re doing this, witch girl. One way or another. You opened that door—now you must walk through.” Aramis gripped Ranka’s hands until the bones in her fingers ground together. “What happened that day, Ranka? What woke your blood-magic?”

Ranka drew in a shuddering breath.

“What made that power rise?”

Ranka’s voice sounded far away. “I tried to save her.”

43

THE END BEGAN WITH A girl and a fire.

Ranka heard the villagers before she saw them.

“I knew it! A witch!”

“But where’s the other one?”

“It doesn’t matter—we’ll get her next.”

The chemical reek of oil coiled in the air. When Ranka drew close to the village, she ducked left instead of plunging down the main street, boots skidding in the snow as she slipped between the cover of houses, inching closer to heart of the town.

Again came that strange tug in her center. It swelled behind her eyes, made her teeth ache. Her ears popped from the pressure. The conifers flickered from green to a murky gray. She blinked, and the colors returned.

Vivna, Vivna, Vivna, her heart thudded.

Help her, help her, help her, the breeze seemed to chant back.

Ranka pressed herself against the wet wood walls. She could smell and hear the humans just beyond—a whirlwind of resentment, fear, and even a tinge of regret.

Okay, Ranka. You can do this. Just take a look. It might not be her.

Heart in her mouth, Ranka peered into the village where she’d been born.

The villagers of Belren stood in a loose semicircle, the majority of them only half-dressed for the cold weather. One of her peers from the schoolhouse had forgotten her shoes. Her socks darkened as water crept up her calves.