Chapter 25
‘Thanks for walking me back.’ I glance up at my bedroom window. ‘I should go inside.’ The night passed in a blur, and now the sun is getting too high in the sky to ignore.
Ryland frowns, then glares in the direction of our spy. Soren’s buddy, Diggs, spotted us returning and has been performing his guard duty with a grating level of seriousness.
Ryland’s jaw flexes.
‘It’s fine,’ I mutter. ‘Atlas wanted me to seduce you for information, remember? So we don’t have to hide this.’
His head snaps back to me. A smile curls on his lips, growing deeper the longer he stares. ‘Well, in that case.’ He suddenly leans in, cupping my jaw, and kisses me.
My stomach flutters violently, like I’ve been bucked off a horse.
Speaking this way and kissing in plain sight is so wild.
Reckless. It’s night and day from what I let people see of me as a guard.
I don’t recognise this fevered, giddy version of myself.
This isn’t us pledging our lives to each other after only one night alone; but we are letting this new world of possibilities play out. And it’s intoxicating.
‘When can I see you again?’ he mutters softly against my lips.
My chest swells at the thought of more of him.
I wish our time didn’t have to end, but I haven’t slept a wink in twenty-four hours and real life awaits.
‘Later? I’ll need to check in with the first lieutenants.
Maybe slip in a short nap. I’m not sure when Atlas will return, but my evening should be free. ’
Ryland studies me, something troubling making his brows pinch.
‘What is it?’ I ask.
‘When the Commander calls me in for our next meeting, there’s a chance he’ll send me packing.’ His deep voice softens. ‘If he does, I’ll wait for you at the end of the Notting entry road. On the west side. Meet me there and we can decide on the next steps. I’ll respect whatever you choose.’
My head drops low. Sometimes I barely notice how much I’ve separated myself from nearly everyone else, all so I protect them from the fallout of my raids.
But other times, like now, I feel the magnitude of my isolation, and it’s …
crippling. Ryland is a glowing beacon, reminding me that this life I live, the risks I take, are not what I want forever.
It’s incredibly tempting to accept his offer.
But at the mention of Atlas, my stomach spirals with dread. Or more accurately, fear. Atlas will never simply let me leave … or marry Ryland.
Just don’t fall for him in return. I’m a jealous man, and I don’t share my things.
Even if we eloped, and I took Agatha with us, what about the Dresden or Dezzy? How could I protect them all from the fallout of Atlas’s rage?
I can’t.
A sharp needle weaves through my heart, leaving a trail of tightening thread. If we’re serious about doing this, we’ll have to somehow clear the danger of it first.
‘Okay,’ I agree. Then I kiss him one more time before starting the climb to my room. Two thirds of the way up the ladder, I look down and find Ryland respectfully turned around, guarding my back. It touches something deep inside me. I’m not used to these kindnesses.
‘Marian!’
Dezzy’s head pops out of my window, her dark hair falling out of her usually pristine bun.
My brain misfires. What’s she doing in my room?
‘Where have you been?’ she cries, her accent as thick as mud now that she’s upset. She gestures vigorously for me to hurry inside.
I speed up, blades of anxiety stabbing my ribs as I climb through the window.
‘Have you been out all night?’ She gapes like she doesn’t recognise me.
I stride to my bed while fighting the blasted zip on the back of my dress. ‘Yes, I was with Ryland. And it was … nice.’ Nice doesn’t cover it, but I’m sure my flushing cheeks do.
‘And you told no one where you went?’ she squawks. ‘Is your head just for decoration?’
With a grunt, I give the zip a final tug, then abandon it and fall back on my hard mattress. ‘I had no desire to be found, Dez. You should be happy. This is what you wanted.’
‘I wanted to find you three hours ago. Your father is looking for you.’
I jerk upright. ‘He’s back?’
She motions aggressively towards downstairs. ‘Go. Go now. He is very unhappy that you haven’t answered his call.’
‘I need to change,’ I hiss, springing to my feet. Thankfully, Dezzy agrees, and in a flurry, we strip me of my dress and reclothe me in my guardsman uniform. I barely have one boot on when Dezzy cries, ‘We need to tie back your hair.’
‘No time,’ I say, pulling on my other boot and running out of the door.
People gawk and lunge out of the way as I sprint down the maze of hallways and stairs, then through the compound dining room. Clark grins at me, but before he has a chance to open the door to the High Command, I slam through it – Atlas has waited too long.
He’s frowning when I burst out of the hallway into the cavernous room. Coatl – no surprise – glares at my intrusion. But it’s Soren, standing before them, who makes my thundering blood run cold. My former flame seems almost relieved to see me, which makes no sense.
‘Ah, my daughter,’ Atlas says. ‘Nice of you to finally join us.’
‘My apologies. I was attending to … my assignment.’
‘Oh?’ Atlas looks at me curiously. ‘I see.’ Then, as if forgotten, he speaks to Soren. ‘Continue, Lieutenant Collins.’
Soren clears his throat. ‘As I was saying, I’d like permission to collect the suspects from the Dresden –’
‘What suspects?’ I interrupt. Instead of going to my usual spot along the wall, I step on to the dais and take a place beside Atlas, looking down on Soren.
‘How could you possibly have suspects from among the Dresden when the raiders were vagabonds? Ones who got away because you didn’t immediately initiate a search inside our territory. ’
‘The raiders looked familiar,’ he says coolly, trying and failing to hold back his anger. ‘I was following my gut.’
My mouth goes bone dry – familiar? ‘It doesn’t matter what your gut felt. We have protocols. Instead, you set the Dresden Circle on fire. And I couldn’t even do your job of initiating a search because I was trying to keep the whole place from burning down.’
His words turn clipped. ‘I followed the evidence, and now I have suspects.’
‘What evidence?’ I demand. ‘And who are you accusing?’
‘Marian.’ Atlas looks baffled. ‘Calm down.’
I exhale. Why is he not raging? ‘My apologies, Commander. But Lieutenant Collins has done an incredible amount of damage by not following our rules.’
Atlas tilts his head, thinking. ‘Yes, but he has suspects.’
My stomach bottoms out.
Atlas waves his hand. ‘Enlighten her, so we can move on.’
Soren raises his chin. ‘There’s been a rumour that the Dresden have been receiving gifts to pay their collections. We now know these gifts are stolen from Notting collection carts. They’re looting to pay their outstanding rent and protection fees.’
I stop breathing.
‘All whispers point to Brother Thomas,’ he continues.
‘He also matches the height of the second raider. Let me talk to him. And Lieutenant Lucky Pollent. I don’t suspect he’s the raider, but he’s often working the post closest to our trader raids.
That can’t be a coincidence. With your permission, I’d like to interrogate these men at Halkirk Tower and –’
‘Interrogate?’ Halkirk Tower is essentially our jail, but it’s also where we take people to be questioned – so nobody hears their screams.
It feels like a horse is stepping on my chest. ‘I strongly disagree with this direction. Lieutenant Collins is basing this on rumours, not true leads. But if we’re going to talk facts – Soren failed to stop a raid, broke protocol, then destroyed nine Dresden homes in his resulting temper tantrum.
He’s undoubtedly hindered our production of coal, due to injuries and people needing to rebuild. ’
Pleadingly, I stare at Atlas, hoping for once whatever favouritism I have will actually help me. ‘Look, Brother Thomas is a man of the cloth. A good citizen and a hard worker. And Lucky is also a loyal guardsman. These men are not raiders. I can vouch for them.’
Atlas stops me with a wave of his hand, and it’s physically painful to shut my mouth. ‘My, my, you are worked up about this, my dear.’
I nod.
‘But you shouldn’t be,’ he chastises. ‘If Brother Thomas and Lieutenant Pollent are innocent, that will come out.’
No.
‘It’d be negligent to ignore Soren’s suspicions.’ Atlas shifts in his chair, then digs his fingers into his temples. ‘This whole thing is giving me a headache. Soren, clean up your mess. Go. Report to Coatl. I don’t want to be bothered with this again.’
Soren’s face is the picture of victory, and he immediately takes his leave.
My hands fist as my body floods with panic. ‘Then I request to go with him. To … represent the integrity of your office and interests.’
‘You would miss our afternoon meeting.’
I force a disappointed look. ‘It’s not ideal. But I feel it’s important.’
He sighs. ‘I … suppose. Except not yet.’
Urgency splashes like molten metal up in my throat.
‘Aren’t you going to ask how my travels –’
The High Command doors open with a creak. ‘Commander, Agatha is here to see you,’ Clark announces. ‘She says it’s important.’
My sister appears out of the hallway without waiting for approval. She’s dressed in a guardsman uniform. Cold alarm seeps through me.
‘Why are you interrupting us?’ Despite Atlas’s annoyance, there’s a note of curiosity in his voice. ‘This had better be important.’
‘It is.’ She stops near me, hands clasped behind her back like a guard. ‘I trust you had a productive business trip?’
‘Yes, get on with it.’
The confidence on Agatha’s face wavers, then something hardens in her eyes. ‘I wish to have a rematch against Marian.’