Page 214 of Flame and Sparrow

Desperation and fear pumped my legs even harder than before.

There was an answer here somewhere, a way to stop all the impending chaos and destruction.

I just had to find it.

Back and forth I went until finally I rounded a corner and flew down a small, narrow staircase to what appeared to be the lowest exposed point of the tower…and suddenly there it was, tucked against the bottom of the dark wall, nearly lost among the shadows.

It was larger than the hang-fire bombs Cillian had used in the Cauldra temple mission, but similar in its cylindrical shape, with strange markings on its face and a ring of gold in its center, circling around what appeared to be a button that had been pressed and locked into place.

I called out to the others, alerting them to my find before rushing down to inspect it closer.

Larger than the previous bombs I’d seen, maybe—but still relatively small and unassuming. A soft whirring sound hissed from the device, making it seem like it was alive, breathing, ready to go off at any moment.

We needed to move quickly; there was no time for another debate like the one we’d had in Dravyn’s palace. Here was the target, and someone needed to do something about it before it ignited—simple as that.

I decidedIwould be that someone as long as no one else was here to do it, and I knelt, cautiously reaching to pick it up.

“Don’t touch it,” said a familiar, chillingly calm voice.

Chapter57

I stoodand spun around to find Andrel standing at the top of the steps, a bow in his hands.

“You’re still here.” I tried not to let my voice shake. Tried not to look at the tip of the arrow as he nocked it. Drew it back. “I…I thought you would have fled with the rest of them.”

“Someone had to make sure our weapon went undisturbed until it had a chance to properly ignite.”

“…And if you can’t escape the fallout it causes? You’re willing to die for the destruction?”

“If my dying is what it takes to start the fall of the Marr, then so be it. I’ll consider the legacy of my house honored. Something that doesn’t matter to you, I’ve noticed, so I don’t expect you to understand.”

The weapon made a terrible noise—a more violent hiss than before, followed by atick tick tickingthat seemed to grow faster as my heartbeats did.

I could barely breathe, but somehow I kept forcing words out. “This is madness.”

Madness that was going to kill us both and do untold damage to the structure at my back. And beyond destroying the tower itself, I couldn’t imagine what sort of devastating, ruinous energy would be released when said tower came tumbling down.

My gaze darted about, searching for ways to neutralize the damage, for some path I could use to escape with the bomb.

But even if I could be quick enough to avoid his arrow, he was blocking the only exit to the little nook I’d found myself in. A placement that was by design, I suspected. He’d probably been watching from nearby, waiting and hoping to trap me along with his weapon.

“Don’t do this, Andrel. Please.” I didn’t know what else to do but plead at this point. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Tell me how to stop this bomb from going off.”

“You can’t. The fuse is already lit within it.” His lips curved cold and cruel on his handsome face as he added, “And unlike the weak fire inside of you, this one won’t be so easily put out.”

I heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

Andrel readjusted the bow and arrow, fixing his aim more accurately onto my throat. “Shall I kill you now, so your dead body is the last thing your beloved gods see before the tower falls?”

The ticking grew even louder. Even faster.

“Or maybe I’ll let you live, so they can hear your screams when it happens.”

I didn’t have to count theticks, to listen for patterns among its noise; the mad gleam in Andrel’s eyes told me I was out of time. He’d won. I couldn’t stop this explosion from happening.

Tick, tick, ticktickticktick—

I snatched up the ticking, vibrating weapon and clutched it against my chest. Looked down at it. At the flame mark glowing on my skin, the scars I’d clawed into that same skin, the bracelet tied around my wrist…

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