Page 27 of Scourged

Ryland, a younger Marked City Guard captain and one of the men who’d been raised with Sebastian and the others but were not Selected by Mariah to her Armature, deflated. “I was just trying to offer an idea that might put an end to this mess.”

Sebastian slumped further in his chair, barely listening. He was … so tired. Their latest skirmish had ended yesterday after a lengthy three-day stand-off, and despite his body craving a much-needed night of sleep, rest had avoided him.

Dark, aching nightmares had wrenched him awake in the middle of the night. Feelings of sorrow and pain and loneliness bellowed into his mind, worming their way into his subconscious.

By the haunted looks in his fellow Armature’s eyes, he knew they’d endured the same. The implication of them all experiencing a shared dream set them on edge, driven sharper by exhaustion.

“Perhaps, once this mess is over … it might be time to consider reforming the Onitan Navy. There are records of one existing long ago, nearly as mighty as the Kizar fleet. If it existed once, it could exist again,” General Emer, Royal Infantry insignia emblazoned on his chest, rumbled from the end of the table, scratching his full gray beard.

Across the table, Feran chuckled.

“Let me get this straight, General Emer,” Feran said, voice low as he slowly stood. “After nearly two decades of teaching us that, and I quote, ‘Onita needs no navy because our magic and technology are so far advanced from any neighboring threats it would simply be a waste of resources to maintain,’ you are now changing your mind?”

The General glared at Feran. “The circumstances have changed, boy. I taught you to adapt when the times called for it.”

“Or, perhaps, you are simply trying to save face after being provenwrong,” Feran seethed.

Sebastian sat up straighter in his chair, eyes darting between the two men as they leaned closer over the table.

“I asked you these questions eighteen years ago. Do you know what we could have accomplished in eighteen years? We could have ships in that bay right now, ships that could face the Kizar fleet and defend the city while we do the job we swore and bound our souls to do:protect our queen.” Feran’s fingers dug into the wood, lips pulled back in a snarl.

The aging General blinked his shock, stepping back.

It was bad when even Feran—even-tempered, observant Feran—was ready to draw blood from a man they’d known for over half their lives.

Sebastian rose to his feet. “You’ve made your point, Feran.”

Feran’s dark, fury-filled stare snapped to his. Drystan stepped to Feran’s side, resting a hand on his shoulder. Feran held Sebastian’s gaze for a second longer before loosing a heavy exhale and collapsing back into his chair.

Sebastian nodded to him. Feran simply fixed his stare on a swirl in the wood, scratching at the table with a finger.

“Perhaps”—Trefor glanced warily between Feran, Sebastian, and Emer—“there are improvements we can make to the trebuchets? Ones that might increase loading speed and distance? I found a few interesting notes in the library …”

Sebastian lowered himself back into his seat as the tension slowly dissipated, replaced by Trefor’s thoughts and a few interjections by other Armature, City Guard Captains, and Royal Infantry Commanders. He had nothing to offer—not anything they weren’t already discussing—so his mind wandered.

The conversation he’d had with Ciana the night before, after he’d returned from the battlements … It still didn’t sit right with him. How it had happened, the things she’d said, the thingshe’dsaid.

The way it had ended.

Why didn’t she understand? They were fighting for their lives just to keep the city from being overrun. The last thing he needed was to be worried about whether she was safe.

Even if the Kizar pirate’s magic broke past the wards, it was still a long distance from the Bay to the palace. And Sebastiandesperatelyneeded that distance between the pirates and Ciana to exist.

He wouldn’t lose any more best friends to the darkness of this cursed city.

Her words intruded into his thoughts, unimpeded.

“If you think it’s any safer in here than it is out there, then you’re more lost than I thought.”

Perhaps she was right; maybe he was lost.

That didn’t change his opinion, though. They would find another way to search for Mariah, one that didn’t require Ciana leaving the most fortified place in the city.

Besides … Ciana’s point no longer stood. Theyweresafer here in the palace. It wasn’t this location that had been Mariah’s downfall, but the actions of the one Armature who’d gone missing with her.

Sebastian’s fist tightened. If Andrian really was behind Mariah’s disappearance …

It didn’t matter how long Sebastian had known him. He’d kill Andrian himself.

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