Hotbloods 5: Traitors

“Seraphina!” he shouted.

I hurried back to the edge of the barrier and peered along the line, just in time to see Seraphina step through a gap in the fence a short way up ahead, greeting Aurelius with a calm look on her face. She looked more exhausted than she had when I’d seen her a week ago, and she seemed thinner, like she’d lost her appetite. In her situation, I’d have lost mine, too.

Curious to overhear their conversation, I edged in slightly, so I was in line with the other people ahead of me. I tilted my head outward, letting their words come to me, glancing up at them from under the edge of my hood. Besides, if I wanted Ronad to stand a chance of finding me, it was better to stay in one place.

“You are looking particularly delicious today, my darling,” Aurelius purred, making my skin crawl. “Ever since news of our betrothal, you have grown in beauty, and only continue to stir my passions. I look at the necklace I bought you and the way it curves around your throat—I cannot help but feel envy at the touch of its cold metal against your skin, wishing it were my lips instead.” He gave a quiet, nauseating groan that made my stomach churn.

“You are too generous, Aurelius,” Seraphina said politely. Not for the first time, I realized she was definitely a braver woman than me. I’d have slapped him by now, regardless of the consequences.

“I am very much looking forward to our wedding night. It has been many years since I’ve felt the touch of a woman, but now I understand why. I have been saving every wasted moment for you,” he murmured, reaching out to touch the necklace he’d spoken of. Seraphina stiffened. “I wonder what you’ve got hiding beneath that gown. Perhaps you might give your husband-to-be a little taste?” He traced his bony fingers across her chest, drawing them down between her breasts, pulling at the silk neckline of her maroon dress.

“Perhaps this is not the best setting. People are going to be executed soon,” Seraphina said, her tone emotionless.

Her body was rigid with fear and disgust. All I wanted to do was tear his hands away from her. All around them, nobody seemed bothered by his lewd behavior. In fact, several people seemed to be actively ignoring the fact that he was publicly humiliating her. Was this a normal occurrence on Vysanthe? Given their questionable politics, I wasn’t about to put it past them.

“Why do you think I’m in such an excitable mood?” he asked, leaning in to her ear. “The sight of blood gets my own blood pumping.”

The way he said “pumping” made me want to throw up my morning fruit platter.

“Please, Aurelius, I should like to get back in line,” Seraphina insisted, flinching as his fingertips brushed her cheek, pushing away a strand of hair.

The sight of her displeasure appeared to spur Aurelius on, his hand reaching down to grip her wrist, his knuckles whitening. “I do hope you continue to resist me, darling Seraphina. I did not think it possible that I could want you more, but you have proven me wrong—the challenge of your coy act will make the conquering all the sweeter.”

It’s not an act! I wanted to scream, but I held my tongue, knowing it would only get me and Seraphina into more trouble.

He let go of her wrist, leaving the imprint of his fingers on her skin, and sauntered off toward the gallows. Queen Gianne had yet to arrive, but Jareth and her other advisors were already in position, alongside the scythe-wielding executioners. Everyone was awaiting the woman of the hour.

In Aurelius’s absence, I watched Seraphina’s strong fa?ade crumble. She brought her hands to her face, visibly steeling herself. In that moment, I knew I had to tell Navan about Seraphina, just as I had promised her I would. I had to let him know what would happen to Seraphina if he didn’t marry her. Now that I’d really seen the truth of her fate, I wanted to give Navan the chance to save her from those horrors.

Seraphina turned unexpectedly, bringing her hands down from her face. Our eyes met, and her mouth opened in surprise.

“Riley,” a voice whispered behind my ear, making me whirl around. Ronad was standing next to me, his hood up, an anxious frown furrowing his brow. He took my hand, hauling me away from the side of the barrier, away from the sorrowful face of Seraphina. I was sure she’d seen me, but there was no time to talk now.

With Ronad gripping my fingers, we weaved through the crowd, making for a gap farther away from the wooden spectator towers. The event would start soon, beginning the sand-timer of our mission. Judging by last week’s screening, we’d have no more than three hours to get to Ianthan’s cabin and back to the Idrax house, before anyone else got home and found us missing.

We reached a gap in the barrier and slipped across to the parked vessels that rested on the plains beside the crowds. I looked briefly over my shoulder to see the congregation swarming forward to greet their queen. Her voice was booming over the loudspeakers.

“The mighty Southerners have proven their worth on the battlefield, and yet there are still defectors among my people who will not heed my warnings!” she bellowed, her tone sending a shiver of fear up my spine. “Will we tolerate traitors?”

“NO!” the crowd roared.

“Here, we have a pathetic creature who sought to hide so-called pacifists in his basement!” the queen spat. I couldn’t help but turn to see the poor bastard who’d been caught in her web. Enormous screens had flickered to life behind the gallows stage, drawing in for a close-up of her victim. He was alarmingly young, no older than Ronad, and his eyes were squeezed shut, his whole body trembling. “How do you plead?”

“Not guilty, Your Majesty,” he squeaked. “I didn’t hide anyone—the soldiers came and couldn’t find a soul!”

“LIES!” Gianne screamed in his face, spittle flying. “You see this wretch? He is the son of one of my most-trusted generals. Hear how he dares to lie to me!”

The crowd booed, the sound reverberating through my chest.

“I didn’t hide anyone, Your Majesty. Your soldiers burst into my home and couldn’t find anyone,” the young man sobbed. “I wasn’t hiding anyone. Please, have mercy!”

I stared at his face, in enlarged high-definition. He looked innocent to me.

“TRAITOR!” Gianne howled. “Even your father has named you a liar! Isn’t that right, General?”

The camera panned to a weary-faced coldblood standing at the bottom of the gallows steps. The old man barely looked as though he could stand unassisted, his glazed eyes staring down the lens in confusion. A soldier knocked the back of the old man’s neck, prompting him to nod. A moment later, he fell to his knees, but the camera snapped back to the action before too much of the truth could be seen.

“You see? Even your father admits your crime!” Gianne screamed triumphantly.

It was becoming very clear now… Gianne was on a witch hunt, and everyone was fair game.





Chapter Nine





I tore my eyes away from the stage as an executioner lifted a scythe, ready to swipe it across the neck of the shivering coldblood. I couldn’t watch. Ronad and I weaved through the mass of parked vessels and toward a line of trees. We kept low, making sure nobody could see us from the gallows.

“I really hope the cabbie was wrong,” I whispered, as we hurried to the edge of the woodland. “If Ianthan’s cabin isn’t there anymore, I—”

Ronad cut me off. “It’ll be there, Riley. I promise.”

The bitter atmosphere was even colder within the shadows of the forest. My teeth chattered, no matter how tightly I pulled the cloak around me.

“Is it far?” I asked, rubbing my arms.

“Just a short walk from here.”

I frowned. “Will we make it back on time?”