Renegades (Hotbloods #3)

“Is something else troubling you?” I asked.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s nothing, honestly.”

“There’s something else, I can tell,” I pressed, wanting to know what could bring such despair to a woman like her.

Seraphina sighed, visibly steeling herself. “Queen Gianne has also decreed that, if Navan doesn’t return to Southern Vysanthe, then I am to be wed to her advisor, Aurelius, in two months’ time.”

My stomach sank as I recalled the hunched old skeleton that followed Gianne around everywhere. I remembered the look of jealousy in his rheumy eyes when he spoke to Navan about Seraphina. I’d had an inkling about the reason behind his envy, even then, though I’d never gotten my suspicions confirmed. Now, it made sense. All this time, Aurelius had had his eye on Seraphina, desiring to have her for himself. And, if Navan didn’t come back, he would get exactly that.

I felt sick, realizing what it might mean. And yet, I didn’t know whether I had it in me to sit back and watch another woman endure that—be passed around like a prize instead of a person—especially one as good as Seraphina. Once this mission was complete, and the building had been evacuated, I knew I would have a difficult choice to make.

Right now, however, other lives mattered far more than my own.





Chapter Twenty-One





“The clock’s ticking,” I said, trying to push thoughts of Navan and Seraphina to the back of my mind. “We need to get these people out of here before it’s too late. How can we evacuate without causing a panic?”

A grin spread across Seraphina’s face. “I’ve got the perfect idea,” she whispered. “Don’t worry. You should head back before anyone misses you. Leave the evacuation to me,” she insisted. Ordinarily, I would have been wary about trusting a coldblood I barely knew, but there was an honest quality to everything Seraphina did that was hard to ignore.

“Thank you,” I whispered, eager to return to Commander Korbin and the others. Peering through the crystal exterior of the Observatory, I could pick out one or two of our comrades, but the rest seemed to have dispersed, their job done. The fact that nobody else had come up this way made me think they had finished up with the outer surfaces too, leaving this side to Navan and me.

Leaving Seraphina, I crept around the tree trunk, readying myself to dart back to the clifftop where Navan was hiding.

Then Seraphina called out to me again. “Could you do one favor for me, Riley?” she asked.

I stalled, turning to look at her. “What… What would you like me to do?” I asked, frowning.

A sheepish expression passed across her stunning features. “I hate to ask, but… would you be able to persuade Navan to return to the South, if he finds a way to come back?” she wondered, not meeting my gaze.

The underlying meaning of her words pierced my very soul. I couldn’t believe she’d actually asked it out loud, considering what it would mean for Navan and me. More to the point, she knew what it would mean for us. I pitied her for how she had been forced into an engagement with Aurelius, but to be so blunt about getting Navan to return—I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It left a sour taste in my mouth, and a tangled web of confusion in my mind.

“If we make it back, I’ll see what I can do,” I promised. Right now, it was all I could give her.

“That means a lot, Riley. Believe me, it does,” she said, lifting her gaze to mine, a sad smile on her lips.

Why does she have to make it so difficult to hate her? I wondered silently. It would have been easier if I could look at her and despise every part of her being. But I couldn’t. She was kind and gentle, with a sharp intellect. Plus, right now, my gratitude toward her was immense. She was going to get the civilians out, without putting Navan’s or my life at risk. It was a task I couldn’t do alone, and I trusted Seraphina’s ability.

“I’d better get going,” I said, creeping back across the gardens. I was almost at the other side, when she called out again.

“One last thing,” she ventured, her hand on the door handle that led inside, and I turned back, anxious at what she might ask of me next. “I heard news that Queen Gianne is building a new weapon in the underground hangar. I believe you know the one? If the mood struck you, perhaps you might take a look?” she suggested, before pulling her coat tighter around her and stepping back into the warmth of the Observatory, disappearing from sight.

I let out a breath, relieved that it hadn’t been another request involving Navan, then turned around, expecting to find him on the other side of the row of bushes. But he was nowhere to be found. Puzzled, I lay flat on my stomach and crawled over to the edge of the cliff, my mind racing with thoughts of what Seraphina had just said. A weapon? What kind of weapon? Part of me wished she hadn’t said a word about it, knowing we would have to check it out before we left. There was no way we could ignore something that big. I was certain Navan would agree with me, once I found him.

Before I could lower myself over the cliff edge, I heard a commotion coming from the building. I lifted my head sharply and peered through the crystal surface of the Observatory, watching as the crowds streamed out in an orderly fashion. Nobody was running, nobody was screaming, though they were all covering their heads with whatever fabric they could find. I smiled, noting that the high-tech sprinklers were spraying water across the inside space, the droplets cascading down in a vigorous downpour. Lights were flashing a warning on the walls as the enormous screens that displayed the goings-on of Southern Vysanthe blinked sporadically against the damp intrusion.

A few officers sprinted around, frantically tapping several panels that were fitted into the walls in a vain attempt to get the water to stop, but nothing they did seemed to make a difference. Whatever Seraphina had done, she had made it impossible to stop. In fact, their actions seemed to make it worse. The officers shielded their eyes as the water increased in its volume, pouring down from the ceiling like a monsoon, a significant pool rising upward with each moment that passed. A few crackles and glittering sparks jetted out of one of the biggest screens, prompting the officers to give up, their eyes fearful of further explosions while they headed for the exits. With the screens out of order and the water lashing down, there was no point in them staying to try to fix it, until the water ran out.

It was simple, but perfect.

Thankful for Seraphina’s quick, skillful work, I flattened myself back down on the ground and shimmied off the edge, opening out my wings to catch myself. Navan was waiting below, his wings beating impatiently, his face looking deeply worried.

“Why did you run off like that?” he hissed, pulling me down toward him.