Chapters (42)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- The World of the Storm Crow
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
“They see the way my mother dismisses me, and they do the same. If I win the Centerian, I can earn her respect.” His hands tightened on the table edge. “I shouldn’t even react to it. I shouldn’t care. It’s half the reason people look at me the way they do.”
I pushed off the table, stepping in front him. “You don’t deserve it. You can make another choice.”
He met my gaze, holding it like a drowning man clinging to driftwood. His eyes searched mine, looking for something that wasn’t there. He looked away.
Shouting echoed in from the courtyard. Ericen’s eyes snapped to a spot above my head, and he pushed off the table, hurrying to open the door. I darted to his side in time to see Shearen at the front of a small formation of soldiers.
“Kiran, Seina, Raelynn.” Shearen eyed each soldier as he named them.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“He’s forming a team for something.” Ericen stepped into the courtyard, and I followed.
“Marin,” Shearen continued. Then his head jerked up, eyes falling on us. A cruel smile spread across his lips. “Ericen.”
Ericen stiffened, and I almost screamed. He’d been listening. He’d been about to say yes!
“Her Majesty has informed me a servant by the name of Auma is actually a rebel spy,” Shearen said. “We’ve been tasked with retrieving her. Any questions?”
“No, sir!” the soldiers said in unison, save for Ericen.
“Then move out.”
My mouth had gone dry, my throat rough as sand. That was why Auma had stolen the letter for me—she was a rebel, working against Razel for years. Had she run because Razel found her out?
I found Ericen’s eyes. “Don’t go.”
He hesitated, his expression fraught. This was the end of our conversation. This was his decision.
“I have to.” He didn’t look back as he joined the group of selected soldiers gathering beside Shearen.
I watched the team leave the training grounds, the rest of the soldiers dispersing. I didn’t move. A weight slowly settled on my chest. Then everyone was gone.
Twenty-Nine
You’re going to wear a hole in the rug,” Kiva warned halfheartedly from the couch in our room. Razel had canceled dinner, and the riders still hadn’t returned with news of Auma. Food had been brought to us, and the remains of it sat on the table by the fire. We’d barely touched it. “Do something useful and mix the acid.”