Page 31 of Heart of Defiance

He’s also flying a small white flag indicating he means to parlay, not attack.

As the company marches toward us, I pick out some twenty figures in dark green uniforms off to the side. A gold crest gleams on the left side of their chests.

I frown. “Isn’t that Duke Berengar’s livery?”

Landric’s stance goes rigid beside me. “Gods smite us, it sure looks like it.”

Captain Amalia and a man on horseback who I think is also a captain as well ride forward to meet the approaching force. “That’s close enough!” Amalia hollers.

We still have the advantage of numbers by a factor of about two, although nearly half of us are hardly soldiers. It must seem like enough of an imbalance that the Darium leader doesn’t want to risk provoking us.

He holds up his hand for his people to draw to a halt and directs his horse forward on his own. He stops about ten paces from the company and the same from our captains. Then he swings down from his steed and steps in front of it as if sharing attention with even the animal would be unacceptable.

The delicate blue blossoms of sealace, just bloomed with the summer warmth, bob around his feet. It only grows in Velduny, but despite its looks, it’s one of the hardiest plants out there.

I expect he’ll find us an equally difficult challenge.

The military man doesn’t lift his helm, letting its paintedskeletal face glower at us unchecked. His voice booms across the space between us.

“Veldunian insurgents, your disgraceful acts against the empire and your Darium benefactors will not be allowed to stand. This is your one chance to surrender before you—and the people you stand for—face the harsh punishment you deserve.”

My skin itches uneasily. What does he think we deserve? All our towns and cities burned to the ground? Thousands slaughtered?

Captain Amalia has remained on her stallion. Her arm tenses at her side as if she’d like to grasp her sword and run this prick through right now.

“We don’t intend to let you punish us,” she retorts. “There’ll be no surrendering unless it’s on your side.”

“I wouldn’t be so hasty, traitor. The high commander who oversees this half of the continent is marching this way with an army far greater than anything you’ve been able to assemble. In a matter of days, the full might of the Darium empire will be prepared to crush your treachery.”

Even though I know he’s going out of his way to sound intimidating, my mouth dries up. Just how big an army is on its way? Will we be able to assemble enough people to fend them off?

How much will they destroy if we can’t?

The Darium leader goes on without offering our side a chance to respond. “We’ll give you ten minutes to decide. Surrender and hand over the woman named Signy who instigated this uprising, and High Commander Livius will treat the rest of you with more lenience.”

All the blood seems to drain from my body, leaving me a cold husk.

He knows my name. He knows I started this.

Murmurs pass through the people gathered around us.The soldiers remain stoically silent, but I catch fragments of anxious commentary from my neighbors.

“…comes down to her.”

“An entire army!”

“…murder us all and…”

Landric reaches over to squeeze my hand, but I barely feel the contact. My mind has detached from my body, floating somewhere just behind it, like I can’t bear to be part of myself.

Like the moment when I realized Inganne’s gift wasn’t coming, that no rush of magic was going to offset the throbbing of my foot where I’d offered my toes.

I went too far before. I pushed for more than I could handle and threw my life into shambles.

That’s why she turned me away, isn’t it? She knew I didn’t only want to create beautiful things. I asked for a talent that people would envy and view with awe.

I wanted to show up my aunt and uncle for their grumbles and sighs, to make the rest of the town wish they’d pampered me in my grief rather than ignoring my struggles.

Is this rebellion really what’s right for everyone, or have I only been acting out my own desire for vengeance? If I’ve overstepped again, it’ll be far more than me paying for my arrogance.

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